﻿MAMMALIA. 
  

  

  67 
  

  

  existence 
  of 
  the 
  Black 
  Rat 
  only 
  traditional. 
  On 
  a 
  visit 
  to 
  

   Kemnay 
  in 
  1847, 
  I 
  found, 
  near 
  a 
  cottage, 
  a 
  dead 
  Black 
  Rat 
  

   which 
  I 
  examined 
  and 
  took 
  description 
  of 
  in 
  my 
  Journal 
  at 
  

   that 
  date. 
  

  

  " 
  On 
  June 
  26th, 
  1848, 
  I 
  find 
  record 
  in 
  Journal 
  of 
  one 
  

   seen 
  running 
  into 
  the 
  machinery 
  of 
  Cluny 
  threshing 
  mill, 
  and 
  

   on 
  March 
  30th, 
  1849, 
  it 
  is 
  recorded 
  that 
  they 
  were 
  running 
  

   about 
  the 
  rafters 
  of 
  a 
  thatched 
  cow-house 
  where 
  I 
  had 
  some 
  

   cows, 
  whose 
  backs 
  they 
  had 
  nearly 
  bared 
  of 
  their 
  hair, 
  doubt- 
  

   less 
  to 
  line 
  their 
  nests 
  with 
  for 
  their 
  young. 
  About 
  this 
  time 
  

   they 
  were 
  very 
  much 
  supplanted 
  by 
  the 
  Brown 
  Rat, 
  but 
  I 
  

   often 
  saw 
  them 
  about 
  the 
  rafters 
  of 
  these 
  out 
  -houses, 
  which, 
  

   it 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  noted, 
  they 
  frequented 
  more 
  than 
  Brown 
  Rats 
  are 
  

   used 
  to 
  do. 
  This 
  is 
  illustrated 
  by 
  my 
  next 
  notice 
  in 
  my 
  

   Journal 
  of 
  May 
  17th, 
  1849. 
  I 
  put 
  it 
  down 
  as 
  there 
  written. 
  

   ' 
  To 
  West 
  Mains, 
  Castle 
  Fraser, 
  barns 
  (thatched) 
  swarming 
  

   with 
  Black 
  Rats, 
  seen 
  creeping 
  along 
  the 
  rafters, 
  very 
  long 
  

   tails, 
  more 
  so 
  than 
  Brown 
  species 
  ; 
  as 
  much 
  at 
  home 
  on 
  

   horizontal 
  or 
  perpendicular 
  timber 
  as 
  a 
  Squirrel 
  on 
  trees 
  ; 
  

   tails 
  often 
  protruding 
  from 
  crannies. 
  Vermiform 
  animal 
  seen 
  

   running 
  among 
  rafters 
  with 
  brush 
  on 
  tail 
  ; 
  supposed 
  Stoat 
  

   but 
  not 
  certain 
  (could 
  it 
  be 
  small 
  Ferret 
  or 
  Polecat 
  ?) 
  ; 
  found 
  

   one 
  rat 
  killed 
  by 
  it. 
  Mustilline 
  animal 
  then 
  on 
  floor 
  when 
  

   first 
  seen, 
  at 
  which 
  time 
  it 
  was 
  eating 
  back 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  head 
  

   of 
  a 
  Black 
  Rat, 
  the 
  body 
  of 
  which 
  it 
  was 
  unwilling 
  to 
  quit 
  ; 
  

   back 
  of 
  rat's 
  skull 
  bitten 
  away. 
  Mustilline 
  animal 
  (I 
  at 
  that 
  

   time 
  was 
  not 
  very 
  clear 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  distinction 
  of 
  different 
  

   species 
  of 
  the 
  tribe), 
  on 
  running 
  up 
  the 
  rafters, 
  soon 
  got 
  hold 
  

   of 
  another 
  Black 
  Rat 
  whom 
  I 
  heard 
  squeaking 
  most 
  dismally 
  

   species 
  must 
  have 
  become 
  very 
  scarce, 
  

   ? 
  one 
  killed 
  on 
  Manar 
  in 
  1868, 
  but 
  did 
  

   vas 
  really 
  a 
  Black 
  Water 
  Rat.' 
  " 
  

   Hen 
  Tanner, 
  in 
  a 
  letter 
  dated 
  March 
  

   been 
  extinct 
  for 
  twenty 
  years 
  there." 
  

   ^casionally 
  be 
  seen 
  in 
  the 
  neighbour- 
  

   (Braemar, 
  Its 
  Topography 
  and 
  Natural 
  

   nes 
  M. 
  Crombie, 
  p. 
  72, 
  1861.) 
  

   pst 
  for 
  June, 
  1893, 
  p. 
  19, 
  on 
  the 
  "Old 
  

   Bristol," 
  Charles 
  Garnett 
  says 
  : 
  "I 
  

   ago 
  seeing 
  a 
  colony 
  of 
  them 
  in 
  a 
  

   3enshire." 
  This 
  is 
  evidently 
  a 
  case 
  

  

  