140 SCIENTIFIC SURVEY OF BLACKPOOL AND DISTRICT 



Red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris). Distributed throughout the Lake District, 

 but varies in numbers from year to year. Internal parasites and mange 

 keep the numbers in check. 



Grey squirrel (Sciurus cinereus). Up to the present this alien pest has not 

 appeared in the district. 



Dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius). Has been reported, but is very 

 scarce. 



Harvest mouse (Micromys minutus). Not yet proved to be present. 



Wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus). Almost a plague in many parts of the 

 district. 



House mouse (Mus musculus). An unwelcome guest everywhere. 



Black rat (Epimys rattus). No authentic record for many years. 



Brown rat (Epimys norvegicus). An ever-present curse. 



Water vole (Arvicola amphibius) and field vole (Microtus agrestis). Common. 



Bank vole (Evotomys glareolus). Scarce, but has been reported many times. 



Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and brown hare (Lepus europceus). Common. 



Red deer (Cervus elaphus). A herd of about 150 range the Helvellyn area. 

 These are the only truly wild deer in England outside the West Country, 

 and are lineal descendants of the deer hunted by one of the Plantagenet 

 kings when that area was a royal deer forest. 



Fallow deer (Cervus Dama). A large herd of semi-wild fallow deer exist 

 on Gowbarrow overlooking Ullswater. A few are supposed to lurk 

 here and there in other areas. 



Roe deer (Capreolus capraea). A few still remain in the well-wooded areas 

 near Windermere, and stragglers occur in a few other quiet corners of 

 the Lake District. 



Hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus). Common. 



Mole (Talpa europoea). Common. 



Common shrew (Sorex araneus). Well-distributed and a welcome (or ought 

 to be) friend to farmers and gardeners, for it lives almost entirely on 

 insects, snails and other pests. 



Lesser shrew (Sorex minutus). Very local. 



Water shrew (Neomys jodiens). Rather local, but not as uncommon as 

 supposed. 



