140 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



two Bats within the last twenty years; in the east we have 

 observed one or two at Bonar and Loch Migdale. As far as we 

 are aware, no other species has been recorded from the county. 



MOLE. 



TALPA EUROPAEA, Linnaeus. 



As in other parts of the north of Scotland, the Mole appears 

 to be increasing in Sutherlandshire. In 1843 it was very rare in 

 the parish of Durness, and only to be met with on the western 

 side of Loch Hope (Old Statistical Acct., p. 88). In Assynt it is 

 now quite plentiful in low-lying ground and valleys, where the 

 surface is cultivated; in some of the pastures great numbers of 

 old mole-hills may be seen overgrown with grass, making the 

 whole surface of the fields rough and uneven. In Sutherlandshire 

 this animal is never found at any considerable elevation, a fact 

 which must be attributed to the nature of the soil, or rather to 

 the want of soil on the hill sides, for in other localities the Mole 

 ascends mountains to a great height. 



Obs. The Hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) is certainly unknown 

 in the west, and we liave been unable to procure positive evidence 

 of its occurrence in any part of the county. 



COMMON SHEEW. 



SO REX VULGARIS, Linnaeus. 



Common. It is included in Mr Selby's list under the name of 

 S. araneus. 



WATER SHREW. 



CROSSOPUS FODIENS (Pallas). 



Is not uncommon in Sutherlandshire and Caithness. It ex- 

 tends to Orkney. The dark variety, formerly separated as 

 C. remifer, does not appear to be found within our limits, although 

 common in many parts of Scotland. 



BADGER. 



MELES TAXUS (Schreber). 



Mr Selby says that in 1834 the Badger was "pretty generally 

 dispersed throughout the midland mountainous part of the county." 



