﻿52 
  

  

  THE 
  VEETEBEATE 
  FAUNA 
  OF 
  " 
  DEE." 
  

  

  streams, 
  and 
  even 
  in 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  smaller 
  rivulets, 
  where 
  food 
  

   is 
  abundant 
  and 
  a 
  safe 
  retreat 
  within 
  easy 
  reach. 
  The 
  Otter 
  

   is 
  also 
  occasionally 
  killed 
  along 
  the 
  rocky 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  coast 
  of 
  

   Aberdeen 
  and 
  Kincardine 
  shires, 
  in 
  which 
  localities 
  its 
  food 
  

   consists 
  of 
  marine 
  fishes. 
  

  

  This 
  animal 
  is 
  not 
  exclusively 
  a 
  fish-feeder, 
  however, 
  for 
  I 
  

   have 
  frequently 
  found 
  in 
  its 
  stomach 
  the 
  remains 
  of 
  the 
  

   Water 
  Vole; 
  and, 
  as 
  it 
  often 
  makes 
  considerable 
  journeys 
  

   across 
  country, 
  there 
  is 
  little 
  doubt 
  that 
  any 
  small 
  fur- 
  

   bearing 
  animal 
  it 
  is 
  capable 
  of 
  capturing 
  would 
  also 
  be 
  

   devoured. 
  Mr. 
  Harvie-Brown 
  informs 
  me 
  that 
  he 
  has 
  found 
  

   bits 
  of 
  lobster 
  shell 
  amongst 
  its 
  rejectamenta. 
  

  

  Bell 
  says 
  that 
  " 
  the 
  Otter 
  goes 
  with 
  young 
  nine 
  weeks, 
  and 
  

   produces 
  from 
  three 
  to 
  five 
  young 
  ones 
  in 
  March 
  or 
  April." 
  

   On 
  February 
  9th, 
  1897, 
  a 
  female 
  was 
  trapped 
  at 
  Elchies, 
  on 
  

   the 
  Spey, 
  and 
  while 
  in 
  the 
  trap 
  she 
  gave 
  birth 
  to 
  a 
  young 
  one, 
  

   evidently 
  the 
  last 
  of 
  her 
  litter, 
  as, 
  when 
  examined, 
  she 
  con- 
  

   tained 
  no 
  others. 
  The 
  young 
  one 
  was 
  fully 
  formed 
  and 
  ready 
  

   for 
  birth, 
  and 
  had 
  a 
  good 
  coat 
  of 
  hair. 
  Its 
  eyes 
  were 
  closely 
  

   sealed, 
  showing 
  that, 
  like 
  many 
  other 
  animals, 
  the 
  Otter 
  is 
  

   born 
  blind. 
  

  

  Genus 
  MELES, 
  Cew. 
  

   Meles 
  taxus, 
  Bodd. 
  Badger. 
  " 
  Brock." 
  

  

  None 
  of 
  our 
  native 
  animals 
  is 
  less 
  deserving 
  of 
  perse- 
  

   cution 
  than 
  the 
  Badger, 
  and 
  yefc 
  none 
  has 
  been 
  more 
  

   subjected 
  to 
  it, 
  with 
  the 
  result 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  fast 
  approaching 
  

   extinction^ 
  Several 
  circumstances 
  have 
  contributed 
  to 
  bring 
  

   about 
  its 
  present 
  reduction 
  in 
  numbers, 
  chief 
  amongst 
  which 
  

   was 
  the 
  cruel 
  and 
  barbarous 
  sport 
  of 
  Badger-drawing, 
  which, 
  

   not 
  many 
  years 
  byegone, 
  was 
  indulged 
  in 
  by 
  all 
  classes 
  of 
  

   society. 
  Another 
  cause 
  is 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  the 
  officers 
  and 
  non- 
  

   commissioned 
  officers 
  of 
  some 
  of 
  our 
  Highland 
  regiments 
  

   require 
  the 
  skin 
  of 
  the 
  Badger 
  to 
  make 
  their 
  sporrans; 
  but 
  

   now 
  this 
  cannot 
  be 
  supplied 
  from 
  native 
  specimens. 
  Indeed, 
  

   the 
  "Brock" 
  has 
  now 
  become 
  so 
  rare 
  that 
  the 
  fact 
  of 
  one 
  

   being 
  killed 
  or 
  seen 
  is 
  heralded 
  in 
  the 
  public 
  prints. 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  past 
  forty 
  years 
  a 
  goodly 
  number 
  of 
  Badgers 
  

   have 
  passed 
  through 
  my 
  hands, 
  and 
  never 
  in 
  a 
  single 
  instance 
  

   have 
  I 
  found 
  anything 
  in 
  their 
  stomachs 
  in 
  the 
  shape 
  of 
  

  

  