36 JANUARY 



life intolerable for other forms of living things ; so 

 birds, beasts, reptiles, and fishes of many kinds have 

 been appointed to police these dangerous classes. 



XIII 



No part of the British Isles was more completely 



Revival of denuded of its native wood than this 

 primitive 

 fauna south-western angle of Scotland, and 



with the forest disappeared much of the woodland 

 fauna. We still dig out of the clay at our river- 

 mouths horns of red deer of a size that could be 

 attained only in the warmth and shelter of wide 

 forest; so that it does not need the more direct 

 testimony, which is also present, of trunks and roots 

 of oaks, Scotch fir, birch, and yew to prove how 

 greatly the character of the land has changed 

 during man's occupation. But during the present 

 century much has been done in the way of planta- 

 tions; and it is interesting to observe, still more 

 interesting to assist, the return of some of the 

 wild creatures to their ancient heritage. 



Squirrels have found their way back across the 

 treeless Galloway uplands within the last dozen of 

 years. Possibly their reappearance may be due 

 to the escape of captives ; anyhow, here they are in 



