71 
VII. 
FAUNA OF NORFOLK. 
Part I. Mammalia and Reptilia. 
By Thomas Southwell. 
Read February 2Sth, 1871. 
Whilst it is tlio duty of a Natural History Society to endeavour 
to popularize the study of nature, and by every means to awaken 
an intelligent interest in the minds of those who have disregarded 
the wonders which surround them, it is not less incumbent upon 
such a society, by carefully compiling lists of the Fauna and Flora 
of their immediate district, to assist in furnishing materials for 
works of greater pretensions and more comprehensive scope. It 
is impossible for the author of a history of any branch of natural 
science to make himself minutely acquainted with the productions 
of every locality, or to trace out and eliminate species of doubtful 
authority, but by availing himself of the observations of many 
naturalists, condensed in the form of local lists, materials are 
placed at the disposal of the master builder ■which will enable him 
to construct a faithful history of the habits, frequency, and geogra- 
phical distribution of the subjects of which he treats. We think, 
therefore, no apology is needed from the Norfolk and Norwich 
Naturalists’ Society for endeavouring to compile faithful and 
accurate lists of the natural productions of the County, accompanied 
by such remarks as may be considered desirable, on the rarer species 
under consideration. 
As might have been expected from a County which has produced 
so many naturalists of iiote, many lists have appeared from time to 
time, amongst -^vhich, those of Sir Thomas Browne, Sheppard and 
Whitear, C. and J. Paget, Gurney and Fisher, Mumford, and 
Stevenson, are of great value, particularly ]\Ir. Stevenson’s most 
