NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 229 



Deer, for some years back, have been frequenting the woods about 

 Dornoch in a wild state. Mr Tennant of Eosehall has formed a 

 park for them at Eosehall, and it holds at present about 270 head. 



Squirrels are becoming more abundant in the wooded 

 parts of the east, and are rapidly extending and increasing 

 towards the north, but have not as yet penetrated westward. 

 That squirrels boldly swim across rivers is well known to 

 naturalists ; nevertheless, I have the statements of several 

 people in Sutherland, that it was not until some little time after 

 the railway bridge spanned the Kyle between Koss-shire and 

 Sutherland, near Invershin, that the numbers of this animal 

 appeared markedly on the increase. Squirrels are always fond of 

 running along roads or rides in forests, and even in comparatively 

 open country, and I think the iron road spanning the Kyle is one 

 very probable agent in, and reason of, their increase in the east 

 and north of Sutherland.* 



The black variety of the Water- Vole frequents the rapid burns 

 running through the limestone district of Assynt, where this year 

 I saw a specimen, and nearly secured it with my trout-flies, as it 

 sat trimming its whiskers at the side of a stream. On being 

 disturbed it dived into the water, and I shortly afterwards saw it 

 make good its retreat into a hole in the limestone debris on the 

 river bank. 



Eabbits are perhaps a little commoner in some localities in the 

 west where they were formerly comparatively scarce, but these 

 are only in sheltered and wooded parts, as, for instance, around Loch 

 Inver ; or upon certain islands, such as Handa ; in which latter 

 locality, however, they were always tolerably abundant. The 

 hard rocky nature of the ground in the interior of Assynt seems 

 efi'ectually to bar their progress, and, combined with the severity 

 of the winters, to prevent their increase to any appreciable extent. 

 Blue and Brown Hares continue to be scarce. This year I only 

 saw a few of the former in one or two localities. 



Concerning the other species of mammals mentioned in the 

 former list (Proc. Nat. Hist. Soc. Glas., Vol. ii., p. 138) I have 

 nothing of fresh interest to relate. 



I beg here to thank those who have assisted me with their 



* As stated in my former communication and elsewhere (Scot. Nat., Vol. 

 i., p. 82), the Squirrel first appeared in Sutherland in 1869. 



