206 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
very deep wooded dell, the hollow of which, though it occasionally showed 
green patches through the trees and coppice, was one hundred and fifty, or 
about two hundred, feet from the top. The dell is difficult of access, and 
contains nothing that would compensate for the labour; and thus it is 
abandoned to wild animals, and amongst others to the Marten, which, 
though the skin fetches a high price, is not so much hunted there as in more 
open places, because, though they might succeed in shooting it from the 
heights above, they could not be sure of recovering the body. Thus it is 
left to contend with the Mountain Cat for the sovereignty of that particular 
dell, and both are safe except when they approach the farmhouse at the 
bottom of the hill. The contest there lasted for more than half an hour, 
and both combatants were too intent on each other's destruction to shun or 
fear observation. At last, however, the Marten succeeded in falling upon 
the right side of the cat's neck, and jerking his long body over her so as to 
be out of the reach of her claws; when, after a good deal of squeaking and 
struggling, by which the enemy could not be shaken off, the martial 
achievements of puss were ended in the field of glory. The victories 
of the Marten over the Golden Eagle, though there be a tale of one of them 
at every place where Eagles and Martens are common, are not quite so well 
authenticated ; and Wood-cats, Polecats, and even Weazels, which, though 
lithe and active enough in their way, are certainly nothing to the Martens, 
are often the heroes of the tale. It runs uniformly in the same manner :— 
Down comes the Eagle in the pride of her strength, slash go her talons 
into the limbs of the Marten, and, with a flap of her wings, she is soaring 
towards the zenith. The prey, however, is only scotched ; and the Marten 
or the Weasel, or whatever else it may be, jerks round its head into the 
throat of the Eagle, and both fall lifeless to the earth. These accounts may 
be true, but they belong to that class of which there is a separate edition for 
every district, and therefore they would need verification by an eye-witness.” 
—J. E. Harrine. 
SQuIRRELS swiMMING.—A propos of Col. Godwin-Austin’s note (p. 102), 
I may mention that in the autumn of 1878 I was Salmon-fishing in the 
River Spey, a few miles from its mouth, where the stream was broad, 
strong, and deep—when just beyond the end of my line I perceived a 
Squirrel being carried down, but swimming higher out of the water than is 
usual with most animals. Its death by drowning seemed inevitable, as the 
opposite bank was a high, perpendicular cliff of old red sandstone, where 
even a Squirrel could hardly land. However, it swam gallantly on, heading 
straight across the stream, and finally, after being swept down a long 
distance, emerged on the other side, where a burn intersected the rock, and 
fir-trees grew down to the water’s edge. The left bank, where the Squirrel 
must have entered the river, was low and shelving, and it selected a spot, 
