132 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



In the neiglibouriiig parish of Colvend no notice is taken 

 of squirrels in a list of the animals in a history of the parish, 

 published in 1870, but they are reported as having been ob- 

 served there, " about eight years ago, and then only a single 

 pair" — say 1872. These were in Barnbarroch woods, and 

 were supposed to come from the adjacent and larger woods 

 of Munches. It has been conjectured that they came there 

 from the woods of Chambellie, in New Abbey {auct James 

 Frazer). To this Mr Service adds : " Munches is in Urr, 

 Chambellie is in New Abbey, the next parish to Troqueer, 

 and if the Colvend squirrels came from Chambellie they may 

 have gone by way of a wooded glen in the Criffel range of 

 hills, which is almost in a direct line to Colvend." 



In Eerwick parish we have no accurate record of their 

 first appearance, but it being a sea-board one, the squirrel 

 would have to come over a range of bare hills from the east- 

 ward, or down the valley from Galston or Dalbeattie direction 

 by north or north-east. 



About six years ago — say 1873— squirrels were first seen 

 at Cardoness in Anworth parish, near Gatehouse, in the south- 

 west of the county. 



Another of Mr Service's correspondents, however, claims to 

 have turned out an old squirrel and some young ones about 

 fourteen or fifteen years ago — say 1867-68 — at Cally, near 

 Gatehouse.* Yet another informant agrees with the latter 

 statement, saying that "I think it was about fifteen years 

 since the first was seen at Cally." The latter adds, " I be- 

 lieve there was one killed at Bargaly. There was also one 

 seen as far west as Cumloden Cottage about a year ago." 

 Mr Service adds to this note : " Bargaly and Cumloden are 

 away near the borders of the Stewartry with Wigtownshire, 

 and indicate the western limits of the distribution of the 

 squirrel, I think, at the present time." 



It will be seen from the above that considerable difficulty 

 attends a minute investigation of the lines of dispersal in the 

 south-west of Scotland, owing to various minor introductions ; 

 but the district so populated, can, with sufficient accuracy, be 

 mapped out. 



* Auct. Thomas Millar, late gardener at Cally, now at Strathallan Castle. 



