Read May 18, 1835.
The following notices of the quadrupeds and birds inhabiting the county of Sutherland, were made during an excursion to that interesting district in the summer of 1834, expressly undertaken for the purpose of investigating its zoological productions. To enable the party[1] to pursue this to the greatest advantage, the sanction of the Duchess-Countess of Sutherland was requested to the undertaking, and readily obtained; and letters of introduction from Mr. Loch, M.P., to the different factors upon the estate, procured the assistance of those gentlemen whose local knowledge and information were found of essential service in furthering the objects of the undertaking. From Mr. Baigerie, in particular, the intelligent factor of the Scourie and Assynt districts, much interesting information relating to the salmon fishery was procured, as well as a detail of the experiments which for the last two years have been, and are still in active operation at the various fisheries, to determine facts of essential importance to the clearing up of the natural history of the salmon and its congeners, especially of those species that are migratory, or inhabit at times the salt as well as the fresh water; but as the ichthyology of the county has already engaged the pen of one of the party, it is unnecessary to advert to it any further at present. The accuracy of the lists, so far as they go, can be vouched for, the whole of the birds, with the exception of the Scolopax Gallinula, having come under the observation
- ↑ The party consisted of Sir William Jardine, Mr. John Jardine, Dr. Greville, Mr. James Wilson, and Mr. Selby. A light boat, suspended upon a four-wheeled carriage, and drawn by two horses, was the conveyance adopted, and was found particularly useful and convenient, in a country so intersected with lochs, but entirely destitute of boats. It could be shipped or unshipped at any time with perfect ease, even by three of the party.
