NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 265 



Ichthyology is undoubtedly the branch most clamant for attention 

 at present. With Dr. Francis Day's assistance I have endeavoured 

 to give you new fields to conquer, new steps in the ladder of 

 science to surmount, and have called your attention to what and 

 where to observe, and how to record some unravelled points in 

 this field, and I hope some fruit may be borne in the future from 

 these young shoots, to our own profit and to the advantage of the 

 Society. 



Mr. W. Craibe Angus exhibited a very fine specimen of the Pine 

 Marten, Martes sylvestris, Nilsson, killed near Arrochar, on which 

 he made the following remarks : — 



I am indebted to Mr. MacCulloch for the opportunity of shewing 

 in the flesh this very beautiful example of the Martes foina of 

 MacGillivray, which may be regarded as one of the rarest of 

 British mammals. It was received by Mr. MacCulloch from Mr. 

 Glen, of Stronafyne, Arrochar, from whom I have the following 

 notes on its capture : — 



On a morning in December 1882, while Mr. Glen was on his 

 rounds in Glenloin, at the head of Loch Long, attended by his 

 shepherds and their helps, he was startled by the barking of the 

 dogs, which were struggling to get under a pile of branches and 

 rubbish in proximity to a cairn much frequented by foxes and 

 swarming with rabbits. On their approach, the Marten was 

 discovered boldly facing the dogs, and making a snarling, hissing 

 noise. While thus engaged, one of the shepherds felled it by a 

 blow on the head with his staff. 



Some thirty years ago, another example was killed by a fox- 

 hunter on Saccoth, the farm adjoining Stronafyne. My informant 

 states that before leaving last spring he observed tracks or foot- 

 marks, which an examination of the well-rounded foot of the 

 Marten enabled him to identify. He is therefore of opinion that 

 these animals still exist in the locality, and that the cairn referred 

 to was a breeding place of the species last season. It is gratifying 

 to add that he has heard of no depredations of the Marten 

 among domestic animals, so that here at least there can be no 

 reasonable excuse for its extermination. 



The present specimen is a male, which, I think, has been bred 

 this year. Its length is 19 inches, and the tail measures 10 inches, 

 with the fur extending 4J inches beyond the point. The teeth 



