THE RAKER ANIMALS OF SCOTLAND. 43 



Midlothian. — Formerly abundant, as statistics show. A keeper, 

 Mr. Nichol Kerr, trapped a number of them, both in this and the 

 adjoining county of Haddington. They appear to be not yet 

 extinct in the county. In 1880 a fine Badger was advertised for 

 sale in the 'Scotsman' of April 25th, but the owner (Carfrae, 

 bird dealer, Frederick Street, Edinburgh) knew nothing about it 

 further than that it had been sold to him by a man, and that it 

 had been trapped " oot sooth o' Pathhead," and brought to Edin- 

 burgh by the Pathhead carrier. The south-west of the county 

 (parishes of Borthwick, Temple, Crichton, Heriot, Tala, Stow), 

 with its numerous "deans," still probably harbour a few Badgers, 

 as there is great store of good earthing ground, but they are 

 probably very scarce. Mr. Ritchie, of Middleton, writes me that 

 between 1866 and 1880 his keeper had only heard of one Badger 

 being caught near Roseberry, parish of Temple, and Mr. Wood, 

 late keeper on Blackshiels-shooting, caught one some years ago. 



East Lothian. — Formerly common, and not yet extinct in this 

 county. The Rev. Thomas S. Marjoribanks, of Preston, informs 

 me that there are Badgers still in the wooded hill above Pres- 

 mennan Loch on the Biel estate, belonging to Lady Nisbet 

 Hamilton, and that he saw one which had been recently captured 

 there. At Whittinghame the last seen was fifteen years ago (say 

 1867). Dr. J. L. Crombie writes me that a year or two ago one 

 was seen in Tynninghame Woods, where there are many foxes' 

 earths. In 1870 two were caught in Presmennan Wood, before 

 noted, and Dr. Crombie has a young one in his collection shot 

 above Haddington about twelve years ago. 



Berwickshire. — Still abundant, mostly so on the rugged coast- 

 line. It is very common still in Upper Berwickshire, especially 

 in the parishes of Gordon, Earlston, and Legerwood. Mr. R. Small 

 has seen them frequently in these parishes, and remembers seeing 

 one taken from a drain in the village of Earlston about twenty-two 

 years ago (say 1859). The animal was seen running along the 

 street at day-dawn, and had taken refuge in the drain. They are 

 scarcely so common, however, as the}' were twentj'-five years ago. 

 Around Jedburgh it is still not rare, and within the last twenty 

 years has been frequently found in Black Burn, Grej'peel Burn, 

 and about the Merlin Dean, all of which localities are within two 

 miles and a half of Jedburgh. Mr. James Hardy, of Old Cambus, 

 writes me : — " Though diminished in numbers it still maintains 



