compact with the devil, being cited by the kirk-officer to the Presbytery, called, and compearing, was examined anent her prophesing, and having a compact with the devil, &c. whereupon she confesses that she pretended to prophesing and seeing of visions, and that she had sinned greatly in being deluded by Satan causing her prophesie and see things future.

"A written book, containing her pretended prophesies, being given up to the Presbytery, they appoint two of their number to revise and examine the same."

66

Sep. 9.-Janet Fraser this day called, being still cited apud acta, and again examined anent several things, and, in fine, she confesses her being possessed with some evil spirit, desiring the ministers and all others would commiserate her miserable and deluded condition, and would intreat God, by earnest prayer, that she might see the evil of her ways, and may obtain repentance unto life. Whereupon the Presbytery delays her and the witnesses until there be a fixed minister in the parish, remitting the whole affair to that session, that they may find out more of the bruta anent her, and may give the Presbytery more light there

anent."

"October 9, 1695.-The Presbytery being informed there is a loch within Penpont parish, called the Dow Loch, to which people, according to an old custom, superstitiously resort, bringing thither and leaving, if upon the account of some sick person, some piece of money from them, or some of their body cloths, and, if upon the account of some disease upon beasts, something wherewith they used to be tied; which being done, they carried them some quantitie of the water, without speaking a word, or setting it down all the way as they go, judging, if they unluckily speak or set it down, that it has lost its virtue, and that, being safely carried home, as said is, it is an effectual and present remedy for the health and recovery of whatsomever disease in either man beast; do refer the same to the ensuing Synod for advice.

or

November 6.-The Presbytery having consulted the Synod anent the Dow Loch, was advised to proceed against those that so superstitiously travelled thither as charmers. In order to the following of which advice, the

Presbytery resolves to frame an act against all such, to be publicly read in their respective congregations, but, upon several reasons, they delay the updrawing of it as yet.

"May 15, 1696.-The moderator is appointed to draw up the formula of an act against the superstitiously going to the Dow Loch, to be given in to the next Presbytery, that, being approven of, it may be publickly read in each church within the Presbytery, in regard the Presbytery understands that many are now thronging to it.

"June 10, 1696.-The formula of an act against superstitiously going to the Dow Loch being given in by the moderator, according to appointment, was read and approven of, whereof all the brethren are to take copies, and read them publickly from their pulpits, against the next presbytery day."

* Tradition reports, that beautiful black cattle were occasionally seen, by some highly-favoured individuals, grazing on a particular spot adjoining to the Dow (or Black) Loch, but as soon as observed by human eyes, they plunged again into the watery element, and were supposed to belong to the Fairies, or "Good neighbours,' of the invisible world. This loch is now altogether grown up, except a very deep pool of about thirty yards diameter, in the middle of a morass.

Mr Hogg, in his Mountain Bard, p. 94, after mentioning the prevalence of a superstitious belief among the Highlanders in a spectre called The Water Horse, adds, that, in former times, an imaginary being, of a similar description, known by the name of the Water Cow, was supposed to haunt St Mary's Loch at the head of the Yarrow. This spectre, though somewhat less terrible and malevolent than the Water Horse, yet, like him, possessed the rare slight of turning herself into whatever shape she pleased, and was likewise fond of inveigling people into the lake to drown them. The following is a specimen of the many fabulous "A farmer of stories related of her. Bourhope once got a breed of her, which he kept for many years, until they multiplied exceedingly; and he never had any cattle throve so well, until once,

on

some outrage or disrespect on the farmer's part towards them, the old dam came out of the lake one pleasant March evening, and gave such a roar, that all the surrounding hills shook again; upon which her progeny, nineteen in number, followed her all quietly into the loch, and were never more seen.”

SCOTTISH ZOOLOGY.-No. 1.

THE science of zoology presents an extensive field of observation to the inquisitive mind. It makes us acquainted with the forms, the organs, and the functions of animals; points out to us those instincts which fit them for acting a part in the great polity of nature; and unfolds to us the laws which regulate their distribution over the different countries of the globe. It enables us to extend our dominion over the beings which surround us, by teaching us how to reduce from a wild to a domestic state, the useful animals of our own country, and how to translate the exotic species which might be rendered subservient to our agricultural or commercial prosperity. But, with all the numerous attractions which this science presents, it has hitherto failed to excite so much interest in this part of the island as might have been expected. Few descriptive catalogues have been published of our native animals, so that we are but imperfectly acquainted with the number or the distribution of the species; and few attempts have been made to collect all the information on the subject, dispersed in the writings of different authors. It is our intention at present to enumerate the different naturalists who have contributed to the progress of Caledonian zoology, and to point out the various works which they have published connected with the subject.

The first author who contributed to illustrate the zoology of Scotland was JOHN LESLEY, Bishop of Ross. In his well-known work," De Origine, Moribus, et Rebus Gestis Scotorum," (Romæ, 1578,) he devotes the first book to topographical inquiries, and, at the same time, enumerates a great number of our native quadrupeds and birds. Several species, which, in his day, appear to have been natives of the country, have been since extirpated, as the wild cattle, wolf, and capercailzie, so that the notices which he gives respecting these are highly interesting. From the brief manner in which he treats the subject, it is difficult, in some cases, to determine the species to which he re

fers.

Upwards of a hundred years elapsed, after the appearance of this work

VOL. II.

of Bishop Lesley's, during which no advances seem to have been made in the science in this country, or at least no publication appeared. At last, an author arose, every way qualified for illustrating the subject, and whose writings on the Scottish animals still stand unrivalled. The reader will at at once perceive that we allude to our illustrious countryman, Sir ROBERT SIBBALD. This laborious and intelligent naturalist collected, for many years, the different productions of this country, and bequeathed his museum to the University of Edinburgh. The catalogue of this museum, which he published under the title, Auctarium Musæi Balfouriani e Museo Sibbaldiano," (Edin. 1694,) enables us to form some conception of the extent of his acquaintance with the natural history of this country. But, the work which has secured for its author the greatest share of reputation, is the "Scotia Illustrata," (Edin. 1684;) in which he enumerates all the animals which he considered as natives of Scotland. It was his intention to have given more extended descriptions of the species, as we find fre quent reference to a second volume of the "Scotia Illustrata," which, though perhaps prepared by the author, never was published. He, however, fulfilled his purpose with regard to the cetaceous animals; and in his " Phalaenologia Nova" (Edin. 1692) gave excellent descriptions of the different kinds of whales which had been found in the Scottish seas, accompanied with tolerably exact figures. He appears likewise to have prepared a work on the molluscous and crustaceous animals, under the title, " Observationes de Aquatilibus Scotia," to which he frequently refers in the "Auctarium." This work, we fear, has been lost. In his topographical publications, particularly his " History of Fife and Kinross," (Edin. 1710,) he added several new species to his list. Upon a review of the labours of this great man, we may justly style him the Father of Scottish Zoology. He could derive but little assistance from

the labours of his predecessors, and few have followed in the same career with equal success.

PENNANT, the celebrated naturalist and traveller, in the course of his journeys through Scotland and the Hebrides, collected many new facts

illustrative of our native zoology, and communicated the result of his labours in the "Sketch of Caledonian Zoology," prefixed to the "Flora Scotica of Lightfoot," (London, 1792.) This sketch, which was composed about the year 1777, contains a very complete catalogue of our native quadrupeds, birds, reptiles, fishes, and crustaceous animals. In this catalogue he omits some of the animals which Sibbald had described, but he makes up the deficiency by the addition of several species which had not been previously observed as natives.

About the year 1790, the publication of the Statistical Account of Scotland commenced. This great national work, besides the vast body of information, with regard to our population, agriculture, and commerce, contains many observations illustrative of the manners and distribution of our native animals, which are not to be found in the writings of Sibbald or Pennant.

The late Dr WALKER, Professor of Natural History in the University of Edinburgh, devoted the greater part of a long life to the investigation of the natural history of Scotland. The materials which he collected were valuable, and his observations numerous; but his cabinet of objects in zoology has unaccountably been suffered to remain for years in one of the low damp rooms of the old college, and his manuscripts, many of which were revised by himself, have, in a great measure, been withheld from the public. Those which were published in three volumes in 1808, met with a very favourable reception. In the "Economical History of the Hebrides," (2 vols.) many interesting remarks may be found on the character of our domestic animals; and in the volume, containing "Essays on Natural History and Rural Economy," besides many valuable descriptions of particular species, there is a very accurate list of the mammiferous animals of Scotland. This list is greatly superior to those of Sibbald and Pennant, since there are attached to the Linnæan name of each species its specific character, provincial appellations, and physical and geographical

distribution. How invaluable such a list, embracing all the other classes of

animals!

In the year 1808, the Wernerian

Natural History Society of Edinburgh began to hold its meetings, and in 1811 was published the first volume of its Memoirs. In these memoirs there are some valuable papers illustrative of the zoology of Scotland, by different members of that useful association. These contain descriptions of a greater number of new species belonging to the different classes, than have been added to the Scottish Fauna since the days of Sibbald.

In the British Zoology, frequent references are made to the authority of the Reverend GEORGE LOW, minister of Birsa, in Orkney, a naturalist who had communicated many important remarks to Mr Pennant. At the suggestion of the latter gentleman, Mr Low, in the year 1774, composed a Fauna Orcadensis. Some time after his death, which took place in 1795, the late Dr Barry, when composing his History of Orkney, obtained the manuscript, and inserted the whole in that work, without acknowledging the source of his information. This manuscript at length fell into the hands of Dr W. E. LEACH, of the British Museum, and was published by Constable and Co. in 1813. Mr Low enumerates all the species of quadrupeds, birds, reptiles, and fishes, natives of the islands of Orkney, and, in many instances, gives very correct descriptions of their external characters.

Besides these publications, which may be considered as containing the principal facts relative to the number and systematic arrangement of the animals of Scotland, there are many important observations dispersed in local histories and tours. The writings of Martin, Wallace, Ure, Cordiner, and Neill, are chiefly alluded to; and to these may be added the Scots Magazine, a work in which may be found many important observations on our native animals, chiefly in the papers styled Monthly Memoranda.

From the preceding observations it appears, that no complete list of our native animals has been published since the days of Sir Robert Sibbald. The additions, however, which have since been made to the species in the different classes are numerous, and it would be desirable to have a new list, including all these discoveries, and arranged according to the modern principles of the science. This desidera

tum we propose to supply in a series of communications to this Miscellany. The materials will be in part derived from the authors whom we have now enumerated, and from original materials, collected in the course of our own observations. But as a list of names merely would be of no use to the general reader, and would leave the naturalist in many cases in doubt with regard to the species referred to, in consequence of the numerous synonyms with which the science is burdened, we shall imitate the example of Dr Walker, (in his Mammalia Scotica, Essays, page 471,) and not only give the trivial name, but the specific character, synonyms, and physical and geographical distribution of each species.

J. F.

THE ingenious author of Waverley has-by means of the Astrologer excited much curiosity and inquiry, relative to the history and habits of that acute, but savage and solitary people, sometimes styled Bohemians, but more familiarly" the Gypsies;" and as I am inclined to think that, notwithstanding the rich humour of Edie Ochiltree, and the rare eccentricity of Nicol Jarvie, the foreground of the pictures of this great artist is still pre-eminently maintained by Meg Merrilies, I am induced to send you a notice of a personage somewhat of her cast, which I lately met with in a collection of "interesting anecdotes," published a few years ago on the Continent, but which I have not hitherto seen in an English dress. Perhaps this account of a Bohemian fortuneteller, of no ordinary talent and address, may prove not altogether unacceptable to such of your readers as love romantic adventure.

I

"In the spring of the year 1788, departed from Miclosvar, in Transylvania, with some recruits for my regiment, the hussars of Czekler, then stationed in the vicinity of Orsova in Hungary. In a village near the army, there dwelt a Bohemian, of singular and imposing appearance, who ostensibly conducted the trade of a victualler, but was much consulted in private as a fortuneteller. My raw soldiers, a very superstitious set,-besought her to reveal their destinies; and while I ridiculed their motives, I gaily presented my hand to the prophetess. "The twentieth day of the month of August," said she to me, with a very significant air, without adding another syllable. I pressed for an explanation, but she only repeated the same words with the same marked gesture; and when I went away, she called after me "the twentieth of August." It may easily be conceived, that this date remained fixed in my memory.

"We joined the army, and partook of its dangers and fatigues. In this war the Turks made no prisoners. Their commanders put the price of a ducat on our heads, and Janizaries and Spahis were equally emulous to merit the reward. This measure was particularly fatal to our outposts; scarcely a night passed without the Turks coming in search of ducats; their expeditions were conducted with so much secresy, promptitude, and intelligence, that they seldom failed; and often at break of day, a part of our camp was guarded only by lifeless trunks.

"The Prince of Cobourg imagined that, by sending strong piquets of cavalry beyond the chain of sentinels, he might protect them. These nightguards consisted of from one to two hundred troopers; but the Turkish generals, irritated that their men should be disturbed in their lucrative traffic, dispatched more numerous bodies against our detachments, by which means a still greater profit was reapand this service on our part be

ed;