MAMMALS. 



25 



cairns of Glen Dochart and Glen Falloch (Forth), and in one of these 

 old haunts I am aware of their continued presence. 



In the county of Fife, within our watershed. Col. H. W. Feilden 

 supplies the record that " Jas. Keddie confirmed his recollection of 

 their presence in 1848. They inhabited Kinglassie Wood between 

 St. Andrews and Crail ; and that he— Keddie — helped to dig them 

 out for my father— Sir William Feilden, Bart.— and brought them 

 to Cambo. Kinglassie Wood was cut down immediately afterwards, 

 viz. in 1848-9, and none have been heard of in that district since." 

 The sea-cliffs of St. Andrews to the east were their breeding haunts 

 fifty years ago, and it used to be the custom to " draw the badger " 

 in a hole in St. Andrews links. My then correspondent — Mr. 

 Chas. Harvey — informed me that **it was forty-two years (i.e. dating 

 back from 1881-2, or say 1840) since a Badger was killed in the 

 district around Largo " (Forth). They have been known to occur a 

 little further to the west. A year or two prior to 1881 one was 

 caught on Bunarty Hill, which lies up towards the Cleish Hills, and is 

 well wooded on its southern slope. At Markinch one was obtained 

 in 1880 (14th Feb.), but it had been many years since any had been 

 met with there before (v. Scotsman, 10th Feb. 1890). 



I now take up my old paper on the species and trace its decad- 

 ence down to the date of 1881-2 as there given, adding any additional 

 and later data afterwards. 



The information was considerable at the date of 1881-2. Begin- 

 ning in the north of the county. Badgers were very abundant about 

 1842, and for a few years afterwards along Loch Ericht side, and 

 also in Rannoch, but they are now (1882) reported as rare or almost 

 extinct — some correspondents say "extinct." In the Upper Tay 

 district and Breadalbane, however, they are still not uncommon, 

 having been seen at Killiechassie and on the Cluny rocks as late as 

 1880, and one having been killed in 1874. It was believed they 

 were still common in this locality, which is well adapted to their 

 requirements. 



In Remony and Breadalbane, further west, however, they appear 

 to have become scarce, and in one part of the district Mr. Dewar 

 claims to have killed the last one seen, viz. in 1844, a little to the 

 west of Kenmore on the south side of Loch Tay ; but on Mornish 

 Hill and above Finlarig Mr. Dewar killed eight during the last ten 

 years. In 1871 he got the mother and two cubs. At Chesthill, 

 Glen Lyon, two were killed during seven years since 1872, and they 

 are not extinct there, while about Glen Lochy and Killin four were 



