Mr Harvie-Brown on the Squirrel in Great Britain. 147 



The first squirrel seen about Moncrieffe was in the year 

 1818, and the person who now records the fact has lived on 

 the property for eighty years, and was born there, as I was 

 informed by the late Sir Thomas Moncrieffe. He writes that 

 that year was a memorable one, because " this [referring to 

 the severe winter of 1878-79] is the longest storm since 

 that time." A companion when chasing the said squirrel had 

 his thumb nail bitten through, and had good cause to remem- 

 ber it for some time afterwards, as he was off work. 



About 1852, squirrels had become abundant at Abercairney, 

 for in three months nearly 100 were killed, so that they must 

 have increased rapidly in the Crieff district between 1841 

 and that time, as I am informed by Mr Duncan Dewar, who 

 was there during that year. This was undoubtedly owing to 

 the gTOwth of wood and increase of shelter; but I believe 

 the Crieff and Monzie districts to have been primarily popu- 

 lated from the south. 



Having thus indicated the rate of increase and extension of 

 range around Dunkeld, and to the northward and westward, 

 we must take up the loop to the south, and then proceed 

 towards the Forfar march and the Vale of Strathmore. 



Mr P. D. Maloch, of Perth, to whom I am indebted for 

 many useful notes in this and other matters, informs me 

 that the first squirrel killed at Methven was in 1812, and as 

 this is an important record I am able to give the following 

 particulars through Mr Maloch's carefulness. " It was shot 

 by a Mr Alexander M'Lean, Lochend Cottage, Almond Bank. 

 People came a great distance to see it. Since then it has 

 increased very rapidly. Nowhere more common than on 

 Methven. Any day thirty could be shot." * Then we find 

 them occurring in St Madoe's parish, — part of the southerly 

 wave which broke and rolled back at Methven — going on 

 down the Tay on the left or east bank. 



The late Sir Thomas Moncrieffe also considered that squir- 

 rels populated his district — Moncrieffe House and neigh- 

 bourhood — from the north and west, because there are no 

 plantations of any age between Perth and Stirling along tlie 

 range of the Ochils. 



* I have every reason to believe that this record is strictly and exactly accui'ate. 



