196 UPPER NIDDERDALE AND ITS FAUNA. 



Water Shrew. Crossopus fodiens. Rather common in the little 



streams in Smelthouse Wood. 

 Fox. Canis vulpes. Local names : 'Renny' or 'Fox.' Its favourite 



haunts are Brimham and Guyscliffe, particularly the latter. 

 Marten. Martes sylvestris. Local name : ' Sweet Mart.' This 



rare animal has occurred at Ripley and other places. 

 Weasel. Mustela vulgaris. Local names : * Mouse-hunter/ 



' Mouse- Weasel.' Common. 

 Stoat. Mustela erminea. Local name :' Powcat' Not so common 



as the Weasel. 



Polecat. Mustela putorius. Local name : ' Powcat.' Formerly 



common. Probably still lingers in Guyscliffe, Helksgill, and 



Ramsgill, but none have been noticed of late years. 

 Otter. Lutra vulgaris. Extremely rare in Nidderdale. Has 



occurred as high up as Ramsgill, but most of the occurrences 



have been about Pateley. 

 Badger. Meles taxus. Local name : ' Pate ' [hence Pateley = the 



badgers' field]. Used within living memory to be rather 



common, but recent occurrences are only few in number. 

 Red Deer. Cervus elaphus. A note on the occurrence of escaped 



deer from Studley appeared in the present volume of the 



Naturalist, p. 36. 

 Fallow Deer. Cervus dama. One was killed in How Stean several 



years ago, having probably escaped from Bolton or Studley 



Park. 



Squirrel. Sciurus vulgaris. Common, but not so much so as 



before the very hard winters of five or six years ago, when great 



numbers perished. 

 Dormouse. Muscardinus avellanarius. Not common, but occurs 



sparingly in most of the woods. 

 Harvest Mouse. Mus minutus. George Charlton describes his 



having seen this species nesting in a corn-field. We have not, 



however, seen specimens, and cannot vouch for this species 



being a member of the Nidderdale fauna. 

 Long-tailed Field Mouse. Mus sylvaticus. Not so common as 



the Field Vole. 

 House Mouse. Mus musculus. Common in all houses. 

 Brown Rat. Mus decumanus. Local name : ' Ratten.' A great 



pest. 



Water Vole. Arvicola amphibia. Local name : ' Water Ratten.' 



Common in the streams. 

 Field Vole. Arvicola agrestis. Locally called ' Short-tailed Field 



Mouse.' Common ; may be easily caught in hedge-bottoms. 



Naturalist, 



