FAUNA. As the British Isles, until geologically recent times, were an integral part of the Conti nent, they partake of the general fauna of West ern Europe, and present few differences except such as are due to man. All the larger animals were long ago exterminated (see EXTINCT ANI MALS ) , or have been preserved only as curiosities on private estates, with the exception of the red deer. Otters, badgers, polecats, and weasels sur vive free persecution; foxes persist under pro tection. The hare, squirrel, hedgehog, vole, some wild mice, moles, shrews, and bats nearly com plete the list of remaining British land mammals. Seals of two or three species are found on the northern coasts, and the cetaceans of the North Atlantic visit the shores from time to time. Cer tain common animals of Northern and Western Europe, such as the reindeer, elk, roe-deer, lem ming, hamster, etc., have had no place in Great Britain within historic times; neither have sev eral mammals of Southern France.
The birds more fully represent the European air fauna, for the British Isles lie upon a path of coastal migration between tropical and north ern latitudes. This brings regularly to Great Britain most of the European birds, hut some species are exceedingly rare there which occur commonly in the RhOne-Rhine Valley. Laws have long afforded protection to all birds, resident or migratory, preserving many species that were formerly threatened with extinction, yet some have been lost. The principal British birds are the raven, hooded and carrion crows. rook. jack daw, magpie, chough, and jay—the last two be coming very scarce; the starling, the chaffinch, goldfinch, linnet, bullfinch, house-sparrow, various buntings, and other seed-eaters; the skylark and woodlark, with several related wagtails, pipits, etc.; a nuthatch and several varieties of titmouse, shrike, and waxwing. Thrushes are represented by the nightingale, blackbird, mavis, missel thrush, and redwing—famous songsters; and lesser insect-eaters are the two chats, the wheatear, the redbreast, and several small war blers, accentors, wrens, flycatchers, etc. Sev eral swallows are familiar about buildings and river-banks, and two or three woodpeckers. The
cuckoo, nightjar, swift, and kingfisher, one species each, carry the list to the birds of prey. These include the brown, barn, and several other small owls, with the great snowy owl as a winter visitor. The osprey is rare. Among the falcons are the peregrine, kestrel, gerfalcon, merlin, and pigeon and sparrow hawks. Honey-buzzards, kites, eagles, and vultures are seen only at long intervals, when they wander over from the Continent. The buzzards, goshawk, and marsh-harrier complete a long list. Fishing birds are represented by cormo rants, gannets, etc., on the coast; and by the bit tern inland. Waterfowl include tame swans, the wild bernacle, greylag, bean, and pink-footed geese, and a series of ducks to a large degree identical with those of Canada. Four species of typical pigeons include the wild stock of domestic doves and the widespread turtle-dove. The game birds are the capercailzie, blackgame, red grouse (one of the few birds peculiar to the British Islands), and the introduced pheasant ; but sportsmen find a long list of visiting shore-birds, most of which are known also in America ; while the sea-birds are those of the North Atlantic coasts generally.
Fishes abound in the 'four seas' about Great Britain, and their capture supports a large mari time population (see FISHERIES) ; certain spe cies, as the sole, turbot, and whitebait, are local and of wide repute for excellence. Salmon still ascend the northerly rivers of the Kingdom, under legal protection, and trout, grayling, and various fresh-water fishes of interest to anglers are similarly preserved. Oysters and various other `shellfish' abound and are largely fished for or cultivated for food. Of reptiles, .Great Britain contains but four—a small viviparous lizard, a blindworm, a small colubrine snake (Tropidono tvs and the adder (Pelias Berus). Sev eral frogs, two toads, and some newts, comprise the amphibians. The insects, mollusks, and lower invertebrates are as numerous and varied as might be expected in a mild and moist climate, and have been more thoroughly studied, perhaps, than anywhere else on the globe.