MAMMALIAN I'AUNA OF NOliTH CARDIGANSHIRE. 825 



in the streets of Aberystwyth Town, where it is Kometimes 

 carried by Dogs. I have sometimes heard its loud and plaintive 

 cry from a considerable distance, when it is terrified. Long 

 before dark, individuals may be seen crossing the roads, and 

 many of them are of large size. In the evening of Novem- 

 l)er 16th, 1915, I caught a large Hedgehog in the roadway at 

 Penparke as it was running nimbly along. The day was a cold 

 one, and frequent and very heavy hail-showers were falling. 

 This cold spell had commenced some days previously. Hiber- 

 nation had probably commenced some time before this date, and 

 this individual was perhaps aroused through some unusual 

 event. 



Mole {Talpa eurojjcea, Linn.). — Exceedingly common every- 

 where, even at a considerable height. Yellow-white specimens, 

 generally called albinos, are not infrequently taken. 



Common Shrew {Sorex araneus, Linn.). — Common in the 

 district (Salter and others). 



Water-Shrew (Neomys fodiens, Pall.). — Occurs in the 

 district. Mr. H. E. Dickinson has seen a specimen in a stream 

 at Ponterwyd (on the High Plateau). 



Wild Cat {Felis sylvestris, Schreb.). — Long extinct in the 

 district. I can find no records of the dates when the last local 

 specimens were killed. Feral Cats are not uncommon in the 

 preserved areas. I am convinced that the rare sight of the 

 Pine-Marten (see under " Pine-Marten " in list of species and 

 notes) gives rise to some of the stories sometimes current in the 

 district of the appearance of a " true Wild Cat." It is at all 

 events significant that the busbiness of the tail is very frequently 

 cited by the observers. 



Fox {Canis vulpes, Linn.). — Common in North Cardigan- 

 shire, where, owing to the nature of the country, it is hunted 

 with difficulty. Foxes are sometimes observed on the main 

 roads near Aberystwyth. A fine male, from near Llanfarian, 

 near Aberystwyth, measured over 47:1 in. from the tip of the 

 no'se to the end of the tail, and turned the scale at eighteen 

 pounds. The years 1914-15 saw much depredation by Foxes in 

 the poultry-yards and sheep-folds in some parts of Cardigan- 

 shire. In fact, Foxes were so numerous and troublesome that 

 the farmers were compelled to organise regular " shoots " in 



