70 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



later, Sir Robert Gordon, in his genealogy of the Earls of 

 Sutherland, dated from Dornough, the 3rd day of December 

 1630, observes that "all the forests and schaces of that 

 country are full of Reeddeir and Roes, Woulfs, Foxes, 

 Wyld Cattis, Brocks, Skyrrells, YVhittretts, Weasels, Otters, 

 Martrixes, Hares, and Fumarts." 



The first description of the Wild Cat of Scotland is given 

 by Sir Robert Sibbald, who published his " Scotia Illustrata, 

 sive Prodromus historian naturalis " in 1684, where he men- 

 tions it as Felts sylvestris. He says : " Felis sylvestris major 

 est domestica, densiore et longiore pilo, colore fusco, variato, 

 cauda crassiore. Aviculis vescitur, Lepusculis," etc. The 

 Domestic Cat he describes as " Felis animal familiare ac 

 domesticum, Leoni non dissimile, facie ac dentibus et 

 unguibus. In tenebris illi fulgent radiantque Oculi." 



Sir Robert Sibbald was His Majesty's physician and 

 geographer. He cautions people against allowing cats to be 

 near children, especially infants, and says : " Feles infantibus 

 exitiales quandoque sunt ; ipsorum enim ori toto corpore 

 incumbentes fuliginis exitum et Thoracis motum intercipiunt, 

 pestiferaque, quam exhalant, aura tenellorum Infantium 

 spiritus inficiunt, eosque praefocant." He also affirms that 

 certain parts of the W T ild Cat are very useful as medica- 

 ments : " Cati sylvestris Axungia calefacit, emollit, discutit. 

 Ad contracturas et Articulorum affectus reponitur. Pellis 

 mollis et pinguiuscula paratur a Pellionibus ad calefaciendum 

 Ventriculum frigidum appetitumque excitandum, instar scuti 

 stomachici. Arthritici Articulis imponunt." 



In 1790 Sir R. Sinclair began his Statistical Account of 

 Scotland, the reports of each parish and county being, for the 

 most part, written by the clergymen of the district, and 

 depending on the knowledge which they acquired from others 

 on particular subjects, especially on natural history. The 

 Wild Cat is mentioned as found in the counties of Angus, 

 Caithness, Dumbarton, Dumfries, Inverness, Kirkcudbright, 

 Nairn, Perth, Ross and Cromarty, Roxburgh, Stirling, and 

 Sutherland. In most of the remaining counties the natural 

 history report generally ran thus : " The wild animals of the 

 district are much the same as in the other parts of the 

 Highlands." The New Statistical Survey was commenced 



