THE RARER ANIMALS OF SCOTLAND. 167 
At Doune, Mr. Anderson writes, “In all my trapping experiences 
I have only captured four. About thirty years ago (say 1850) 
I caught one on Lord Moray’s estate above Doune. On Bal- 
quhidder Mr. W. Dewar killed Polecats twenty-five years ago (say 
1855). It was exterminated in Glen Queich, above Cumbree, thirty 
years ago (say 1850). I have said that the Polecat has long been 
extinct in the valley of the Allan between Perth and Stirling, but 
upon the slopes of the Ochils facing the north it has lingered 
somewhat longer. None have been observed at Cloanden, near 
Auchiterarder since Mr. H. Haldane purchased the property, some 
twenty-fiver years ago (say 1855), but at Kincardine, about three 
miles from Cloanden, one was killed ten years ago (say 1870). 
This is the last known to have occurred in the district, where 
formerly it used to be common. At Balquhidder I have said they 
were killed about twenty-five years ago, but I have a much more 
recent date to notice. In 1880 Mr. W. D. Duncan, the lessee of the 
Edinchip shootings of Sir Malcolm Macgregor, Bart., saw a fine 
Polecat close upon the March with Suie; and previous to this 
Mr. John Dickson, co-lessee of the same shootings, shot another 
about the same place. This was in August, 1880. The game- 
keeper at Edinchip, who was previously keeper on Suie, told me 
afterwards that he had not seen one in that neighbourhood for 
twelve years (say since 1868). Edinchip is at the head of Loch 
Earn. About twenty years ago two were trapped in Glen Artney 
deer-forest, and this informant says, “none have been got here- 
abouts since then.” Farther north one was trapped on Ballechin 
Hill about thirty years ago, by Mr. Murray, gamekeeper. ‘hey 
inhabited the east side of Drummond Hill in 1835. At Killin 
Mr. Duncan Dewar got a male and female in 1858, the last 
obtained around Loch Tay. One of these Mr. Dewar carried 
home alive in his handkerchief, but it was so offensive that he 
could not keep it. 
Argylishire.—In this county it is not quite so scarce yet. In 
the Loch Awe district, however, it has been quite extinct for 
upwards of twenty years, say since 1860. Farther north, in 
Sunart and Ardnamurchan it is still not uncommon. As many as 
fifty have been killed during the past ten years. T'wo were got 
in 1880 (about Jan. 20th), in Ardnamurchan, and these probably 
came in from Sunart (Sir Thomas Riddell’s), where a few are 
usually obtained when trapping rabbits, but none in 1879 or 1880. 
