﻿50 
  

  

  THE 
  VERTEBKATE 
  FAUNA 
  OF 
  "DEE." 
  

  

  Hist., 
  for 
  April, 
  1895, 
  p. 
  120, 
  and 
  the 
  Editor 
  adds 
  a 
  note 
  to 
  say- 
  

   that 
  he 
  had 
  " 
  examined 
  a 
  female 
  obtained 
  near 
  Fyvie 
  during 
  

   the 
  second 
  week 
  of 
  November 
  last." 
  I 
  am 
  informed 
  by 
  the 
  

   proprietor 
  of 
  Lesmurdie, 
  Deveronside, 
  that 
  a 
  Pine 
  Marten 
  

   was 
  killed 
  on 
  his 
  estate 
  in 
  the 
  second 
  week 
  of 
  April, 
  1899, 
  but 
  

   he 
  only 
  saw 
  it 
  some 
  weeks 
  after 
  the 
  keeper 
  had 
  nailed 
  it 
  up 
  

   among 
  other 
  vermin. 
  Lesmurdie 
  is, 
  however, 
  on 
  the 
  northern 
  

   border 
  of 
  our 
  area, 
  and 
  within 
  " 
  Moray." 
  

  

  Genus 
  MUSTELA. 
  

  

  Mustela 
  vulgaris, 
  Linn. 
  Common 
  Weasel. 
  "Whitret." 
  

  

  " 
  Futret." 
  

  

  Abundant 
  in 
  suitable 
  localities, 
  and 
  this 
  seems 
  to 
  have 
  

   been 
  so 
  for 
  a 
  very 
  long 
  time. 
  

  

  Mustela 
  erminea, 
  Linn. 
  Stoat. 
  Ermine. 
  

  

  Although 
  this 
  animal, 
  like 
  the 
  Weasel, 
  is 
  slaughtered 
  in 
  

   great 
  numbers 
  every 
  year, 
  it 
  is 
  still 
  able 
  to 
  maintain 
  its 
  

   ground 
  against 
  all 
  its 
  foes, 
  and 
  occurs 
  in 
  fair 
  abundance 
  all 
  

   over 
  " 
  Dee." 
  

  

  Mustela 
  putorius, 
  Linn. 
  Polecat. 
  "Foumart." 
  

   " 
  Fulmart." 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  Upper 
  Deeside 
  list 
  just 
  referred 
  to, 
  only 
  seventeen 
  

   Polecats 
  had 
  been 
  entered 
  as 
  killed 
  from 
  21st 
  August, 
  1777, 
  

   to 
  25th 
  September, 
  1779. 
  It 
  is 
  obvious 
  that 
  this 
  list 
  does 
  

   not 
  indicate 
  very 
  clearly 
  the 
  numbers 
  of 
  Polecats 
  that 
  really 
  

   existed 
  in 
  those 
  regions 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  specified. 
  They 
  must 
  

   have 
  been 
  far 
  more 
  numerous 
  than 
  such 
  would 
  lead 
  us 
  to 
  

   suppose. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  0. 
  S. 
  A. 
  there 
  are 
  eight 
  notices 
  given 
  of 
  the 
  

   occurrence 
  of 
  the 
  Polecat 
  within 
  the 
  confines 
  of 
  " 
  Dee 
  " 
  : 
  

   from 
  the 
  parishes 
  of 
  Drumblade, 
  Birse, 
  the 
  united 
  parish 
  

   of 
  Glenmuick-Tullich-Glengairn, 
  Crathie 
  - 
  Braemar, 
  Rayne, 
  

   Deer, 
  and 
  Lonmay 
  ; 
  but 
  beyond 
  the 
  mere 
  name, 
  no 
  particulars 
  

   are 
  given. 
  The 
  same 
  remark 
  applies 
  to 
  the 
  N. 
  S. 
  A. 
  of 
  

   Aberdeenshire 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  animal 
  is 
  mentioned, 
  viz., 
  for 
  

   the 
  parishes 
  of 
  Strathdon, 
  Chapel 
  of 
  Garioch, 
  Drumoak, 
  

   Methlick, 
  Lumphanan, 
  and 
  Leochel-Cushnie. 
  

  

  In 
  Robertson's 
  General 
  View 
  of 
  the 
  Agriculture 
  of 
  Kincardine- 
  

   shire, 
  chap. 
  15, 
  it 
  is 
  stated 
  that 
  the 
  " 
  Polecat 
  or 
  Fumart 
  is 
  

  

  