200 THE ESSEX NATURALIST. 
was seen at Ilkley in the winter of 1922, but this was probably 
an escape.?9 
Further north, at Bedale, some pairs were turned out in 1913 
or 1914 and increased, and in I919 were said to be becoming 
numerous and to do a good deal of damage in gardens.3° 
LAKE DISTRICT AND FuRNEsS.—Dr. W. H. Pearsall reports 
that the species is not known. 
SCOTLAND. 
DUMBARTONSHIRE has already been menienee as one of 
the first districts to be colonized. This is particularly interest- 
ing topographically as it takes the species across the Highland 
line and into a very different kind of country from its other 
British homes; by the sides of four great and lovely sheets of 
water—the Firth of Clyde, Loch Lomond, the Gareloch and 
Loch Long, and overshadowed by Highland Hills. The whole 
shire, except the industrial part near and east of the county town 
of Dumbarton, is occupied by the grey squirrel, and the details 
supplied by Mr. John Paterson, indicate that in about twenty- 
five years this squirrel has spread from a very small beginning 
in numbers (although I surmise that there must have been other 
. introductions than that of the first pair at Finnart in 1892) to 
occupy territory of about twenty miles long by fifteen miles 
broad. The following are two incidents indicative of their num- 
bers :—(1) At Camis Eskan, near Helensburgh, the keeper de- 
stroyed 150 and got the numbers pretty well under ; (2) Ina field 
by Loch Lomondside some stacks of corn were supposed to be 
holed by rats and thought to be useless for thrashing, but on turn- 
ing them up not rats but twenty-six or twenty-seven grey squirrels 
were found in them. 
STIRLINGSHIRE.—Just beyond the Dumbartonshire county 
boundary the grey squirrel has been known at Drymen since 
about 1915, undoubtedly an extension from the neighbouring 
county. Some years ago. one was trapped at Touch, near 
Stirling. 
AYRSHIRE.—There is a report of an occurrence at Brisbane,: 
Largs, in 1919 ; and two other places in North Ayrshire, namely 
Montgreenan and Eglinton Castle, are inhabited by grey squirrels. 
They became very plentiful at Eglinton, but are said to have 
29 fide Mr. H. B. Booth, 30th December, 1922 
30 See a Note by the writer in the Natiealie. June 1923, p. 221, and also G. C.; The Field, 
22nd November, 1919. 
