﻿MAMMALIA. 
  

  

  71 
  

  

  p. 
  986 
  under 
  Turriff 
  parish, 
  we 
  are 
  informed 
  that 
  there 
  are 
  

   "rabbits 
  in 
  very 
  great 
  abundance," 
  and 
  for 
  the 
  parishes 
  of 
  

   Lumphanan 
  and 
  Leochel-Cushnie, 
  the 
  Rabbit 
  is 
  mentioned 
  

   as 
  existing, 
  but 
  without 
  further 
  comment. 
  

  

  MacGiliivray 
  says 
  : 
  " 
  There 
  were 
  no 
  Rabbits 
  in 
  Braemar 
  

   until 
  very 
  recently, 
  and 
  they 
  have 
  increased 
  there 
  as 
  else- 
  

   where 
  in 
  the 
  country 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  nuisance. 
  Besides 
  eating 
  

   a 
  great 
  quantity 
  of 
  herbage, 
  they 
  burrow 
  in 
  the 
  corn-fields. 
  

   In 
  Glen 
  Callater, 
  great 
  numbers 
  live 
  on 
  a 
  steep, 
  rocky, 
  and 
  

   stony 
  hill, 
  bearing 
  a 
  profusion 
  of 
  heather, 
  and 
  there 
  burrow 
  

   among 
  the 
  stones. 
  They 
  are 
  also 
  extremely 
  abundant 
  on 
  

   Craig 
  Choinnach, 
  and 
  along 
  the 
  north 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  

  

  towards 
  Alan-a-cuaich 
  There 
  probably 
  is 
  not 
  

  

  now 
  a 
  parish 
  in 
  Aberdeenshire 
  in 
  which 
  wild 
  Rabbits 
  are 
  not 
  

   plentiful." 
  

  

  " 
  Rabbits, 
  not 
  very 
  many 
  years 
  ago 
  unknown 
  in 
  the 
  

   locality, 
  have 
  now 
  so 
  increased 
  and 
  multiplied, 
  in 
  spite 
  of 
  

   traps 
  and 
  guns, 
  as 
  to 
  become 
  in 
  some 
  places 
  a 
  perfect 
  

   nuisance 
  to 
  the 
  farmer." 
  (Braemar, 
  its 
  Topography 
  and 
  Natural 
  

   History, 
  p. 
  72, 
  1861.) 
  

  

  Perhaps 
  no 
  creature 
  that 
  has 
  found 
  its 
  way 
  into 
  Scotland 
  

   has 
  caused 
  more 
  ill-will, 
  loss 
  of 
  crops 
  (to 
  the 
  extent 
  in 
  some 
  

   cases 
  of 
  actual 
  ruin), 
  squandering 
  of 
  money 
  in 
  law 
  suits 
  and 
  

   political 
  wrangling, 
  than 
  the 
  Rabbit. 
  The 
  number 
  of 
  

   thousands 
  of 
  pounds 
  worth 
  of 
  human 
  food 
  that 
  have 
  been 
  

   destroyed 
  by 
  this 
  vermin, 
  it 
  is 
  impossible 
  to 
  determine 
  ; 
  but 
  

   the 
  sum 
  must 
  be 
  a 
  large 
  one. 
  Indeed, 
  wherever 
  this 
  animal 
  

   secures 
  a 
  footing, 
  heavy 
  financial 
  loss 
  is 
  the 
  inevitable 
  result 
  

   to 
  the 
  agriculturist 
  and 
  stock 
  raiser 
  ; 
  and 
  the 
  Scottish 
  farmer, 
  

   until 
  within 
  recent 
  years, 
  had 
  to 
  submit 
  to 
  whatever 
  numbers 
  

   of 
  this 
  pest 
  his 
  landlord 
  chose 
  to 
  feed 
  upon 
  his 
  crops 
  ; 
  but 
  

   this 
  cannot 
  now 
  be 
  done 
  with 
  impunity, 
  consequently 
  

   proprietors 
  have 
  taken 
  to 
  preserving 
  Rabbits 
  in 
  warrens. 
  

   Some 
  of 
  these 
  have 
  been 
  fairly 
  successful, 
  while 
  others 
  have 
  

   been 
  utter 
  failures. 
  In 
  many 
  cases 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  found 
  that 
  

   if 
  Rabbits 
  are 
  confined 
  to 
  particular 
  tracts 
  disease 
  overtakes 
  

   them. 
  In 
  some 
  instances 
  I 
  have 
  visited 
  the 
  warrens 
  where 
  

   disease 
  existed, 
  while 
  from 
  others 
  I 
  have 
  had 
  the 
  dead 
  

   animals 
  sent 
  to 
  me 
  for 
  examination 
  ; 
  and 
  in 
  most 
  cases 
  the 
  

   ailment 
  was 
  the 
  same, 
  viz., 
  some 
  defect 
  in 
  the 
  digestive 
  

   action 
  of 
  the 
  stomach 
  and 
  small 
  intestine. 
  The 
  food 
  seems 
  

  

  