﻿68 
  

  

  THE 
  VEETEBEATE 
  FAUNA 
  OF 
  "DEE." 
  

  

  of 
  mistaken 
  identity; 
  it 
  no 
  doubt 
  was 
  the 
  Water 
  Vole 
  that 
  

   had 
  been 
  seen. 
  

  

  Bellenden 
  says 
  : 
  " 
  Nae 
  rattonis 
  ar 
  sene 
  in 
  this 
  countre, 
  and 
  

   als 
  sone 
  as 
  they 
  ar 
  brocht 
  thair 
  they 
  de." 
  Thus 
  he 
  speaks 
  of 
  

   " 
  Buchan." 
  No 
  doubt 
  the 
  inhabitants 
  of 
  that 
  district 
  would 
  

   be 
  highly 
  pleased 
  if 
  the 
  rats 
  were 
  all 
  to 
  " 
  de 
  " 
  there 
  now. 
  

  

  Mus 
  decumanus, 
  Pallas. 
  Brown 
  Rat. 
  

  

  This 
  destructive 
  little 
  animal 
  is 
  far 
  too 
  numerous 
  every- 
  

   where, 
  and 
  seems 
  able 
  to 
  defy 
  every 
  means 
  employed 
  to 
  keep 
  

   it 
  under. 
  

  

  Family 
  AEVICOLID^E. 
  

   Genus 
  ARVICOLA, 
  Lacep. 
  

   Arvicola 
  amphibius, 
  Linn. 
  "Water 
  Vole." 
  "Water 
  Rat," 
  

  

  Abundant 
  in 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  streams 
  throughout 
  " 
  Dee." 
  It 
  

   was 
  long 
  thought 
  that 
  two 
  species 
  of 
  Water 
  Rat 
  existed 
  — 
  a 
  

   black 
  form 
  and 
  a 
  brown 
  ; 
  but 
  both 
  are 
  now 
  known 
  to 
  be 
  

   identical, 
  and 
  the 
  two 
  varieties 
  are 
  found 
  in 
  about 
  equal 
  

   numbers 
  over 
  " 
  Dee." 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  has 
  been 
  brought 
  to 
  me 
  under 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  

   " 
  Earth 
  Hound," 
  a 
  mythical 
  animal 
  supposed 
  by 
  the 
  rural 
  

   population 
  of 
  Aberdeen 
  and 
  Banff 
  shires 
  to 
  frequent 
  grave- 
  

   yards, 
  making 
  its 
  way 
  through 
  coffins 
  and 
  devouring 
  the 
  dead. 
  

   Of 
  course, 
  no 
  proof 
  was 
  ever 
  forthcoming 
  that 
  these 
  ravages 
  

   had 
  taken 
  place, 
  and 
  how 
  such 
  ideas 
  should 
  arise 
  it 
  is 
  

   impossible 
  to 
  explain. 
  

  

  Arvicola 
  agrestis, 
  Flem. 
  "Short-tailed 
  Field 
  Mouse." 
  

   " 
  Meadow 
  Mouse." 
  " 
  Field 
  Vole." 
  

  

  Common 
  in 
  all 
  suitable 
  localities 
  over 
  the 
  whole 
  extent 
  

   of 
  " 
  Dee." 
  

  

  Family 
  LEPORIDiE. 
  

   Genus 
  LEPUS, 
  Bay. 
  

   Lepus 
  timidus, 
  Linn. 
  Common 
  Hare. 
  " 
  Maukin." 
  

   " 
  Bawd." 
  Brown 
  Hare. 
  

  

  Of 
  this 
  animal 
  there 
  are 
  no 
  data 
  by 
  which 
  we 
  can 
  come 
  to 
  

   any 
  very 
  accurate 
  conclusion 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  numbers 
  in 
  former 
  

  

  