12 



Damage to "Woodlands by Squirrels. 



Mr PiTCAlTHLEY, forester, Scone, opened a discussion on this 

 subject. He began by referring to a report of a recent meeting of 

 the Edinburgh Field Naturalists' Society, at which it was stated 

 that the squirrel did not do so much damage to trees as was 

 generally believed. Mr Pitcaithley said there was no doubt the 

 squirrel did an immense amount of damage to seedling and young 

 conifers, and he exhibited specimens of damaged plants. The 

 squirrel also attacked maple, sycamore, horse chestnuts, larch, and 

 spruce, and they ate the seeds of trees, particularly those of 

 conifers, always selecting the best cones. On the other hand, he 

 believed squirrels ate the larvse of beetles, which was one point 

 in their favour. 



Mr D. F. Mackenzie corroborated Mr Pitcaithley's statements, 

 and said the squirrel also ate eggs. He knew that in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Fochabers, in Morayshire, whole plantations had 

 been seriously damaged by squirrels. It was also true that 

 squirrels ate fruit, especially stone fruit. 



Professor Stewart MacDougall said that some foresters attri- 

 buted the damage done by sqviirrels to the woodpecker or the cross- 

 bill. He believed the squirrel did some good by destroying, to a 

 certain extent, some of the destructive insects, but he thought 

 that they should not be allowed to become so numerous as they 

 were in many woods. 



Sir Archibald Buchan Hepburn said he thought that the 

 gamekeeper should be induced to assist in destroying squirrels. 

 He had seen squirrels eating walnuts off his trees. 



Mr Clark, Haddo House, said great damage was done by the 

 disbudding of conifers, from the beginning of February to the 

 middle of March. He thought the gamekeeper was not the proper 

 person to be asked to destroy the squirrel. He suggested that the 

 forester, with the aid of boys as beaters, should make a raid on 

 them in the beginning of February. 



Mr M'Hattie, Edinburgh, and Mr Leven, Auchencruive, also 

 took part in the discussion. 



The President said he favoured the suggestion made by Mr 

 Clark. 



The Larch Disease. 



Mr D. F. Mackenzie submitted the following Motion to the 

 Meeting, viz. : — 



