24 THE WILD CAT 



Islands, Pennant's statement that it was a 

 native of Arran being probably erroneous.' 



To-day the localities where it is still to be 

 found are rather to be described as the western 

 and north-western districts of the Highlands. 

 The principal area of distribution extends from 

 Northern Argyll through Moydart and Knoy- 

 dart up to Northern Inverness-shire, in all 

 suitable localities west of the Caledonian Canal 

 and in the vicinity of the Canal itself. Steep 

 craggy hill-sides, deep gloomy glens shaggy 

 with tall heather and bracken, natural fir and 

 birch-woods strewn with cairns, fallen boulders 

 and ancient tree-trunks, such are the places 

 where they take up their abode ; and so retiring 

 and nocturnal are they in their habits that were 

 it not for tell-tale traces in the winter snow, 

 often for long they would remain unsuspected. 



The wild cat has been known to breed in con- 

 finement. In Fauna of the North-West High- 

 lands and Skye, Mr. J. A. Harvie- Brown gives 

 this extract from a letter from Mr. Alfred 

 Heneage Cocks, dated January 29th, 1887 : 

 4 A kitten of the true Wild Cat, a female, about 

 2\ months old, was sent to me from Kinlochewe, 

 W. Ross-shire, on July 28th, arriving here, 

 Great Marlow, Bucks, on 3ist, 1873, and it 

 bred four years with a male from Inverness ; 



