﻿46 
  

  

  THE 
  VE 
  RTEBE 
  ATE 
  FAUNA 
  OF 
  " 
  DEE." 
  

  

  The 
  Shrew 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  low 
  ground 
  bordering 
  the 
  

   sea 
  coast, 
  and 
  upon 
  the 
  summits 
  of 
  our 
  highest 
  mountains. 
  

   Mr. 
  Alexander 
  Inkson 
  McConnochie 
  saw 
  one 
  run 
  under 
  a 
  

   small 
  patch 
  of 
  snow 
  at 
  the 
  cairn 
  on 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  Ben 
  Muich 
  

   Dhui 
  in 
  September, 
  1896. 
  

  

  Sorex 
  fodiens, 
  Pallas. 
  Water 
  Shrew. 
  

  

  This 
  and 
  S. 
  remifer, 
  the 
  Oared 
  Shrew 
  of 
  Bell, 
  are 
  now 
  

   believed 
  to 
  be 
  varieties 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  species. 
  Both 
  forms 
  are 
  

   equally 
  abundant 
  in 
  suitable 
  localities 
  throughout 
  "Dee." 
  

  

  MacGillivray, 
  speaking 
  of 
  Sorex 
  tetragonurus, 
  Square-tailed 
  

   Shrew, 
  and 
  Sorex 
  rusticus, 
  Field 
  Shrew, 
  remarks: 
  "Being 
  dis- 
  

   tinguishable 
  only 
  by 
  careful 
  observation 
  and 
  comparison, 
  I 
  am 
  

   unable 
  to 
  specify 
  localities 
  for 
  them." 
  Of 
  the 
  latter 
  he 
  says: 
  

   "Apparently 
  not 
  uncommon; 
  I 
  have 
  found 
  it 
  at 
  Ballater." 
  

   The 
  Water 
  Shrew, 
  which 
  he 
  calls 
  the 
  "White-breasted 
  Water 
  

   Shrew" 
  ( 
  Hydrosorex 
  fodiens), 
  is, 
  he 
  observes, 
  "seen 
  only 
  in 
  the 
  

   lower 
  parts 
  of 
  Birss." 
  

  

  Order 
  CARNIVORA. 
  

   Family 
  FELIDiE. 
  

   Genus 
  FELIS. 
  

  

  Felis 
  catus, 
  Linn. 
  Wild 
  Cat. 
  

  

  "The 
  Association 
  for 
  the 
  Destruction 
  of 
  Foxes 
  and 
  other 
  

   Ravenous 
  Beasts 
  and 
  Birds, 
  and 
  for 
  the 
  Preservation 
  of 
  

   Sheep, 
  Game, 
  and 
  Poultry, 
  within 
  the 
  Parishes 
  of 
  Braemar, 
  

   Crathie, 
  Glenmuick, 
  Tullich, 
  and 
  Glengarden," 
  existed, 
  

   according 
  to 
  the 
  0. 
  S. 
  A., 
  vol. 
  xiv., 
  pp. 
  348-9, 
  for 
  ten 
  years 
  

   from 
  15th 
  January, 
  1776. 
  During 
  that 
  period 
  we 
  find 
  that 
  

   forty-four 
  Wild 
  Cats 
  were 
  killed. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  0. 
  S. 
  A. 
  there 
  are 
  but 
  two 
  notices 
  of 
  this 
  animal 
  

   within 
  the 
  bounds 
  of 
  " 
  Dee," 
  one 
  from 
  the 
  united 
  parishes 
  

   of 
  Glenmuick, 
  Tullich, 
  and 
  Glengairn, 
  the 
  other 
  from 
  Crathie 
  

   and 
  Braemar. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  N.S.A. 
  of 
  Aberdeenshire 
  the 
  species 
  is 
  again 
  recorded 
  

   from 
  two 
  localities, 
  viz., 
  the 
  parish 
  of 
  Turriff 
  and 
  the 
  parish 
  

   of 
  Leochel-Cushnie. 
  The 
  mention 
  of 
  the 
  Wild 
  Cat 
  in 
  these 
  

  

  