MAMMALIAN FAUNA OF NORTH CARDIGANSHIRE. 331 



Notes on the Mammals of North Cardiganshire. 



The Polecat was formerly abundant in Britain, but now its 

 xange is very restricted, owing to factors which will be obvious. 

 Prom time to time its reappearance in a district which it was 

 supposed to have deserted is noted, but some of these records 

 are, perhaps, not above suspicion. The Ferret, which is itself 

 believed to be a Polecat, though possibly a foreign one, mates 

 freely with its wild relative. The hybrids (Polecat-Ferrets, 

 Fitchets, etc.) which result from the cross, often bear a close 

 resemblance to the wild parent in size, colour, and robustness of 

 constitution. Some of the doubtful records may refer to hybrids 

 which have become feral. 



Cardiganshire, and more particularly its northern portion, 

 is one of the few places in our Islands where the Polecat still 

 maintains itself in some numbers, owing to physical reasons 

 previously stated. The Borth and Tregaron Bogs have played 

 no small part in preserving this carnivore from extinction. These 

 large marshy tracts are situated in the north and south of North 

 Cardiganshire respectively. They include patches of fair extent 

 of comparatively dry ground, and such situations suit the re- 

 quirements of the Polecat admirably. 



Almost without exception the whole of the very numerous 

 Polecats which I have examined were killed between the edge of 

 the High Plateau and the sea, as would be expected. Much of 

 the area of North Cardiganshire is given up to game, and is 

 strictly preserved. It is from such localities especially that most 

 of the Polecats are obtained, the greater number of them being 

 taken in traps. Whether the Polecat occurs in any numbers on 

 the High Plateau is a matter of conjecture, and one concerning 

 which I have not been able to elicit a great deal of information. 

 In certain parts of it this animal is seen at least as high as 

 1300 ft. (see under Polecat in list of mammals), and the prob- 

 ability is that it populates the greater part of the edge of this 

 region. Now the habitable and cultivable land in North Cardi- 

 ganshire forms a relatively narrow strip between the High Plateau 

 and the sea, and this fact may not be without significance. It 

 must be remembered that the yearly toll of these creatures in 

 the district is a heavy and constantly increasing one, especially 



