THE RARER ANIMALS OF SCOTLAND. 11 
hardly desirable to make too prominent before extinction takes 
place. 
It will be seen from the following remarks that the Wild Cat 
is now extinct throughout a large portion of Scotland—viz., all 
south and east of a line commencing, roughly speaking, at Oban, 
in Argyleshire, passing up the Brander Pass to Dalmally, following 
the boundary of Perthshire, and including Rannoch Moor; con- 
tinued north-westward to the junction of the three counties of 
Perth, Forfar and Aberdeen; thence across the sources of the 
Dee northward to Tomintoul, in Banffshire; and, lastly, from 
Tomintoul to the city of Inverness. Northward and westward of 
this line the animal still keeps a footing in most suitable localities, 
finding its principal shelter in the great deer-forests. Throughout 
the still-inhabited area there are many large extents of apparently 
suitable country where it is very scarce, and where it would soon 
become extinct were these tracts not at intervals replenished from 
the increase in the above-named sanctuaries. Thus the low-lying 
country in the east of Rosshire and the Black Isle of Cromarty, 
and certain parts of Caithness and Sutherland, have long been 
quite, or almost, unfrequented by them. They travel, however, 
long distances, as is evident from their tracks in snow and other 
signs constantly brought before the notice of foresters, shepherds, 
fox-hunters, and gamekeepers, who are well acquainted with their 
habits and haunts. A very considerable district may be thus 
tenantless for a number of years, and they may suddenly reappear 
at haunts long since believed to have been deserted for ever. They 
naturally choose the cairns most suitable for their harbourage 
on arrival in a new country; and thus cairns long ago known 
as the favourite haunts of the species, are rediscovered and 
reoccupied. Here also the great use of the study of topography 
and the names of localities is evident, if one desires to form a 
correct notion of the early distribution of many species. 
Information derived from Mr. Alston’s correspondence with 
Mr. A. H. Cocks and others confirms the above general remarks. 
The following extract from a letter by Mr. A. H. Cocks, dated 
March 7th, 1879, to Mr. Alston, shows the present distribution 
of the species from another point of view :— 
““The Wild Cat,” he says, “ appears still to occur over the 
whole counties of Sutherland, Ross and Cromarty. I have not 
heard of it in Caithness, but although the north end of that county 
