16 



MAMMALS. 



p. 12). This common assertion in the present instance is men- 

 tioned under the parish of Muthill (vol. viii. p. 486). The Fox is 

 mentioned as occurring in many widely separated parts of the area 

 — indeed so often as to render it unnecessary to repeat them here.^ 



A very full relation of the duties of the professional fox-hunter 

 is given under Dunkeld parish, and is worth perusal {op. cit., vol. xx. 

 p. 439). 



Foxes have continued in scarcely diminished numbers even down 

 to the present time ; if indeed they have not appreciably increased, 

 notwithstanding the constant persecution they are subjected to. 

 But it is well known that it is not to the interest of those employed 

 to kill them that they should all be worried to death, and the 

 consequence is that a remarkably even crop appears year after year, 

 as can easily be gauged from some hundreds of vermin lists in my 

 possession, supplied to me from most of the larger estates of Scot- 

 land. Thus, on the Perthshire estates of Breadalbane during the 

 past ten years — between 1891 and 1901 — 562 old Foxes and 674 

 young ones are entered as returned to the estate office and paid for. 

 A steady crop of old and young gives an average of 112-5. The most 

 were obtained in 1894, viz. 143 ; and the next in 1897, viz. 132. Thus, 

 also in the returns from the Atholl estates during the same period or 

 nearly so — viz. between the years, or seasons, 1894-5 and 1903-4 — 

 1425 were returned and paid for ; and again, the most were 

 destroyed in 1897-8, viz. 159 ; and the next largest number in 

 1894-5, viz. 156; while 1903-4 was not far behind with 153. The 

 average shown in the ten seasons works out at 142-5; and the 

 fewest were killed in 1902-3, and again in 1896-7, viz. 117 and 126 

 respectively. To example a much smaller area or estate, I find on 

 that of Ballinlick 40 were killed by the keepers in six years pre- 

 vious to 1898, since which year I have no more returns. 



That some small areas are favourite haunts to the exclusion of 

 others adjoining is, I think, generally acknowledged. I may 

 instance one example. In a quite small area among the Forfar Hills 



^ In another part of Scotland — viz. the Campsie district of Forth — the Rev. Mr, 

 Lapsley, when writing the accouut of that parish, expressed his belief in three varieties 

 of this animal being found — an opinion also held by some other authorities. It is 

 right to mention here that Mr. Lapsley was a well-known naturalist of his time. The 

 fullest notice of him I have had access to is that by Cameron in his Parish of Campsie 

 ('P. M'Leod, 47 Cowgaie Street, Kirkintilloch) ; also, Dr. Robert Lee, author of the 

 article on Campsie parish in the New Statistical Account, mentions Lapsley in a very 

 appreciative footnote. 



