ZOOLOGICAL NOTES 267 



had brought to me a shrew mouse which I recognised as the Water 

 Shrew. The ground on which it was got was close to the loch, and 

 almost of the nature of a marsh. I immediately sent it off to Mr. 

 Eagle Clarke, who informs me that my capture is an interesting 

 one, because this species, though naturally supposed to be present 

 in Argyllshire, has not hitherto, it is believed, been recorded for the 

 county. CHARLES CAMPBELL, Dalmeny Park. 



Habits of the Mountain Hare (Lcpus variabilis, Pallas). Bell 

 ("Brit. Quad.," Ed. 2, p. 340), and MacGillivray ("Brit. Quad.," p. 

 284) both make the positive statement that the Mountain Hare does 

 not burrow. This may be true in a general sense ; but that it is not 

 universally true I had ample evidence while spending a few days in 

 the southern section of Inverness-shire during the early part of the 

 present summer. I had all but reached the top of a hill fully 3000 

 feet high when I observed a burrow in the peaty soil which covers 

 the greater part of the hill to a considerable depth. Turning to the 

 keeper who had appeared upon the scene a few minutes before, I 

 remarked, that surely it was unusual to find rabbits in such a 

 locality. " There are no rabbits here," he replied, " that hole has 

 been made by a Blue Hare." He then informed me that according 

 to his experience, which, however, was limited to that part of the 

 country, it was quite a usual thing for these hares to make burrows. 

 In them he had many a time found the young ones concealed, and 

 he had often heard it said that they were used by the animals as a 

 place of refuge on the approach of the eagle. While they are prob- 

 ably made in the first instance for the reception of the young, there 

 can be little doubt they are at all times used as a shelter from par- 

 ticular kinds of danger. On examining the burrow above referred 

 to, I found that it measured fully five feet in length, and some six 

 or seven inches in diameter. In front of it there was a quantity of 

 newly excavated soil, and there was enough fur adhering to the sides 

 to prove that a Blue Hare had been at work. The keeper, at my 

 request, afterwards took me to a peaty flat near the foot of the hill 

 where there were five burrows all within the space of three or four 

 square yards, and varying from two to four feet in depth. We 

 started a Blue Hare from the spot on our approach, but instead of 

 seeking safety in the burrows it at once made off across the heather. 

 WILLIAM EVANS, Edinburgh. 



Black Rat (Mus rattus, L.) in Orkney. It would appear that the 

 Black Rat is not, as yet, uncommon in any of the Orkney Islands. 

 I say, as yet, for it is quite likely that since the Brown Rat has got 

 a footing there, the other species may experience the same fate as it 

 has in other places, and die out. A correspondent kindly sent me 

 a specimen which I sent to the Cambridge Museum, and Mr. 

 Barrett-Hamilton has kindly sent me the following dimensions, which, 

 as the species is rare, may prove of some interest. Head and body, 



