Mr Harvie-Brown on the Squirrel in Great Britain. 39 



It is true, that even of late years, our red squirrel skins 

 have been a good deal worn in this country in articles of 

 ladies' dress ; but there is no evidence to show that they were 

 ever valuable articles of commerce. 



On the other hand, there is no evidence of a satisfactory 

 kind that proves the existence of the squirrel in the south of 

 Scotland, beyond the unsupported statements in the " Statis- 

 tical Account " above quoted. 



Again, in 1642, we find an export duty paid upon squirrel 

 skins of £2, 5s. per 1000 from England.* These, there can 

 be little doubt, were also grey squirrels' skins, which, obtained 

 originally in Scandinavia or Russia, passed through Flanders, 

 became items of merchandise between Flanders and Scotland, 

 paid a toll when passing over Alnwick Bridge — payable to 

 the Scotch king ("Folio Acts," vol. i., p. 667), and were finally 

 exported again from England, and charged an export duty as 

 above. 



Regarding the nature of the timber growth which covered 

 the south of Scotland, I believe we do not require to go far out 

 of our way for evidence. We know that it was composed to 

 a large extent of birch and hazel, as shown by the deposits 

 in our bogs and mosses, as well as by recorded historic evi- 

 dence, and by still existing remains, such as those at Fernie- 

 hirst in Roxburghshire, and other localities. That conifers 

 also existed there can be no doubt ; but we are not aware 

 that there is sufficient evidence of any large tracts of country 

 in the south of Scotland having been clothed densely enough 

 to have afforded shelter to the squirrel at the early period at 

 which we suppose them to have travelled along the coast 

 lines.^I' 



* "A SVBSIDIE, granted to the King, of Tonnage, Poundage, and 

 other sums of money payable upon merchandise exported and imported. Ac- 

 cording to a Book of Rates, agreed uj)on by the Honourable House of Com- 

 mons, and hereto annexed. London, Printed for L. Blaiklock and T. Hewer, 

 and are to be sold near Temple Barre in Fleet Street, mdcliii." 



+ Consult in this connection " Timber Growths of Past Times." Geikie, 

 Trans. Royal Soc. Edinh. for 1864. Also Cosmo Innes, "Notes on Early 

 Scottish Planting" [Op. cit., vol, iv., p. 446), 



Professor Geikie writes me: " I do not think we have satisfactoiy proof 

 either way" — i.e., for or against the densely wooded nature of the hill-sides in 

 the south of Scotland, 



