REVIEW—-NIDDERDALE AND ITS NATURAL HISTORY. 335 
The Vertebrate fauna is contributed by Mr. Riley Fortune, F.Z.S., 
who states that it is ‘the first time an attempt has been made to 
deal with the vertebrate fauna of the whole of the Nidd watershed.’ 
Thirty-one species of mammalia are recorded ; 169 species of birds, 
viz., 66 residents, 29 summer visitors, 11 winter visitors, and 63 
occasional visitors, the Nightingale being included among the latter, 
at Crimple, in 1883-4-5; Spa Gardens, Harrogate, 1884; near 
Knaresborough, 1887, and Holly Bank Wood, Ripley, 1889; and 
the Kingfisher, ‘now fairly plentiful.’ Reptiles number four, 
amphibians five, and fishes 27. Mr. W. Denison Roebuck, F.L.S., 
contributes a short chapter on the Land and Freshwater Mollusca, 
Stating znfer alia that the whole Nidderdale list contains only one 
Species (Pupa margimata) more than the Harrogate area of it, being 
4 net total of 63 species. The average rainfall of 23 stations in the 
Nidd Valley is recorded, and the heights of the hills, towns, villages, 
etc., the highest being Great. Whernside, 2,310 feet, and the lowest 
un-Monkton, 45 feet. 
The author, after these details, proceeds in 43 chapters to deal 
with descriptive, historical, and topographical accounts of the 
various places of interest, and the beautiful scenery, of this lovely 
valley, commencing at Nun-Monkton where the Nidd joins the 
Ouse and proceeding up the river, with frequent divergences of 
a few miles on either side, to Angram the last house in the’ valley 
beyond Middlesmoor. Every chapter is full of interest, and our 
only regret is that we are unable from want of space to do more 
than indicate some of the more salient points, treated of in such 
minute and accurate detail in these chapters. Of these we may only 
venture to indicate the following : Nun-Monkton and the Fairfaxes ; 
Cowthorpe with its great oak; Ribston and Hunsingore, the posses- 
sions of the Knights Templars and Knights Hospitallers, with a fair 
account of these military ecclesiastics ; the old Saxon stronghold 
of Spofforth, once the home of the illustrious Percies ; Knares- 
borough, to which several chapters are devoted, respecting St. 
Robert’s Well and Chapel, Eugene Aram, Cave-houses, the Dropping 
Well; The Castle, where Richard II. was at one time confined ; 
King John and_ the ‘Royal Forest; Scotton, the boyhood’s 
home of Guy Fawkes (it being remarkable that six out of the seven 
Gunpowder Plot conspirators came from Nidderdale, or had family 
connections there); Dacre Banks, Brimham Rocks, ancient Pateley 
ridge and Bewerley, Ravensgill and the Forest of Nidderdale, with 
their ancient families, are full of interest ; also How Stean, with its 
romantic scenery, and the large find of Roman coins there in the 
cavern, called ‘Tom Taylor's Chamber.’ The present Archbishop 
Nov, 1894. 
