MAMNIALS. 



AN ENUMERATION OF MAMMALS FOUND IN BUCKS COUNTY. 



BV JOSEPH THOMAS, M. D., QUAKERTOWN, PA. 



The following list of mammals embrace nearly or perhaps quite all the species 

 known to exist or having been seen within a recent period within the limits of 

 Bucks county. Many of them have been rendered exceedingly scarce by encroach- 

 ments upon their haunts in the agricultural development of the country, while 

 others, obnoxious to civilized man, have been vigorously hunted and destroyed, until 

 only an occasional wary survivor remains protecfed in his rocky or woody solitude 

 from the intrusion of man. Several species, such as the deer, bear, wolf, etc., now 

 extinct in this portion of the country, were many years ago, in the early settlement 

 of Bucks county, quite common and frequently encountered. 



The upper portion of the county, included within the belt of trap-rocky forma- 

 tion stretching across from the Delaware river to the Montgomery county line, 

 affords still a safe retreat for such animals as the mink, weasel, foxes, racoon, 

 opossum, and perhaps the wild cat. Even the squirrel and rabbit, formerly so 

 numerous as to be a great annoyance to the farmer, are every year becoming fewer 

 in numbers, u'hile the fate of most of the native quadrupdes of the county has been 

 to retire and succumb before the march of civilization, a few species, aliens how- 

 ever, have increased with great rapidity and defied man's keenest ingemn'ty to 

 extirpate them. These are the rat and common mouse. They were brought to 

 this country from Europe by the early settlers on ship-board. 



CATALOGUE. 



The Evening Bat, (Nycliccjiis Crc- 



f'uscularis.) Not frequent. 

 Red Bat, (Lasiunis Norcboraccnsis.) 



Moderately abundant. 

 Carolina Bat, (Scoto/'hUus Carolincn- 



sis.) Occasionally seen. 

 Brown Bat, (.Scotophilus Fiiscus.) 



Frequently seen. 

 Genrgiana Bat, (Scotophilus Gcorgi- 



anus.) Rare. 



Silvery-haired Bat, (Scotophilus Noc- 



fi^ragans.) Rare. 

 Little Brown Bat, (Vespertilio Subu- 



latus.) Rare. 

 Blunt-nosed Bat, (Vespertilio Luci- 



fugus.) Occasionally seen. 

 Forster's Shrew, (Sorc.r Forsteri.) 



Rare. 

 Larger Shrew, (Blarina Talpoides.) 



Frequent. 



