34 THE BEAVER AND SCOTTISH TRADITION 



Wilson. 1 The first recorded sub-fossil skull 

 was one from Perthshire, presented by Dr. 

 Farquharson to the Scottish Society of Anti- 

 quaries in 1 788 ; others have since been found 

 in Roxburghshire and Berwickshire. Of its 

 range into the historical period the evidence 

 is not very satisfactory. In the twelfth century 

 Giraldus de Barri, who met with beavers in 

 Wales, was informed that they still existed in 

 one river in Scotland, but were rare. In a 

 capitular of export duties of David I., 1124- 

 1153, skins of Beveris are included ; 2 but they 

 are not mentioned in a similar Act of 1424. 

 The late Prof. Cosmo Innes, however, pointed 

 out to me that too much trust must not be 

 given to these documents, as the lists of com- 

 modities appear in some cases to have been 

 adopted from similar English or foreign enact- 

 ments. Boethius includes Fibri among the 

 wild animals which were found round Loch 

 Ness " incomparable numero" and Bellenden 

 follows him ; but, as usual, little or no reliance 

 can be placed on his testimony, which was 

 probably founded on hearsay.' 



It is very strange that an animal in many 

 ways so peculiar and so valuable, and one from 

 its habits and mode of life bound to come under 



1 New Phil Journ. * Acts Par I. Scotl. I. p. 303. 



