MAMMALS. 85 



a propos of this migration, Mr. Moodie-Heddle tells us that 

 "Captain Balfour, father of the late David Balfour of Balfour 

 and Trenabie, said he saw the rats leave Rousay in a body, and 

 take to sea. It is only recently that the Brown Rat got a 

 footing in S. Ronaldsay" (in lit. Jan. 6th, 1888. J. G. M.-H.). 



Tea, pp. 43, 44, of his State of the Orkneys and Shetland, says : 

 ' ' Rats will not live in the island of Eday. Some years ago a 

 ship laden with wheat was wrecked on this island. The rats 

 with which the ship swarmed immediately swam ashore, but all 

 of them died in the sight of the inhabitants." 



In a note by the late Mr. J. G. Heddle of Melsetter he says 

 that in 1858 rats were extinct in Stronsay and Shapinsay, but 

 that they appeared again in Stronsay in 1868. Mr. Harvey, 

 writing us from Sanday, 28th Jan. 1888, says: "I have of 

 late been carefully considering the habits of the rat, so abundant 

 in this island, and I have come to the conclusion that we have 

 only one species. I got one lately that measured fully 9 

 inches long, the tail being about the same length. It is to be 

 found in our office-houses, barnyards, fields, and about the sea 

 beaches and loch sides. Our cats do not care to encounter 

 them, but some dogs are eager to kill them. 



"It is a fact that Rats do not live in the island of North 

 Ronaldsay. Several have been landed from stranded ships, 

 but were found dead in a short time. I have this information 

 from good authority. It is also reported that the rat is not to 

 be found on one or two other islands." 



On the Mainland rats haunt the large heaps of rotten fish 

 that are placed in the corners of the fields for manure, these 

 heaps and the sides of the banks adjoining being riddled by their 

 holes. 



Sub-family ARVICOLIN^E. 

 Arvicola amphibia (L.). Water Vole. 



[Obs. In reference to the Water Vole said by Messrs. Baikie and 

 Heddle to have been taken at Rackwick in 1844, Mr. Moodie- 

 Heddle writes us that he has never seen the species in Hoy. 

 We ourselves never came across a specimen, and so for the 

 present we think it better to keep the note in brackets.] 



