ZOOLOGICAL NOTES 185 



ZOOLOGICAL NOTES. 



An old Inverness-shire " Vermin " List. Of the many lists of 

 vermin killed on Scottish estates, I think the following has not 

 appeared before. There was much destruction of vermin about the 

 years covered. Such lists (subject to editorship) are valuable to 

 Naturalists interested in the historical side of the distribution of 

 species. It is reproduced from the pages of The Scottish Field 

 (Dec. 1903, p. 309) in an unsigned article upon Glen Quoich Deer- 

 Forest, and I take the opportunity of adding a few remarks. 



A LIST OF VERMIN KILLED ON THE GLEN GARRY ESTATES BETWEEN 



1837 AND 1840. 



Foxes . . .11 Marsh Harriers . 5 Fern Owls . 7 1 



Wild Cats . .198 Goshawks . . 63 Magpies . . 8 



Marten Cats . . 246 R. L. Buzzards . 371 Honey Buzzards . 3 



Pole Cats . . 106 Kites (or Salmon Kestrels . . 462 



Stoats and Weasels 301 tailed Gleds) 275 Merlins . . -79 



Badgers . . 67 Ash-coloured Harriers 9 Hen Harriers . 63 



Otters . . .48 Hooded Crows 1431 White-tailed Eagles 27 



House Cats (going Ravens . . -475 Jer Falcons . . 6 



wild) . 78 Horned Owls . 35 Golden Eagles . 15 



REMARKS. The area over which these operations were conducted 

 is " situated in the Parishes of Kilmonivaig, Kilmalie, and Glenelg, 

 and embracing Glen Kingie (leased from Lochiel, and about 16,000 

 acres)." The boundaries are then given, and the area described as 

 "about 20 miles, and the average width about 6." 



Allowances must be made as regards accuracy in naming the 

 several species. Thus whilst true Wild Cats are definitely separated 

 from House Cats (going wild), Stoats and Weasels are "lumped." 

 Again, " Marsh Harriers " items may be correct, but we cannot 

 place reliance on them. " Ash-coloured Harriers " are the males of 

 the Hen Harriers separately entered. " Rough-legged Buzzards " 

 must be read as Common Buzzards. " Kites " are doubtless quite 

 correct, as it is well known how abundant they were about and 

 previous to that time. " Goshawks (63) " must be read, I think, 

 Peregrines. The Owls are doubtless right, i.e. " Horned Owl " for 

 Long-eared Owl ; " Fern Owl " for Short-eared Owl ; " Golden Owl " 

 probably for Barn Owl [but how about Tawny Owls ?]. 



I could place alongside the above list a modern list of vermin 

 killed on a large estate closely situated to the above, where modern 

 game-preserving is being carried on, in which 478 "Owls" figure 

 in ten years, and in a few of these years some thousands of Rats. 

 At this place many hundreds of tame Wild Duck are reared, and a 

 huge stock of Pheasants, and no doubt tons of Indian corn and 

 " feed " laid down. Also it is worthy of remark that whereas Rooks 

 were not included in the older Vermin Lists of 1837-40, they now 



