56 AUTUMNS ON THE SPEY. 



occurrence, and figure conspicuously in " the 

 gamekeeper's larder." The "fumart," or polecat, 

 Mustela putorius, is rare, while the " brock," or 

 badger, Mcles taxus, and the wild cut * Fells catus, 

 have retreated to the comparatively inaccessible 

 strongholds of the rocks and mountains. Indeed 

 the latter animal has become exceedingly scarce. 

 I never met with one in the wild state, and the 

 only living example I have seen in Scotland was 

 at Balmachan, confined in a large iron cage a 

 full-grown male, whose great size, powerful frame, 

 and demoniacal expression fully entitled him to 

 the appellation of a " British tiger." 



The otter, Lutra vulgaris, still survives, 

 though gradually yielding to persecution. I have 

 long felt satisfied that the depredations of this 

 beautiful and graceful quadruped are far less 

 serious than is generally supposed. In the 

 smaller streams and burns they certainly consume 

 a number of trout, but, as a set-off to this, they 



* The still popular belief that this species is the source of our 

 domestic stock is incorrect. The anatomical distinctions are suf- 

 ficiently obvious to settle the question. A German traveller, Dr. 

 Riippel, is believed by Temniinck to have discovered a species of 

 cat in Abyssinia from which at some remote period our useful 

 raousers derived their origin, but our own accomplished zoologist, 

 Bell, considers that " we have yet to seek for the true original of 

 this useful, gentle, and elegant animal." 



