RECORDS IN SCOTLAND. 25 



probable that most of the Wild Cats reported as 

 genuine Wild Cats for the last fifty years have the 

 same origin. Four very fine examples of the mixed 

 breed have been taken within the last year, 1895-6, 

 in Morvern, Argyleshire — the tails very thick, the 

 rings and tip black. 



The same author, writing in 1881, considers that 

 the Wild Cat has become almost, if not entirely, 

 extinct, all south and east of a line commencing, 

 roughly speaking, at Oban, continuing north-west of 

 the junction of the three counties of Perth, Forfar, 

 and Aberdeen, thence across the corner of the Dee to 

 Tomintoul, Banff, to the city of Inverness. 



Further north Messrs. Harvie-Brown and T. E. 

 Buckley (' A Vertebrate Fauna of Sutherland, Caith- 

 ness, and Cromarty ') state that, although it has 

 become extremely rare in Assjnt, it is said to be 

 found in the Forest of Eeay ; but in answer to an 

 application we made for an example from that forest 

 in November 1 8 9 1 , the Duke of Westminster wrote : — 

 " The genuine Wild Cat is, as you know, a very rare 

 animal indeed, and I do not know of any in the 

 Reay country, but will write down and enquire, and 

 if there is such a thing and it can be got you shall 

 have it." 



The Wild Cat is not found on any of the islands 

 of the Outer and Inner Hebrides. The examples 

 reported from Skye, Mull, Gigha, Canna, &c. are 

 the offspring of the Crofters' cats run wild, a very 

 common occurrence in all parts of the Highlands and 

 elsewhere. 



Messrs. Harvie-Browx and T. E. Buckley ('A Fauna 

 of the Outer Hebrides '), under the heading of Wild 

 Cat, give the- following observations, proving how 



