826 



THE YOUNG 



NATURALIST. 



Geologically the whole district is included 

 within the mountain limestone area, all the 

 hills of which formation are covered with 

 bright green grass to their very summits — it 

 being only where the limestone strata are 

 capped by the sandetones of the millstone 

 grit series that the green pastures give way 

 to heatherland. 



The district would appear to be very rich 

 in various branches of natural history. Its 

 limestone soils yield a characteristic and 

 interesting series of plants, some of them of 

 considerable rarity — one, indeed, being so 

 scarce that its habitat is very properly with- 

 held by those who know it, otherwise the 

 plant would hardly escape destruction at 

 the hands of some dealer or rapacious and 

 greedy collector. The same remarks apply 

 to one or two of the birds ; while of butter- 

 flies the district has one species in abun- 

 which is found nowhere else in Yorkshire. 

 Of the natural history of Upper Wharfedale, 

 however, little is at present known. Rich 

 as it would appear to be, it is as yet almost 

 as completely a terra incognita as if it were 

 some remote district in the thinly populated 

 wilds of Scotland or Ireland, instead of 

 being, as it is, within three hours' journey 

 of the populous manufacturing towns of 

 Lancashire and Yorkshire. But it would 

 seem as if they had never had the benefit of 

 the researches of a competent resident natu- 

 ralist. No inhabitant of the dale seems ever 

 to have interested himself in its fauna, and 

 the researches of naturalists from a distance 

 have been confined to flying visits at long 

 intervals of time. 



Grass Wood — a very extensive stretch of 

 mixed woodland, with a dense and rich 

 undergrowth — occupies an irregularly con- 

 toured stretch of country on the left or 

 eastern bank of the Wharfe, about a mile 

 or two north of Grassington, and, so far as 

 it is yet known, appears likely to be a very 

 prolific hunting-ground, especially for en- 

 tomologists. 



So much fcr prefatory remarks ; now to 

 set forth the sum total of the information 

 actually known on the subject of its animal 

 productions. 



Mammalia. 

 The mammalia have not been noted ap- 

 parently by any one, only seven species 

 being reported. But it should be remem- 

 bered that the animals of this class are of 

 retiring and unobtrusive habits, and not to 

 be seen on any chance visit. It requires the 

 observations of a resident naturalist fully to 

 ascertain what mice, shrews, voles, weasels, 

 bats, &c., occur in any particular neighbour- 

 hood. The species known so far include — 



Hedgehog.— Has been noted as common on the 

 slopes of Earl Scat, in the extreme south of the district. 

 The Mole has not yet been recorded, nor hare any of 

 the Shrews, or Shrew-mice. The same remark applies 

 to the Fox. 



2. Pine JIaeten. — A specimen of this extremely rare 

 and almost extinct British animal -was taken near Back- 

 den in the v/inter of 1880. It has also occurred at Azer- 

 ley, near Ripon, and on High Ash Head Moors, near 

 Masham. All these localities being in the vicinity of 

 the same range of h lis, it would appear as if the district 

 was one of its last strongholds in Yorkshire. None of 

 the Weasels have been recorded, nor has the Otter. 



3. Badger.— About 1880 one was taken on the north- 

 ern slopes of Simon Seat. 



4. Squirrel.— Inhabits Grass Wood. In 1874 a very 

 fine example with a cream-coloured or nearly white tail 

 was chased near Dib Scar by a party of members of the 

 Leeeds Natarahsts' Club. Its re ative, the Dormouse, 

 has not been recorded, and it would be very interesting 

 to learn whether its occurs or not at so high an altitude 

 as Grass "Wood would present. 



5. House Mouse.— Has been seen near GhaislrUls. 

 No doubt as common at Grassington as in other towns, 

 but has not been formally recoided. None of the other 

 Mice or the Eat are known to occur. 



6. Hare.- Occurs in Grass Wood. 



7. Eabbit,— Is found at Kilnsey Crag. 



Birds. 



The ornithological character of the dis- 

 trict is essentially that of a subalpine region, 

 as the presence — more especially their pres- 

 ence in abundance — of such birds as the 

 dipper, grey wagtail, common sandpiper, 

 ring ouzel, and red grouse fully demon- 



