FEILE NATUILE. 



"The numerous forests and sclmses are very profitable for feid- 

 ing of bestial and delectable for limiting. They are full of reid 

 deer and roes, woulffs, foxes, wyldcatts, brocks, skuyrells, whitt- 

 rets, weasels, otters, martrixes, hares and fumarts." SIK HOIJKKT 

 GORDON'S History of the Earldom of Sutherland, A.U. 1G30. 



ALTHOUGH nearly two hundred and fifty years have 

 elapsed since the above passage was written, yet 

 all the wild animals here enumerated with the 

 exception of the wolf* are still to he met with 

 in the North of Scotland, to the entire of which 

 region we cannot doubt that these remarks were 

 applicable, although a very perceptible local in- 

 crease in certain species, and considerable diminu- 

 tion in others, have taken place during the last 

 twenty or thirty years. 



While investigating this subject a few years ago, 



* " In Ireland, a species of wolf continued to exist until the year 

 1710. In Scotland, to the year 1(580. In Midland, it was extir- 

 pated at a much earlier period." OWEN'S Jiritlsh Fossil Mam- 

 mals. 



