292 DELIBERATE INTRODUCTION OF NEW ANIMALS 



IN THE MIDLANDS 



While the Red Squirrel was on the verge of extinction 

 in even the wildest districts of Scotland, the Duchess of 

 Buccleuch, about the year 1772, added to her menagerie at 

 Dalkeith, a few Squirrels brought from England. These 

 escaped to the woods, became established, and so increased 

 in numbers that they were forced to seek fresh outlets. They 

 spread east, populating most of the woods in Midlothian 

 and East Lothian by 1802 ; they spread south, entering 

 Peeblesshire about 1 80 1 , but staying their course on the slopes 

 of the Moorfoot and Lammermoor Hills. Their western and 

 northern advance from Dalkeith was extraordinary for its 

 rapidity, as also for its extent. The Squirrels made an easy 

 journey along the Lothian plain to Stirlingshire, which, with 

 the eastern extension of Dumbartonshire, was reached about 

 1810. At Campsie they appeared in 1827, and in 1830 had 

 reached the west of Stirlingshire and western Dumbarton 

 at Luss and Killearn, while a branch penetrated into north 

 Lanarkshire. On a northerly track from Stirlingshire they 

 appeared in Perthshire (Kincardine-on-Forth) about 1821, 

 having probably crossed the Forth by the Bridge of Frew, 

 arrived in Clackmannan about 1837, and overrun Fifeshire 

 between 1834 and 1859. 



IN THE LOWLANDS 



The remainder of the south country was peopled from 

 three distinct centres of dispersal: (i) The south-eastern 

 area, lying about the valley of the Tweed, was stocked from 

 an introduction to Minto in Roxburghshire about 1824. 

 Hence the Squirrels reached northwards to Duns Castle in 

 1830, and were so abundant at Wolfelee near Hawickin 1835 

 that regular attempts were made to destroy them. Westwards 

 they pushed into Selkirkshire, Peeblesshire and southern 

 Lanarkshire entering that county at Lamington Parish about 

 1841, while southwards they were checked only by the 

 Cheviots on the northern bounds of Dumfriesshire. 



(2) Dumfriesshire and the southern counties seem to 

 have been colonized from a source outwith the Scottish 

 borders Houghton House near Carlisle, where Squirrels 

 were abundant at an early date. In 1837 they entered 



