NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 49 



MAMMALS. 



Squirrel. — A great mortality amongsl squirrels is recorded Lb 



the South of Scotland during the severe winter. [Mr. Gully of 

 Coupland in lit. to Mr. J. Hardy.] It is still my opinion that a 



succession of hard winters would materially reduce our squirrel 

 population, if not extinguish it, and 1 look upon a former continuance 

 of such seasons at the close of the eighteenth century as one of the 

 causes of the decrease of the old indigenous stock. [See First 

 Report, Proceedings, vol. iv., p. 142, and my essay on the Squirrel 

 in Scotland, in Proceedings Roy. Phys. >>oc. Edin.~\ 



Rabbit. — By the end of January rabbits suffered terribly in 

 many districts, and the dead were carted away in great numbers 

 from various places. They died in their holes, and so scarce did 

 they become that the last fall of snow in February showed scarcely 

 any tracks in what were well-stocked coverts a month or six weeks 

 before. In . Perthshire Mr. Dewar found by 20th January the 

 rabbits " dead in their holes were nothing but skin and borle, ,, and 

 similar reports from all over North of Scotland. The tine breeding 

 season of 1880, however, not only made up for the deaths of 1879-80, 

 but may also have assisted in counteracting the severity and loss of 

 1880-81. [See Second Report, Proceedings, vol. iv., pt. ii., p. 291.] 



Red Deer.—" When the recent storm was at its height, squad- 

 aft er squad of deer came dc wn Glenshiel, passed on to Glenelg, aud- 

 it is said — swam across Kyleakin to Skye." [Inv. Cour., 22. ii. 81.] 

 At Fannich reports are favourable ; indeed it is reported that 

 no deaths occurred. On the other hand, several young deer were 

 found dead by the roadside in the adjoining forest. The north 

 and north-east of Ross-shire seem to be the parts of that county 

 where the deer suffered most. 



Hare. — While White Hares are reported to have been very 

 destitute and hard pressed in some districts, and to have cane 

 clown even into the gardens in the town of Inverness, in other 

 parts really much wilder and more exposed they seem to have 

 suffered but little. White Hares were seen at the edge of the 

 loch — a rafre "sight in this county (Perthshire) — [Mr. Dewar, 

 20. i. 81]. 



BIRDS. 



Buzzard. — Buteo vulgaris, Leach. — The Buzzard is not yet- 

 extinct in the South of Scotland, but care will be necessary to 



VOL, V. D 



