320 Bibliographical Notice. 
on the authority of the late Mr. KE. R. Alston, and the right whale 
(Balena mysticetus), on the ground of want of evidence, its supposed 
occurrence on the British coasts never having been recorded since 
the distinction was established between that species and B. biscay- 
ensis, which is certainly known to visit the British seas. 
One is not much surprised to find that Yorkshire, the largest of 
British counties, embraces in its terrestrial fauna (including, of 
course, the inhabitants of the fresh waters) a very great majority of 
the British Vertebrates. Thus we find that it possesses 32 out of 
45 terrestrial mammals, 4 out of 7 reptiles (and one of the others is 
British only because it inhabits the Channel Islands), 6 out of 7 
amphibians, and 32 out of 53 freshwater fishes. With regard to 
the birds there would be some difficulty in drawing a distinction 
between marine and freshwater species; but taking the whole class 
we find Yorkshire boasting of no fewer than 307 species out of a 
total of 380. 
That the county should be so exceedingly rich is easily explained 
when we consider its physical characters. It is not only the 
largest county in Britain, but it possesses a variety of geological 
structure, and consequently of surface, such as no other county can 
boast. In its western parts the old paleozoic rocks form an ele- 
vated country, rising here and there into actual mountain masses, 
and reaching in the north-west, towards the borders of Westmore- 
land, an elevation of some 2600 feet above the level of the sea; and 
from this lofty region the most beautiful and romantic dales sweep 
down towards the rich pasture-lands of the Craven district and the 
Vale of York. Southwards these older rocks form wild high moor- 
lands, stretching away to the borders of Derbyshire. The great 
central plain, formed chiefly by the Vale of York, although chiefly 
covered up by clays and gravels, nevertheless presents a considerable 
variety of surface, and especially some interesting remains of the 
old forest of Galtres, which formerly spread over its whole northern 
part, extending upto the very walls of York, and harbouring in its 
recesses the wolf, the wild boar, and the red deer. In the north- 
east the Cleveland and Hambleton hills offer high ground of a totally 
different character from the old mountain-region of the west: and 
separated from these by the Vale of Pickering, we have the Chalk 
Wolds, with quite another character of scenery. Between the chalk 
and the sea again come the low grounds of Holderness. In a region 
of such diversified character, with an abundance of both wild and 
cultivated ground, it is no wonder if the terrestrial fauna is very 
extensive; and the coast-line, which stretches tor nearly 120 miles 
from the mouth of the Tees to Spurn Point, offers in its lofty cliffs 
the most favourable conditions of existence for many species of sea~ 
birds, whilst others find congenial haunts on the sandy shores of 
Holderness. Further, as our authors remark, the situation of 
Yorkshire, nearly in the middle of Britain, gives it an advantage 
with regard to migratory birds, some southern species finding here 
their northern boundary, while certain northern immigrants are 
not known to advance further to the south. 
The only point in which Yorkshire shows to a disadvantage in 
