92 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



and a considerable plantation near it. Professor Duns includes 

 "Bats" in his paper (loc. cit.), but without notes. Previous writers 

 are unanimous in excluding them, but we may with safety include 

 them under this species, as it is the only one likely to occur. 

 Since the above was written, and while staying at Rodil in June, 

 1879, I was repeatedly assured that Bats had become much com- 

 moner there of late years, and are now far from rare. I failed, 

 however, to observe any myself. 



Insectivora. Soricidae. 



LESSER SHREW. 



Sorex minutus, Linn.* 



This is the species probably meant by Macgillivray as being 



"found in the Outer Hebrides on sandy pastures, where it is 



termed Luch-fheoir" (Edin. Jour. Nat. and Geog. Sc, Yol. n.) — 



a name, however, properly belonging to the Field Vole (vide 



Alston, "Fauna of Scotland," Mammalia, p. 28). I was fortunate 



in obtaining a single specimen of this species in North Uist, in 



June, 1879, which I preserved in spirits for identification. They 



are very rarely seen here except in harvest-time, so that my getting 



one in summer was considered very lucky indeed. It was the 



only one I saw. 



Carnivora. Mustelidae. 



COMMON OTTER. 



Lutra vulgaris, Erxleben. Gaelic — Balgar. t 

 The Otter is plentiful in some localities, frequenting the sea- 

 shore for the most part, until the Salmon and Sea-trout begin to 

 " run " in July, when it follows them up the streams, and frequents 

 the fresh-water lochs. Exciting sport may sometimes be had when 

 men and dogs succeed in hemming one in upon any restricted area, 

 or upon one of the smaller sheets of water. " Sixty-One " gives an 

 interesting account of such a hunt in his "Reminiscences" (p. 129). 

 A forester in Harris showed me a small rock in Loch Resort, 

 where he once killed two at one shot. The recently-frequented 

 resting-place of an Otter is readily recognizable by the freshness of 

 the grass, but the droppings themselves, which cause the greenness, 

 rapidly dry up. 



* Sorex pygmaeas, Pall, of the 2nd ed. of Bell's ' ' Brit. Quadrupeds. " 

 + The name Balgar, applied to this animal in the Hebrides, properly 

 belongs to flip Fox. 



