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THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
was seen at Ilkley in the winter of 1922, but this was probably
an escape.29
Further north, at Bedale, some pairs were turned out in 1913
or 1914 and increased, and in 1919 were said to be becoming
numerous and to do a good deal of damage in gardens.30
Lake District and Furness.—Dr. W. H. Pearsall reports
that the species is not known.
Scotland.
Dumbartonshire has already been mentioned 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) In a 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
country. 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 Naturalist, June 1923, p. 221, and also G. C, The Field,
22nd November, 1919.