178 



MAMMALS. 



rare, on account of the incessant war carried on against the species 

 by the local gamekeepers and others.' 



In Ben Alder Forest one Polecat was seen near Loch Errochd 

 Lodge in 1878. None have been seen in Abernethy and Glenmore 

 for thirty years; the last was trapped there in 1860. The last 

 obtained on the Belville estate was about 1873, and the last we 

 have recorded from the Glenshero estate, parish of Laggan, was 

 obtained on October 8th, 1867. 



At the date of 1880 it was believed by Colonel Macpherson of 

 Cluny that this species still existed in Badenoch (in lit. 21/xi/80). 



We are informed that the Polecat, though very rare, still exists 

 (1893) along the shores of Loch Ness in one or two favoured 

 localities. 



Lutra wu\ gar \s, Erxl. Otter. 



Unless it be for his skin, there seems no reason why the Otter should 

 be so persistently done to death. That he takes a salmon at times 

 there is no doubt, but he is just as fond, perhaps fonder, of eels 

 and flounders, and there are many places in the Highlands where 

 he might be left alone, even if he did, on occasions, make a raid 

 on the trout. They are found both in the inland waters and 

 amongst the sea-rocks ; one place in the latter situation where 

 they were particularly abundant being the cairns and caves at 

 Nigg Head. 



Though, like all other unprotected mammals, getting rarer, 

 Otters are still spread over the greater part of the northern 

 districts. Two winters ago we saw one diving about in the Ness 

 just above the main bridge, but they rarely show themselves much 

 during the day-time. They seem to be less common in some of 

 the unfrequented districts than one might be led to expect ; thus 

 they are said to be very rare at Guisachan, the last having been 

 killed there about 1880. 



The O.S.A. has numerous notices from far up among the hilly 

 districts down even to the Lossie and the Laigh of Moray and 

 the shores of the Firth. 



Many are reported in Dr. Gordon's Fauna of Moray^ to be 

 habitually captured on the Lossie, Findhorn, and Nairn, and 

 indeed it is of really such common occurrence, and keeps its aver- 



