106 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



process. This visible deterioration appears to me to be only one 

 link in a chain of destruction, decay, and final death of species; and 

 in this place it may not be foreign to the subject to state that, 

 with regard to grouse in the Long Island, this process seems to be 

 steadily advancing towards the final act, assisted in some measure 

 by severe and late springs. Mr. A. Williamson is also strongly of 

 this opinion. He writes : — " After an experience of nine years, and 

 giving much thought to the subject, I have come to the conclusion 

 the grouse are there — in Lewis — slowly dying out, for which I 

 blame severe and late springs.'' 



RABBIT. 



Lepus cuniculus, Linn. 



Rabbits were introduced to South Uist prior to 1842;* also, in 

 Barra and Vatersay,t where they have been abundant since that 

 date. Several attempts to introduce rabbits in Lewis have failed. \ 

 There were Rabbits in Colonsay in abundance in 1794.^ They 

 have, however, been introduced successfully on an island in Loch 

 Seaforth by Mr. Milbank. 



The sandy downs, and grassy islands, and inland meadows of the 

 west coasts of the Uists and islands to the southward, are in every 

 way suitable for the species, but the rockier ground and moors of 

 Harris and the east coast are likely to prevent it from gaining 

 ground. The same deterioration above-mentioned is distinctly 

 noticeable in the Rabbits upon the island in Loch Seaforth, and 

 doubtless elsewhere. 



In North Uist Rabbits have increased from an introduction in the 

 south of the island about eight years ago, and are slowly spreading 

 northward along the west coast. One was shot at Scolpig last 

 year (1878), as I was informed by Mr. Macdonald of Newton. |j 



There are none at present (1879) in the islands of the Sound of 

 Harris. 



* New Stat. Acct., No. xxi., p. 170. t Wilson's Voyage. 



X Prof. Duns, he. cU., p. 620. § Old Stat. Acct., Vol. xn., p. 332. 



|| In the machars — or sandy meadow land — of North Uist are many holes 

 scraped in the saud having every appearance of Rabbits' work. But these 

 are made by the women of the island who carry away fresh white sand 

 every morning to sand the floors of their houses with. When the Rabbits 

 do reach northward, they will doubtless at once take possession of these 

 partially formed burrows. 



