MAMMALS OB BUCKS COUNTY.                                 35
 

MAMMALS.
 

BY   JOSEPH   THOMAS,   M.   D.,   QUAKERTOWN,   PA.
 

The following list of mammals embrace nearly or perhaps quite all the species
known to exist or having been seen within a recent period Avithin the limits of Bucks
county. Many of them have been rendered exceedingly scarce by encroachments upon
their haunts in the agricultural development of the country, Avhile others, obnoxious
to civilized man, have been vigorously hunted and destroyed, until only an occasional
wary survivor remains protected in his rocky or woody solitude from the intrusion of
man. Several species, such as the deer, bear, Avolf, etc., now extinct in this portion of
the country, were many years ago, in the early settlement of Bucks county, quite com¬
mon and frequently encountered.

The upper portion of the county, included within the belt of trap-rocky formation
stretching across from the Delaware river to the Montgomery county line, affords still
a safe retreat for such animals as the mink, weasel, foxes, racoon, opossum, and per¬
haps the wild cat. Even the squirrel and rabbit, formerly so numerous as to be a great
annoyance to the farmer, are every year becoming fewer in numbers, Avhile the fate
of most of the native quadrupeds of the county has been to retire and succumb before
the march of civilization, a few species, aliens however, have increased with great
rapidity and defied man's keenest ingenuity to extirpate them. These are the rat
and common mouse. They were brought to this country from Europe by the early
settlers on ship-board.
 

CATALOGUE.

1.   The Evening Bat, (Nycticejus Crepus-      7. Little Brown Bat, (Vespertilio Suhula-

cularis.)    Not frequent.                                   tus.)    Rare.

2.   Red Bat,   (Lasiurus  Noveboracensis.)       8. Blunt-nosed  Bat,   (Vespertilio   Luci-

Moderately abundant.                                    fugus.)    Occasionally seen.

3.   Carolina Bat, (ScotophUus  Carolinen-       9. Forster's    Shrew,    (Sorex    Forsteri.)

sis.)    Occasionally seen.                                 Rare.

4.   Brown Bat, (ScotophUusFuscus.) Ere-     10. Larger  ShrcAv,   (Blarina  Talpoides.)

quently seen.                                                    Frequent.

5.   Georgian    Bat,  (ScotophUus    Gcorgi-     11. Smaller  Shrew,    (Blarina   Cinerea.)

anus.)    Rare.                                                   Occasionally seen.

6.  Silvery-haired Bat, ScotophUusNocti-     12. Common Mole,  (Scalops Aquaticus.)

raqans.)    Rai'C.                                                Common.