MAMMALS. 



Many other localities are noted as formerly holding the species 

 in these volumes of the New Statistical Account. Thus : St. Madoes 

 (p. 619), and "it has disappeared from the parish of Kincardine" 

 (p. 1251). Also included in the list of animals of Careston parish 

 (p. 523). 



Coming to later inquiries, Mr. J. B. Smart had no recollection of 

 it in Careston parish when he wrote to me in 1880. 



In a very long-conducted commonplace-book of mine I find 

 innumerable accounts of the occurrences of this now rare animal all 

 over Scotland, hut very few of these are of the least use, or can he 

 relied upon at all. I need scarcely refer to these here, as they 

 remain in my own possession and have not been published, so cannot 

 lead any one astray ; but I may give one or two instances, if only to 

 show how inextricably the Black Rat {Mus) gets mixed up in the 

 popular idea with the black variety of the Water Vole {Arvicola, a 

 totally different genus, not to sa}^ species). Thus, one correspon- 

 dent relates that he killed eight Black Rats in July 1879, but sub- 

 sequent letters and information put these out of count. Another 

 has it thus : "A true Black Rat was killed on Wednesday 25th in a 

 barrel covering some early spring rhubarb at the manse of Methven, 



and was seen by my correspondent, Mr. R C , since 



deceased." One more and I have done : " The tenant of Leuchars 

 Castle (Fife) reports a colony of the Black Rat appearing in a wood 

 three years ago {i.e. prior to 1880) near that residence. They 

 have now disappeared." My correspondent continues : "He is aware 

 of the specific difference between this and the Black Water Rat, 

 which is not uncommon." Needless to say, not in one single instance 

 had I ever been able to see for myself any one of the many so 

 reported to me. None had been preserved. 



I have, however, on more than one occasion had specimens of Mus 

 alexandrinus sent me both from seaport towns and from ships in 

 harbour or at anchor, both commercial and vessels of His Majesty's 

 navy, though I have not pursued the subject of late years. 



Mr. W. Evans has had similar experiences very many times of 

 so-called and reported Black Rats and "true Black Rats." He was 

 assured of a " colony of the old Black Rat at a locality in Forfar- 

 shire " (Drumlithie) ; but investigation brought out the usual result — 

 they were merely Black Water Voles. This was in 1905. And in 

 the collection of Dr. Dewar at Arbroath I saw one which had been 

 caught on board a vessel in the harbour. This one was jet black in 

 colour, not the blue-grey which Millais ascribes to the original form of 



