56 The Scottish Naturalist. 



of the country may well have been inhabited by some of the 

 animals relegated to the last three categories, at as early a time 

 as that in which the animals in the second category arrived. 

 That they did not all at once cross to the western side, and 

 thence make their way to the islands or to Ireland, may perhaps 

 be accounted for by the barriers of ice and snow still remain- 

 ing in the higher inland districts. That the eastern side of 

 the country was colonised before the western side, there is 

 every reason to believe, as the dry bed of the German Ocean 

 presented an easy route, — first, for the majority of the plants 

 which now compose our flora ; second, for the herbivorous 

 animals, who would have no inducement to come hither till 

 food was provided for them ; and third, for the carnivora. 

 It seems to me, therefore, that it was from the south-east 1 that 

 we got our fauna ; and I do not understand Mr Alston's un- 

 explained remark regarding " the south-western source from 

 which our mammalian fauna was undoubtedly derived." 



PHRONIMA SEDENTARIA AND ITS BEROE. 

 By Rev. G. GORDON, LL.D. 



TPWARDS of seventy years ago, the late Dr Fleming, when 

 V_J a licentiate of the Church of Scotland, paid a visit to the 

 then distant and comparatively inaccessible isles of Shetland. 

 While sojourning in a region so rich in objects attractive to the 

 youthful eye of a zealous naturalist, there happened to be a 

 vacancy in the pastoral charge of Bressay, the small island 

 which, with the Mainland, forms the Sound of that name into 

 a commodious refuge from almost every wind that blows. 



A presentation to Bressay had been in due time issued by the 

 patron in favour of a young gentleman in Aberdeenshire, who, 

 however, owing to the infrequency of communication or to 

 stress of weather, was unable to lodge the document, within the 

 stipulated six months, with the Presbytery. The youthful Flem- 

 ing had been a frequent visitor and favourite at " the Manse," 

 and the clergymen. of the bounds exercised their right, and, by 

 jus devolutum, presented him to the vacant parish. 



From his mag/mm opus, ' The British Animals,' we see how 



1 The present distribution of the Mountain Hare (Lefius variabilis) is sug- 

 gestive that it did not come through England (else why did it not leave 

 colonies on some of the suitable ranges of mountains?), but crossed directly 

 to Scotland. 



