164 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
at that time keeper in that county, considered the Polecat to be not 
uncommon ; he killed one that year. 
Kirkecudbright.—The “ Foumart” was once a common species in 
the Stewartry, but Mr. Service is afraid it is now extinct, or 
practically so. A few may yet remain in the wilder districts. In 
the eastern part of the Stewartry none have been heard of for a 
very long time. About thirteen years ago Mr. Lennon witnessed 
the chase of a hare by a Foumart. Both, when they passed 
him, appeared to be very much fatigued, the hare, especially, 
“staggering like a drunken man.” ‘This would be about 1867. 
Three years before. (1864) Mr. Lennon stuffed one which was 
killed at Mountain Hall, on the Dumfriesshire side of the Nith. 
‘These are the last Foumarts Mr. Service can hear of in the 
vicinity of Dumfries. Mr. Hastings received two from Kirkennan, 
near Dalbeattie, about eleven years ago, and believes they are all 
but extinct in the south-west of Scotland, and nearly all accounts 
agree that “the rapid extinction of the Foumarts has been caused, 
as already indicated, by rabbit trapping,” although due more to 
accident than to design on the part of gamekeepers and rabbit- 
trappers. It is seven years since a Foumart has been seen on 
Arbigland (Col. Blackett’s), and they are considered to be quite 
extinct all through the county, except possibly on the high rough 
country in the north-west. In the parish of Kelton, in central 
Kirkeudbrightshire, the last Foumarts were seen on the estate of 
Dildawn about twenty-five years ago (say 1856), when a nest of 
young ones was destroyed. Mr. Bruce never heard of a Foumart 
on Slogarie, a circumstance which Mr. Service considers curious, 
for the ground is rough enough to afford excellent shelter for 
them. In February, 1881, Mr. Service was informed that a 
Foumart had been killed in Maryfield of Terregles, the next 
parish to 'lroqueer, early in December, 1880, where a valuable 
breed of ducks belonging to the farmer had been sadly thinned 
by its depredations, and a trap set in the evening secured the 
Foumart the next morning, not, however, before it had killed two 
more ducks. The dead ducks were found to have the brains 
neatly picked out. Mr. Service adds, ‘‘ Probably the last of its 
race hereabouts.” 
Ayrshire.—As long ago as 1839, Thompson (‘ Fauna of Ireland,’ 
ed. 1856, vol. iv., p. 9) saw several on the 5th September, which 
were taken at Ballantrae, in the south of Ayrshire, and in 1841 
