8 VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF LAKELAND 



young Water Shrews, which with their parents disported in an 

 artificial pond, formed by damming up a little brook which 

 flowed through his garden : ' When the sun shone out brightly 

 their glossy submerged coats glistened like frosted silver — 

 arising, I am informed, from the innumerable bubbles of air 

 that cover their velvety coats. Their watery gambols strikingly 

 reminded the spectator of those of a brood of ducklings at play. 

 Nor is their gamesomeness confined to the water. In 1876, 

 while botanising on the Frizington Parks estate, I was an inter- 

 ested spectator of their frolics on terra firma. Here again the 

 family consisted of five members, exclusive of the parents. At 

 the termination of a drain, where it opened into an open 

 water-course, was the entrance to their burrow. The field was 

 in grass at the time and depastured with cattle. In a semi- 

 circle round their hole were a number of grass-covered runs, 

 artistically arranged with the view apparently of forming a 

 first-class recreation ground. A number of paths, wide enough 

 only to accommodate a single Shrew, radiated from the burrow 

 as a centre, each extending about 7 or 8 feet in length. These 

 were crossed by parallel semicircular tracks about a foot apart, 

 the entire ground-plan giving much the idea of a geometric 

 spider's web cut in half. Along these tracks, lengthwise and 

 crosswise indiscriminately, the youngsters chased each other 

 with almost lightning speed. Should any two of their number 

 chance to " forest " each other, there was a squabble and much 

 shrill recrimination ensued. When tired with racing, they 

 would suddenly scuttle into the burrow, only to return in a few 

 minutes and renew their frantic exertions.' x From Mr. Hodgson's 

 description of this Shrew as ' white beneath,' I infer that he 

 has not met with entirely black specimens. They are no 

 doubt of less frequent occurrence than the particoloured form. 



Order CARN1VORA. Fam. FELIDM. 



WILD CAT. 



Felis catus, L. 

 Although little has been said in recent years of the former 

 existence of the Wild Cat in the Lake district, and though 

 1 Trans. Cumberland and Westmorland Assoc, No. xi. pp. 38, 39. 



