1-52 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



there appeared a paragraph, in which it was stated that the 

 first and only squirrels — a pair — were introduced into the 

 woods of Braemar only half-a-dozen years before that date 

 (say 1866), " when only very faint hopes were entertained 

 that they would survive." Eeplying to this statement, the 

 following week, Mr George Sim stated that he " had seen 

 squirrels in the woods of Aboyne, more than twelve years 

 ago {i.e., prior to 1872 ; say 1860, or before that date), and 

 aU up the valley of the Dee to the woods named by the 

 writer {ut siqo) ; and from a period prior to that named in 

 the paragraph (1866) they have been comparatively com- 

 mon all along Deeside down to the neighbourhood of Aber- 

 deen. In Strathdon they have been for a like period, probably 

 much longer, but I only speak ' within my own ken.'* That 

 squirrels have increased very much on Deeside within these 

 few years is very true, but the increase certainly is not the 

 progeny of the one pair spoken of." 



The squirrel appeared in Glen Tanar Forest, Aboyne, for 

 the first time in 1857 {i.e., " about twenty-two years ago "), 

 " and was seen on the Black Craig." Mr John Milne writes 

 to me : "I think the squirrel crossed from Forfarshire into 

 Deeside considerably lower in the valley than Glen Tanar, 

 because the distance between the woods on each side of the 

 hills there is too long. I think the most likely place is at the 

 lower end of Durris and Maryculter parishes, there being con- 

 tinuous woods all the way from Deeside to the plantations of 

 Kincardine." Mr Milne, who has been for many years forester 

 at Glen Tanar, adds : " In Glen Callater they have never 

 been found, as there are no woods there. In Glen Muick 

 they appeared about the same time as in Glen Tanar. In 

 Glen Feugh, or the woods of Banchory, they appeared seve- 

 ral years earlier, and they were first seen in the woods of 

 Invercauld in the year 1857, and very soon after at Old 

 Mar Lodge, near the Linn of Dee." 



My obliging correspondent in Braemar — Eev. W. Gordon 

 — sends me the following notes from Upper Dee : " By 

 a pretty general consensus of opinion, the squirrel was not 

 seen or known in this district {i.e., Upper Braemar) till 



* But to tins, as above stated, 1 take exception. 



