U2 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



June, 1879, p. 146]. In Islay and the islands generally, however, 

 both Roe and Red Deer stood the winter well, the climate of Islay 

 having been reported as being milder than any other part of 

 Britain, except the Channel Islands, during last winter. No 

 decrease amongst birds has been noticed in Islay, except amongst 

 the Thrushes (Turdus musicus), which disappeared. 



In the S.W. of Scotland Roe Deer received "a considerable 

 accession " to their numbers, according to Mr. Service, and " com- 

 mitted much damage to the young plantations." This is no doubt 

 due to a local migration caused by a scarcity of food. 



Of a good many hundreds of sets of Deers' horns obtained at 

 Blair Athole, there was only one royal, and that a poor one. 

 Great deterioration is noted in Red Deers' horns generally. 



RABBITS. 



Rabbits seem to have escaped uncommonly well in most places. 

 Here, in Stirlingshire, however, they suffered very much, some I 

 shot as early as the close of December being mere bags of bones ; 

 and after the final thaw I found a good many lying dead, their 

 bones picked by the rooks. A Ross-shire correspondent, before 

 mentioned, found them survive the winter uncommonly well, even 

 at a considerable altitude above the sea, but many reports reached 

 me of their having suffered in other districts. On Loch Awe side 

 they remained in very fair condition during all the storm. In 

 Ross-shire, though they survived for the most part, many were 

 seen in almost the last stage of weakness. "Sometimes," writes 

 Mr. M'Lennan, "when one came suddenly upon them, in trying 

 to get away, they would stumble and fall from sheer weakness, 

 and then, finding they could not run and regain their holes, they 

 would sit in the snow and squeal in a most piteous manner." In 

 Islay Rabbits stood the winter well [Mr. Chisholm]. Dr. Buchanan 

 White records that Rabbits were put to such straits for food that 

 they barked even some of the larger trees in January [Scot. Nat., 

 July, p. 132]. In the S.W. of Scotland Mr. Service estimates 

 that " fully one-half of the Rabbits perished on some estates. On 

 Mabie their skeletons could have been picked up actually in 

 hundreds." — [Bumf, and Gall. Sat. Standard, Nov. 8th, 1879.] 



SQUIRREL. 



Various accounts reach me of the scarcity of this animal in 



