284 PAST AND FUTURE OF BRITISH MAMMALS 



Sutherland estates show how numerous some of our 

 carnivora were sixty years ago. In three years from 

 1831, nine hundred and one wild cats, polecats and 

 martens were killed on the Sutherland estates. Should 

 the present Duke of Sutherland decide to preserve the 

 two first, there is very little doubt that their numbers 

 would recover ; and in the deer forests, where grouse 

 and hares are looked upon as a nuisance, there is no 

 reason why this should not be done. Another and 

 more hopeful fact in the present state of our wild 

 animal population is that two of the largest are far 

 more common than is believed. Otters are numerous, 

 and badgers by no means scarce. Many proprietors 

 protect the badger ; others have reintroduced it, Sir 

 Herbert Maxwell, in Wigtownshire, among the number. 

 As badgers never * show/ this is a public-spirited action ; 

 but there is no adequate reason why the badger should 

 not enjoy the benefit of a few years' absolute protection 

 under a special Act of Parliament. It deserves this, 

 because the badgers are now purposely killed to make 

 pouches for the Highlanders. * The year 1842 was a 

 bad one for the poor badgers, owing to the revival 

 of Highland dress after the Queen's visit/ Those 

 delightful beasts, the otters, are, we are glad to say, 

 increasingly common in England itself, and in no 

 danger of extermination. On little streams, where they 

 kill trout, they are killed themselves. But by most of 



