212 ON THE BEAVERS OF SCOTLAND. 



Sir Robert Sibbald does not, on this topic, show 

 any of that precision, and zeal for inquiry, which 

 characterize many other parts of his writings. He 

 contents himself with referring to Boece, in proof of 

 the beaver having formerly been found in Scotland, 

 and adds, with seeming indifference, " An nunc re- 

 periatur nescio * " 



No modern writer on the natural history of Scot- 

 land, seems to have examined the subject. The 

 late Dr Walker, Professor of Natural History in 

 the University of Edinburgh, in his " Mammalia 

 Scoticaf," merely says, that beavers formerly ex- 

 isted in this country, but are not now to be found. 

 In his lectures, however, the Doctor used to men- 

 tion, that the Scots Highlanders still retain, by tra- 

 dition, a peculiar Gaelic name for the animal. 



In order to satisfy myself with regard to the va- 

 lue of this traditionary evidence, I applied to the 

 venerable and learned Dr Stuart of Luss, — a gen- 

 tleman distinguished both as a naturalist and a Cel- 

 tic scholar, — and the friend and fellow traveller of 

 Pennant and of Lightfoot in their principal excur- 

 sions through Scotland. From him I received a 

 confirmation of Dr Walker's statement, that the 

 ancient Gaelic name of the beaver is still known to 

 the Highlanders in the remote western districts of 



* Scotia Illustrata, Pars II. lib. iii. p. 10. 



+ Posthumous Essays on Natural History, &c. 8vo, p. 490. 

 edited by Mr Charles Stewart. 



