﻿MAMMALIA. 
  

  

  73 
  

  

  (A.D. 
  1511), 
  in 
  which 
  he 
  says 
  : 
  " 
  Item 
  thar 
  wilbe 
  of 
  tendit 
  woll 
  

   this 
  yeir 
  of 
  your 
  schipe 
  Fyve 
  stane. 
  It 
  will 
  gif 
  ilk 
  stane, 
  vij 
  

   schillings 
  and 
  that 
  is 
  ane 
  gud 
  price 
  for 
  Buchane 
  woll 
  con- 
  

   sidering 
  the 
  ter 
  that 
  is 
  in 
  it. 
  Item 
  the 
  Mussilsyle 
  and 
  the 
  

   Linkis 
  ar 
  kepit 
  richt 
  weill. 
  Ther 
  wilbe 
  our 
  mony 
  Qunningis 
  

   with 
  twa 
  yeie 
  thai 
  have 
  riddillit 
  all 
  the 
  erdis 
  of 
  the 
  Linkis 
  

   richt 
  weille." 
  

  

  This 
  letter 
  is 
  given 
  in 
  full 
  in 
  vol. 
  iii, 
  pp. 
  106-108, 
  Aberdeen 
  

   Spalding 
  Club, 
  1857, 
  and 
  serves 
  to 
  show 
  that 
  Rabbits, 
  

   Cunnings, 
  as 
  Sir 
  Robert 
  calls 
  them, 
  have 
  existed 
  in 
  Aberdeen- 
  

   shire 
  for 
  a 
  far 
  greater 
  period 
  than 
  is 
  generally 
  known. 
  It 
  is 
  

   also 
  evident 
  that 
  they 
  have 
  been 
  in 
  other 
  parts 
  of 
  Scotland 
  

   before 
  the 
  above 
  date, 
  for 
  in 
  the 
  Accounts 
  of 
  the 
  Lord 
  High 
  

   Treasurer 
  of 
  Scotland, 
  vol. 
  ii., 
  p. 
  96 
  (A.D. 
  1500), 
  there 
  occurs 
  

   the 
  following 
  : 
  " 
  Item, 
  the 
  Samyn 
  day 
  (VII. 
  Feb.), 
  to 
  ane 
  man 
  

   be 
  the 
  Kingis 
  command 
  that 
  brocht 
  quyk 
  cunnings 
  fra 
  

   Cumbra 
  VI. 
  sh. 
  ; 
  " 
  and 
  a 
  similar 
  entry 
  of 
  " 
  X. 
  sh. 
  on 
  23rd 
  Feb. 
  

   Account 
  of 
  Scottish 
  Parlement, 
  1424. 
  Item, 
  it 
  is 
  ordanyt 
  

   that 
  na 
  man 
  haif 
  mertrik 
  skynnis 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  realme 
  and 
  gif 
  

   he 
  dois 
  that 
  he 
  pay 
  to 
  the 
  King 
  6d. 
  for 
  the 
  custum 
  of 
  ilk 
  

   skyne, 
  and 
  for 
  Fulmarts 
  skynnis, 
  callyt 
  fethoks 
  8/-. 
  Item 
  of 
  

   100 
  Cunyng 
  skynnis 
  1/-. 
  Item 
  of 
  ilk 
  10 
  Otter 
  skynnis 
  and 
  

   Tode 
  skynnis 
  6d. 
  Item 
  for 
  ilk 
  10 
  of 
  Hert 
  and 
  Hynd 
  skynnis 
  

   1/-. 
  Item 
  of 
  ilk 
  Dais 
  and 
  Rais 
  skynnis 
  4d." 
  

  

  Thus 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  seen 
  that 
  Rabbits 
  were 
  common 
  in 
  the 
  

   fifteenth 
  century, 
  indeed 
  before 
  that 
  time, 
  for 
  according 
  to 
  

   the 
  Exchequer 
  Bolls, 
  vol. 
  i., 
  a 
  duty 
  of 
  one 
  shilling 
  per 
  hundred 
  

   was 
  charged 
  on 
  rabbit 
  skins 
  during 
  the 
  fourteenth 
  century. 
  

  

  