442 



THE ZOOLOGIST. 



In a paper read by Mr. T. A. Coward in December, 1907, 

 before the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society, on 

 the Mammals of Lundy, it is stated that a Shrew sent to the 

 British Museum by Dr. Norman Joy was identified as Sorex 

 minutus. Mr. Coward himself was successful in obtaining only 

 one specimen, and that also proved to be S. minutus. A third 

 specimen of S. minutus from Lundy I obtained from one of the 

 lighthouse keepers of the North End, who told me that Shrew- 

 Mice are very plentiful in the autumn, and one or two are even 

 caught by their cat in the lighthouse itself. This specimen was 

 captured by their dog " Gyp." It is a male, measuring in head 

 and body 43 mm., and in tail 38 mm., hind foot 10 mm. My 

 identification has been confirmed by Mr. Coward. I failed to 

 trap any Shrews. 



The only other Lundy Shrew which has been examined was 

 thought by its captor, Mr. A. J. R. Roberts, to be the Common 

 Shrew (S. araneus), but Mr. Coward considers that, judging by 

 its measurements, it was either S. minutus or a young specimen 

 of S. araneus. It is probable that Lundy resembles Ireland and 

 the Isle of Man in possessing only the Lesser Shrew, the Common 

 Shrew and the Voles being absent. 



The House Mouse (Mus musculus) and the Norway Rat (M. 

 norvegicus) are common. I also captured an old English Black 

 Rat, which I think belonged to the M. rattus alexandrinus sub- 

 species, and which. Mr. Coward suggests as representing the 

 mysterious Red Rat of the islanders. Mr. Coward took a series 

 of both this form and M. rattus rattus. 



Several Goats have broken loose from captivity, and have 

 been inhabiting the cliffs in a completely feral condition. 



Rabbits are plentiful, but Mustelids, Moles, and Bats are 

 absent, although the latter are said to occur occasionally. The 

 Seal is by no means an uncommon animal off the coast, but only 

 Halichcerus grypus has been identified for certain.* 



In regard to the birds, there has taken place an unfortunate 

 but not unexpected change since the Rev. F. L. Blathwayt's article 

 on Lundy was published in s The Zoologist' (cf. Zool. 1900, 

 p. 375), for the Gannet {Sula bassana) has become locally extinct. 

 The other sea-birds — Puffins, Guillemots, and Razorbills — con- 



* Mr. Coward, loc. cit. 



