82 MAMMALS. 



give information about them ; indeed, very few whose memories 

 look so far back." 



Mr. Moodie-Heddle of Melsetter tells us that a MS. note 

 by the late Dr. Traill of Woodwick mentions that the deer 

 spoken of by Baikie and Heddle died the first winter, the climate 

 not agreeing with them. 



At Westness House, Eousay, is, or was in 1883, a pair of 

 Reindeer horns nailed up near the front door, but inquiry from 

 the owner, General Burroughs, failed to discover from whence 

 they came ; possibly they might be a pair belonging to one of 

 these imported animals. 



Since the above was written, Mr. Cursiter has pointed out to 

 us that the fact of the re-introduction of the Reindeer into 

 Orkney was noticed in the Proceedings of the Antiquarian Society 

 of Scotland, and that a full account is given in their 8th vol., 

 old series, at p. 216. 



Cervus elaphus, L. Red Deer. 



There seems to be no historic evidence of when the Eed Deer 

 died out in Orkney, though the shed horns found in the peat- 

 mosses of the Mainland seem to testify to their having once 

 inhabited these islands. 



Since then, however, the late Mr. Heddle of Melsetter pro- 

 cured a young stag and two hinds from Caithness, which bred 

 several seasons about the farm, but were too tame to stock the 

 hill. 



Mr. Moodie-Heddle further adds : " We had a hind at 

 Melsetter about 1851, and got two other young ones and a young 

 stag about 1860 ; they bred until we had some thirteen or four- 

 teen. The old ones were too tame ; only a few of the younger ones 

 would keep to the hills. There was so much annoyance about 

 the crofters' crops that I killed them all off in 1870-72, except 

 one 1 hind which is still on the hills. They throve perfectly" 

 (in lit. Jan. 1888.) 



We saw some of the horns of those that were killed off, 

 when in Hoy in 1888, and they were fine and well-shaped. 



1 Found dead in the spring of 1889. 



