NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 143 



at his face over the dogs' heads, and had he not succeeded in 

 striking her down in mid air, she would probably have inflicted 

 severe wounds. 



FOX. 



VULPES VULGARIS, Fleming. 



Very plentiful, and, as in other parts of the Highlands, attains 

 a large size. Mr Selby observes that in Sutherlandshire Foxes, 

 the " tag " or tip of the brush is black, and not white as usual ; 

 this, however, is a very variable character, and a cub from this 

 county in our collection has the " tag " pure white. The Fox 

 frequents the open hills, his " den " (as it is locally called) being 

 often at a great elevation. Many are killed by the gamekeepers, 

 who receive £\ for an old dog, £2 for a vixen, and 10s each for 

 cubs. Between March 1831 and March 1834 rewards were paid 

 for 239 Foxes killed on the Sutherland estates. The keepers 

 usually place their traps in a soft marshy spot ; this is done, they 

 say, to prevent the Fox biting off the imprisoned limb, for in his 

 struggles he at once lairs himself in the marsh and sticks firm and 

 fast. Besides the keepers, there are professional " Fox-hunters," 

 who are joined by the shepherds and ghillies, and conduct the 

 chase in the same manner as Sir Walter Scott has so well de- 

 scribed in "Guy Mannering." More than one Sutherlandshire 

 keeper has assured us that if a " den " be disturbed, the vixen 

 will take away her cubs, carrying them off one by one, and deposit- 

 ing each in a separate place of safety. One very trustworthy 

 observer states that early one morning he observed a Fox coming 

 towards him carrying a young one in her mouth ; when she 

 noticed him she dropt the cub and uttered a most wild and 

 startling cry. He fired, but the distance was too great, and the 

 vixen, picking up her burden and bounding down the hill side, 

 was soon out of sight. 



COMMON SEAL. 



PEOCA VITULINA, Linnaeus. 



Seals are abundant on many parts of the coast, particularly in 

 the great caves of the north, and at Ealan-nan-Koan ("The island 

 of Seals "), near Tongue. Another great resort of the species is 

 Souliskerry, north of Cape Wrath, which is annually visited by 



