76 SCIENTIFIC SURVEY OF NOTTINGHAM AND DISTRICT 



iv. THE ZOOLOGY OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 



BY 



J. W. CARR, M.A., F.L.S., F.G.S., F.R.E.S. 



EMERITUS PROFESSOR OF BIOLOGY, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, NOTTINGHAM. 



Mammalia 



Most of the larger indigenous mammals of Nottinghamshire disappeared 

 long ago, but there can be no doubt that at one time Sherwood Forest, 

 which once covered a considerable part of the county, afforded shelter 

 to most of the British species. The red deer was abundant, the wolf, 

 pine-marten, pole cat, badger and otter were all probably common, and 

 some have survived even to the present day. 



Of the Cheiroptera or Bats, the Long-eared Bat {Plecotus auritus), 

 Noctule (Pipistrellus noctula), and Pipistrelle {P. pipistrellus) are all 

 common, but only single specimens of the Lesser Horse-shoe (Rhino- 

 lophus hipposideros) and Natterer's bat (Myotis nattereri) have occurred. 

 The Greater Horse-shoe bat (R. ferrum-equinum) has been reported from 

 Sherwood Forest, but requires confirmation before it can be accepted 

 as a Nottinghamshire species. 



The Insectivora include the Hedgehog {Erinaceus europaeus). Mole 

 (Talpa europaea) and Shrew (Sorex araneus), which are all of common 

 occurrence; while the Water-shrew (Neomys fodiem) is widely distributed 

 though not often seen, and the Pigmy shrew {Sorex minutus) is recorded 

 from Rainworth near Mansfield. 



Among the Carnivora the Badger (Meles meles) and Otter (Littra 

 Intra) are by no means rare; the Fox is, of course, common owing to its 

 preservation for purposes of sport; the Pole-cat (Putorius putorius) oc- 

 curred frequently during the last quarter of the nineteenth century, but 

 is probably now extinct, as is also the Pine-marten (Mustela manes) 

 which occurred at least up to about 1872; the Stoat (Putorius ermineus) 

 and the Weasel (Putorius nivalis) are still very common throughout the 

 county; the Wolf (Canis lupus) is shown by documentary evidence to 

 have been common in the Forest as late as the fifteenth century at 

 least, but no remains of the Wild-cat (Felis catus) are known of later 

 date than the recent deposits in the Creswell caves. 



RoDENTiA. The Squirrel (Sciurus leucourus) is common in woods and 

 parks throughout the county; the Dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) 

 and the Harvest-mouse (Mus minutus) both occur, but are now very rare; 

 the Wood-mouse, or Long-tailed Field-mouse (Mus sylvaticus) is common 

 in the Nottingham district and doubtless elsewhere; the House-mouse 

 (Mus musculus) and Brown-rat (Mus decumanus) are here, as elsewhere, 

 abundant pests; the Field-vole (Microtus agrestis) and Bank-vole. 

 (Evotomys glareolus) occur and are probably common, but have not been 

 much looked for; the Water-vole (Microtus amphibius) is common in all 



