VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF THE BLACKPOOL DISTRICT 123 



on the hills and, incidentally, appears in the lower country. The Otter is 

 tolerably common in the streams. Two were shot, respectively at Marton and 

 Warton in the early part of this year (1936). A record of special interest is 

 that of a female Wild Cat which was shot near Camforth in the autumn of 

 1922. A male was also shot, but escaped. Both no doubt were strays from 

 over the border. 



The Lancashire coast, being destitute of rocky caverns, is hardly suitable 

 for Seals, but the Common and Grey Seals are in all probability casual visitors. 

 An example of the Harp Seal was shot in Morecambe Bay in 1 868. 



The local list comprises 10 rodents. The Bank, Field and Water Voles 

 are common, as is also the Wood Mouse. The Dormouse has occurred in the 

 Brock and Hodder valleys, but little appears to be known of its present status 

 in those parts ; very likely its retiring habits often cause it to be overlooked. 

 The Black Rat is confined to the port towns, and at Preston dock it outnumbers 

 the brown pest by approximately three to one. The Red Squirrel is thinly 

 distributed in the more easterly portions of the district, but is commoner 

 north of the Lune. Various reports that the alien Grey Squirrel has recently 

 arrived on the north bank of the Ribble require confirmation. 



The Irish Sea lies off the customary migration route of most Cetaceans, but 

 the Porpoise, the Common and Bottle-nosed Dolphins and the Bottle-nosed 

 Whale have appeared off the Lancashire coast at various times, or have been 

 stranded in the estuaries. The Killer has been reported (without data) but 

 may be more frequent than is supposed. The White-beaked Dolphin occurred 

 at St. Annes-on-Sea in 191 1. 



Birds. 



Lancashire is relatively rich in bird-life, for, apart from its attractive 

 topographical features, its maritime situation gives it a marked advantage 

 over any inland county, however large, and makes it especially rich in passage 

 migrants. Owing to the difficulties of accepting or rejecting doubtful records, 

 however, the number of species which have occurred within the county limits 

 cannot be stated with strict accuracy, but it may be put down as approximately 

 270. The Blackpool list for the area under consideration numbers about 240, 

 more than half of which are regular visitors. 



Although much useful information regarding the local movements of birds, 

 has, of late years, been furnished by a few competent observers in various 

 parts of the county, our knowledge of the volume and frequency of west coast 

 migration is still imperfectly understood, but will very likely, on further 

 investigation, be found to be of more significance than is at present supposed. 

 Only those who are accustomed to accumulating facts on any special branch 

 of zoology have any real conception of the amount of information to be gained 

 by regular and systematic observation. Especially is this true as regards 

 ornithology, and what is largely needed at the present time to grapple with some 

 of the problems of bird-life which still bristle with difficulties, is an increase 

 in the ranks of reliable observers. 



It is no easy matter to define the exact status of every species known to 

 occur within the limits of a district such as the present, owing to the fact that 

 there is so much ground to cover in comparison to the scanty number of 



