MAMMALS. 



41 



for a term of years, and now are often to be heard and seen in 

 the woods." 



But in 1813 the Sidlaw Hills, Glamis, and near Forfar are given as 

 still holding Koe Deer by Don. 



In 1793 (the Agricultural Survey of Scotland, under Kincardineshire) 

 the Roe Deer is spoken of as a declining race thus : ''A few remain 

 and breed in the woods of Kingcaussie, on the south side of the Dee, 

 and in severe winters they are also found in the forests of Upper 

 Banchory," i.e. partly in Dee and partly in Forfar. 



For much earlier history we cannot do better than refer back 

 to articles written by Harting, and still later by Millais. 



At the present time it is everywhere abundant in suitable 

 quarters. 



Of its more recent history it seems almost sufficient to indicate 

 its abundance and wide and general distribution in all parts of the 

 area which are suitable to its habits, so that its present status in the 

 country has returned to the former state of things. 



In the portion of Fife which comes to be considered under Tay, 

 Colonel H. W. Feilden tells me the Roe was tolerably abundant about 

 the Howe of Fife, and he adds : ''I have seen two does and three or 

 four fawns and a buck or two just outside the Mount Hill Wood of 

 Rankeillour in the early morning." This dates 1850. 



However scarce it would seem to have been in the extreme east of 

 our area, i.e. say through Strathmore, at the end of the eighteenth 

 century, it appears, if not numerous, to have been at least widely 

 distributed along the valley of the Tay by that time. And I can 

 readily realise the increase to have been rapid after a few jubilee 

 years were granted to assist in the increase. 



I have known it to have been, in 1860 to 1863, and still to be, 

 abundant along Deeside, and Mr. J. Milne assures me of its now 

 being in numbers among the Drumtochty woods. 



All through our area it is now too abundant to warrant the 

 occupying of more space at the present time. I may simply illustrate 

 this fact by quoting Mr. Malloch's returns of numbers sent in to him 

 for preservation during a few years, which he permitted me to copy 

 from his registers. In the season 1893-4 he got 20 ; in 1895-6 he 

 had 38 ; and in 1897-8, 40 were sent to him for preservation. 



Close to the southern borders of Tay I have seen eleven shot in 

 a day's cover-shooting, and many times four or five within the last 

 fifteen or twenty years. 



Often Roe Deer being decidedly destructive to young plantations, 



