MAMMALS. 
p. 11) says: " La vellan, animal in Cathanesia frequens, in 
aquis degit, capite mustelae sylvestri simile, ejusdemque 
coloris bestia est." Fleming asks : " What then is the Lavel- 
lan of Caithness ? Should it be considered as the water 
Shrew ? " — (Wernerian Society's Memoirs, vol. ii. p. 1.) Cer- 
tainly we think so, and that the species has belonged to 
Caithness since Pennant's time. Others, however, assign 
the name to a lizard. 
Yet the presence of this interesting species was scarcely 
acknowledged until, during a very heavy flood in the Wick 
river, one was caught close to the town of Wick on October 
23d, 1872, and, according to Mr. Eeid, several more were 
seen. Previous to this Mr. Eeid had seen a few along 
the sedgy sides of the same river, but otherwise it appears 
to have been overlooked. The following is Mr. Eeid's own 
account of their occurrence during the flood : — 
" A few years after I first observed them, we had a great 
spate in our river, which overflowed its banks for a long- 
distance. It was in harvest-time, and brought down 
quantities of meadow-hay and sheaves, and stocks of corn. 
" I was standing watching the flood and the stuff carried 
down by it, and observed on the top of several of the 
grass- and corn-heaps, which had clung together, small 
black objects. As they neared the stone walls at the 
estuary, these objects left their float and swam for the 
piers, and got into holes and out of, sight. At a little risk 
of a ducking, I got down and caught one, and carried it 
home with me, and kept it for a few days, when it died, I 
suppose for want of its proper food. There must have 
been great numbers of the poor little things lost on this 
occasion, for those that escaped drowning would doubtless 
more miserably perish for want of food, as they might 
never get back to their usual feeding-ground. Great 
numbers of frogs were carried down by the same flood, and 
next day I found scores of these dead on the sea-beach, the 
salt water doubtless having done for them." 
