14 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
though necessarily incomplete. Beyond these records, the memory 
of the Wild Cat in the Stewartry only lives in the names of places, 
—of which, however, a good many bear evidence of its former 
presence, such as “ Wild Cat Craigs,” “ Wild Cat Wood,” &e.,— 
having regard, however, to what has already been said of these 
names. Dr. Grierson, of Thornhill, writes me there are certain 
traditions in his neighbourhood of its former occurrence, but he is 
of opinion that none of these can be relied upon. 
Other Counties in South of Scotland.—All the evidence shows 
that it is long since the Wild Cat became extinct in the counties 
south of the Firths of Forth and Clyde—so long, indeed, that it 
seems impossible to collect anything but negative evidence, or the 
evidence which may be considered as existing in names of places 
called after the species. Thus it will be seen that it has retreated 
from the greater part of South Scotland, and has lingered longest 
in the most mountainous districts. Parallel facts with regard to 
the gradual disappearance of the Marten in the South of Scotland 
will show that these appear to be the directions of the retreat of 
more species of indigenous Carnivore than one, and a study of the 
decrease and extinction of the Squirrel in the South of Scotland 
points to similar, or somewhat similar, results. While the central 
counties of S. Scotland have been longest deserted, the Cheviots, 
and the counties north of the Firths of Forth and Clyde have 
afforded longer harbourage to these and probably to other species. 
They have retreated southwards, on the one hand, to the range of 
Cheviots, and northwards, on the other, to the wilder country 
beyond the Firths of Forth and Clyde. 
Dumbarton.—Passing now to the counties north of the Firth 
of Clyde, Mr. John Colquhoun informs me that the last-killed in 
Dumbarton was in 1857, by Archibald M‘Donald, gamekeeper to 
the late Sir James Colquhoun, Bart., of Luss. It was killed on 
Rossdhu Property, and not one has been seen since. Another, 
trapped also at Rossdhu, is in the collection at Rossdhu House. 
Mr. J. Colquhoun tells me they were plentiful in the county in the 
beginning of the present century, and he has perfect recollection 
of hunting them regularly when a boy. 
Stirlingshire.— A Wild Cat is recorded by Macgillivray as 
having been killed in the county; this was, of course, prior to 1830, 
the date at which he wrote (‘ Nat. Library,’ Brit. Mam., p. 193). 
The ‘ New Statistical Account’ (Stirlingshire, p. 75) records them 
