The Fauna. 71 



the latter "are as plentiful as crows, and in such an 

 emero^ency all are gladly welcomed." To such an 

 intolerable extent had this plague grown, that, among 

 other expedients resorted to, cats were collected and 

 let loose in large numbers, with the view of its abate- 

 ment. In one district no fewer than upwards of fifty 

 were turned adrift where there was shelter of whin 

 and broom for them, but without any perceptible 

 result, 



The Shrew, the Lesser Shrew, the Long-tailed 

 Field Mouse, and the Common Mouse, Mus miiscii- 

 lits, are to be found in the Craigmillar district, as 

 elsewhere. 



Reptiles are represented in this locality by the 

 blind-worm or slow-worm. In Leslie's ' Historic of 

 Scotland,' the following passage occurs regarding the 

 finding of two " scorpiouns " at Craigmillar Castle in 

 the beginning of the sixteenth century. The historian 

 says : " In the zaird of Craigmiller besyd Ed*" war fund 

 tua scorpiouns, ane lyueng, the vther deid : quhilk 

 scotismen held for sum foirtakneng nocht gude, feiret 

 mony and ferliet, because in Brittannie was neuir a 



