Mr Harvic- Brown on the Squirrel in Ch^eat Britain. 175 



Cawdor estates between 18G2 and 1878, for which I am in- 

 debted to Mr W. A. Stables, factor at Cawdor. 



SQUIRRELS KILLED IN THE CAWDOR PLANTATIONS. 



1862.— 469 Squirrels, at 3(1. 



1863.— 617 

 1864,— 620 

 1865.— 609 

 1866.— 956 

 1867.-1164 

 1868.- 1095 

 1869.— 503 

 1870.-1045 

 1871.-1026 

 1872.-1223 

 1873.-1012 

 1874.-1171 

 1875.— 492 

 1876.— 175 

 1877.— 884- 

 1878.-1062 



3d., 

 3d., 

 4d., 

 4d., 

 4d., 

 various rates 



Total, 14,123* in seventeen years, for which was paid 

 the sum of . 



About the year 1856, the order went out to kill down the 

 squirrels on Thirlstane Castle estates, in Lauderdale. In the 

 autumn of the same year, over 100 were killed, and since then, 

 thirty or forty yearly. They first appeared there about 1838 

 or 1839, and had increased and become plentiful by 1849. 



I have, in another place, given a list of squirrels killed, 

 as illustrating the rapidity with which they increase. These 

 numbers will give some idea also of the amount of damage 

 done, and of the necessity arising for their destruction. A 

 plantation near Kingussie had to be cut down, owing, it is 

 said, to damage done by squirrels. On Kildrummy estate, 

 Aberdeenshire, about five years ago, great damage was done 

 by squirrels to Scotch fir plantations. The average killed 

 since then per annum, by shooting alone, has been 100. 



* To the excellence of the squirrel as an article of food I can myself testify. 

 The flesh is pinky-white, like young rabbit, and sweet. The epicure has only 

 once to taste them, and if he jjossesses a squirrel-haunted wood, he won't 

 grudge the squirrels a fair share of his filberts, hazel-nuts, or cherrie-stones. 

 They can afterwards be cooked in as many ways as a rabbit, and are whole- 

 some and excellent food. 



