; r,

;

THE LIBRARY

OF

THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA

LOS ANGELES

SHORT SKETCHES

IVILD SPORTS AND NATURAL HISTORY

THE HIGHLANDS.

FROM THE JOURNALS OF

CHARLES ST. JOHN, ESQ.

LONDON:
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET.

1846

CONTENTS.

FAOI

INTRODUCTION • . I

CHAPTER I.

Highland Lakes — Steam-boats — Small Lochs — Wild Cats — Ravens —
Dragging the Lake— The Crea— Fishing at Night — Pike — Trolling
large Trout on Loch Ness— Flies, Otters, &c. — Fishing with the
Otter— Spawning Trout 7

CHAPTER II

Roe : Mischief done by — Fawns — Tame Roe — Boy killed by Roe —
Hunting Roe: Artifices of— Shooting Roe — Unlucky shot — Change
of colour — Swimming — Cunning Roe ...... 18

CHAPTER III.

Grouse's Nest — Partridge Nest — Grouse-shooting — Marten Cat — Witch :
Death of — Stags— Snaring Grouse — Black Game : Battles of— Hybrid
Bird — Ptarmigan-shooting — Mist on the Mountain — Stag — Unsuccess-
ful Stalking— Death of Eagle 25

CHAPTER IV.

The Wild Cat: Strength of; Rencontre with — Trapping tame Cats:
Destructiveness of — Poisoning vermin — Trapping vermin . . 38

CHAPTER V.

Poaching in the Highlands — Donald — Poachers and Keepers — Bivouac
in Snow — Connivance of Shepherds — Deer killed — Catching a Keeper
— Poaching in the Forests — Shooting Deer by Moonlight — Ancient
Poachers 43

CHAPTER VI.

Salmon-fishing— Salmon ascending Fords — Fishers — Cruives — Right
of Fishing — Anecdote — Salmon-leaps — History of the Salmon —
Spearing Salmon — River Poaching — Angling — Fly-making — Eels —
I.:iinpn.-ys .......... 54

CHAPTER VII.

Short-eared Owl : Habits of— Long-eared Owl— Tame Owl— White Owl
— Utility of Owls— Mice — Hats: Destructiveness of — Water Rats:
Food of— Killing Rats— Ratcatchers. 64

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER VIII.

PAOK

Crossbills: Habits of; Nest — Snowy Owl — Great-eared Owl — Hoopoe
— Shrike — Tawny and Suow Buntings — Lizards— Singular Pets —
Toads: Utility of; Combats of — Adders — Dog and Snakes — Large
Snake — Blind- Worm . . . . . . . .71

CHAPTER IX.

On the Peculiarities and Instinct of different Animals — Eggs of Birds
— Nests — Feeding habits — The Beaks of Birds — Wings of Owl — In-
stinct in finding Food — Ravens — Knowledge of Change of Weather
—Fish . 77

CHAPTER X.

The Eagle: Habits; Greediness; Anecdotes of; Killing Eagles; Trap-
ping ; Food of — The Peregrine Falcon : Manner of Hunting — Tame
Falcon : Anecdotes of — Guinea-Hen and Ducks — The Osprey — The
Kite : Trapping — The Buzzard ; Nests and Habits of . . 82

CHAPTER XL

The Hen Harrier: Destructiveness to Game; Female of — Trapping —
The Sparrowhawk : Courage of; Ferocity ; Nest — The Kestrel ;
Utility of— The Merlin : Boldness— The Hobby — Increase of Small
Birds 90

CHAPTER XII.

The Otter : Habits — Catching of —Shooting — Attachment to each other
— Anecdotes — Fish killed by . . . . . ,96

CHAPTER XIII.

Weasels — Ferrets : Fierceness of — Anecdotes — Food of Weasels — Man-
ner of Hunting for Prey — The Stoat : Change of Colour — Odour of
—Food of— Their catching Fish : Polecat— The Marten Cat— Habits
— Trapping — Eating Fruit — Activity of : Different Species . .101

CHAPTER XIV.

Anecdotes and Instinct of Dogs — Anecdotes of Retriever — Shepherd's
Dogs — Sagacity- — Dogs and Monkey — Bulldog — Anecdotes of Shoot-
ing a Stag — Treatment of Dogs 108

CHAPTER XV.

Increase of Wood-Pigeons and other Birds — Service to the Farmer of
these Birds— Tame Wood-Pigeons: Food of— The Turtle-Dove —
Blue Rock- Pigeons — Caves where they Breed — Shooting at the Rocks
near Cromarty 118

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XVI.

PAOI

Wild Ducks; Edible kinds of — Breeding-places of Mallards — Change
of Plumage — Shooting — Feeding-places — Half-bred Wild Ducks —
Anas glacialis — Anas clangula: Habits of— Teeth of Goosander —
Cormorants — Anecdotes . . . . . . . .126

CHAPTER XVII.

Birds that come in Spring — The Pewit : Pugnacity ; Nests of; Cunning
— Ring- Dotterel — Redshank— Oyster- Catcher: Food; Swimming of;
Nest — Curlew — Redstart — Swallows, &c. ..... 135

CHAPTER XVIII.

Sheldrake: Nest; Food— Teal: Breeding-places; Anecdotes — Landrail;
Arrival of— Cuckoo — Nightjar : Habits of — Quail — Grebe : Arrival ;
Account of Nest and Young — Baldcoot — Water-Hen — Water-Rail . 142

CHAPTER XIX.

Wild Geese : Arrival of; Different kinds of— Anecdotes of Shooting
Wild Geese — Feeding-places — Wariness — Habits — Breeding-places —
Blackheaded Gull — Birds that breed on the River-banks . .151

CHAPTER XX.

The Sandhills of Morayshire: Description of ; Origin of — Foxes: De-
structiveuess and Cunning of; Anecdote of — Roe-hunting in Sand-
hills—Anecdotes ......... 161

CHAPTER XXI.
Death of my First Stag 1C9

CHAPTER XXII.

The Findhorn River — Excursion to Source — Deer-stalking — Shep-
herds— Hind and Calf— Heavy Rain — Floods — Walk to Lodge— Fiue
Morning — Highland Sheep — Banks of River — Cottages . . .177

CHAPTER XXIII.

Findhorn River — Bridge of Dulsie— Beauty of Scenery— Falls of River
— Old Salmon-fisher — Anglers — Heronry — Distant View — Sudden
Rise of River — Mouth of River . . . . . . . 18G

CHAPTER XXIV.

Migration of Birds in October — Wild Swans: Pursuit of ; Manner of
Getting a Shot; Two Killed— Habits of Wild Swan . . .192

CHAPTER XXV.

The Water-Ouzel : Nest; Singular Habits; Food; Song of— King-
fisher: Rare Visits of; Manner of Fishing — Terns: Quickness in

Fishing ; Nests of 198

a3

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XXVI.

PAOE

The Muckle Hart of Benmore ••••... 203

CHAPTER XXVII.

Different kinds of Gulls: Large Collections of— Breeding-places —
Islands on a Loch — Eggs of Gulls — Young Birds— Food and Vo-
racity of Large Gulls: Salmon-fry killed by— Boatswain-Gull —
Manner of procuring Food . . . . . . .214

CHAPTER XXVIII.

Woodcock's Nest: Early Breeding of; Habits of, in Spring; First
Arrival of; Anecdotes of; Manner of carrying their Young — Habits
of Snipe — Number of Jack-Snipes — Solitary Snipe . . . 220

CHAPTER XXIX.

Seals — Destruction to Fish and Nets — Shooting Seal in River and Sea
— Habits of Seals — Anecdotes — Seal and Dog — Seal and Keeper —
Catching Seals — Anecdotes ....... 224

CHAPTER XXX.
Fox-hunting in the Highlands 232

CHAPTER XXXI.

The Badger: Antiquity of ; Cleanliness; Abode of ; Food; Family of
— Trapping Badgers — Anecdotes — Escape of Badger — Anecdotes —
Strength of— Cruelty to 236

CHAPTER XXXII.

Autumn day on the Mountain— Stags and Hinds — Death of Stag . 243

CHAPTER XXXIII.
Peculiarities and Instinct of different Animals ..... 253

CHAPTER XXXIV.
Coursing Deer -58

CHAPTER XXXV.
Tameness of Birds when Sitting 273

CHAPTER XXXVI.
Variety of Game ......... ^77

THE

WILD SPORTS AND NATURAL HISTORY

OF

THE HIGHLANDS.

INTRODUCTION.

I HAVE lived for several years in the northern counties of Scot-
land, and during the last four or five in the province of Moray,
a part of the country peculiarly adapted for collecting facts in
Natural History, and for becoming intimate with the habits of
many of our British wild birds and quadrupeds. Having been
in the habit of keeping an irregular kind of journal, and of
making notes of any incidents which have fallen under my ob-
servation connected with the zoology of the country, I have now
endeavoured, by dint of cutting and pruning those rough sketches,
to put them into a shape calculated to amuse, and perhaps, in
some slight degree, to instruct some of my fellow-lovers of Na-
ture. From my earliest childhood I have been more addicted
to the investigation of the habits and manners of every kind of
living animal than to any more useful avocation, and have in
consequence made myself tolerably well acquainted with the
domestic economy of most of our British ferce naturae, from the
field-mouse and wheatear, which I stalked and trapped in the
plains and downs of Wiltshire during my boyhood, to the red
deer and eagle, whose territory I have invaded in later years on
the mountains of Scotland. My present abode in Morayshire is
surrounded by as great a variety of beautiful scenery as can be
found in any district in Britain ; arid no part of the country can
produce a greater variety of objects of interest either to the
naturalist or to the lover of the picturesque. The rapid and

B

INTRODUCTION.

glorious Findhorn, the very perfection of a Highland river, here
passes through one of the most fertile plains in Scotland, or indeed
in the world ; and though a few miles higher up it rages through
the wildest and most rugged rocks, and through the romantic and
shaded glens of the forests of Darnaway and Altyre, the stream,
as if exhausted, empties itself peaceably and quietly into the Bay
of Findhorn, a salt-water loch of some four or five miles in
length, entirely shut out, by different points of land from the
storms which are so frequent in the Moray Firth, of which it
forms a kind of creek. At low-water this bay becomes an ex-
tent of wet sand, with the river Findhorn and one or two
smaller streams winding through it, till they meet in the deeper
part of the basin near the town of Findhorn, where there is
always a considerable depth of water, and a harbour for shipping.

From its sheltered situation and the quantity of food left on
the sands at low-water, the Bay of Findhorn is always a great
resort of wild-fowl of all kinds, from the swan to the teal, and
also of innumerable waders of every species ; while occasionally
a seal ventures into the mouth of the river in pursuit of salmon.
The bay is separated from the main water of the Firth by that
most extraordinary and peculiar range of country called the
Sandhills of Moray, a long, low range of hills formed of the
purest sand, with scarcely any herbage, excepting here and there
patches of bent or broom, which are inhabited by hares, rabbits,
and foxes. At the extreme point of this range is a farm of
forty or fifty acres of arable land, where the tenant endeavours
to grow a scanty crop of grain and turnips, in spite of the rabbits
and the drifting sands. From the inland side of the bay stretch
the fertile plains of Moray, extending from the Findhorn to near
Elgin in a continuous flat of the richest soil, and comprising
districts of the very best partridge-shooting that can be found in
Scotland, while the streams and swamps that intersect it afford a
constant supply of wild-fowl. As we advance inland we are
sheltered by the wide-extending jvoods of Altyre, abounding
with roe and game, and beyond these woods again is a very ex-
tensive range of a most excellent grouse-shooting country,
reaching for many miles over a succession of moderately sized
hills which reach as far as the Spey.

On the west of the Findhorn is a country beautifully dotted

INTRODUCTION.

with woods, principally of oak and birch, and intersected by a
dark, winding burn, full of fine trout, and the constant haunt of
the otter. Between this part of the county and the sea-coast is
a continuation of the Sandhills, interspersed with lakes, swamps,
and tracts of fir-wood and heather. On the whole I do not
know so varied or interesting a district in Great Britain, or one
so well adapted to the amusement and instruction of a naturalist
or sportsman. In the space of a morning's walk you may be
either in the most fertile or in the most barren spot of the coun-
try. In my own garden every kind of wall-fruit ripens to per-
fection, and yet at the distance of only two hours' walk you may
either be in the midst of heather and grouse, or in the sandy
deserts beyond the bay, where one wonders how even the rabbits
can find their living.

The varieties of the soil and its productions, both animate and
inanimate, will, however, be best shown in the extracts from my
note-books, with which these pages are filled. My memoran-
dums, having for the most part been written down at the moment,
and describing anecdotes and incidents that fell under my actual
observation, will at all events contain correct descriptions of the
nature and habits of the animals and birds of the country ;
though, not being originally intended for publication, they are
not arranged in any regular order. Here and there I have
quoted some anecdote of animals, which I have heard from others :
these I can only offer as I received them, but I can safely assert
that I have quoted the words of those persons only upon whose
veracity and powers of observation I could depend. My subject,,
as connected both to natural history and sporting, has led mo
back to my former wanderings in the more northern and wilder
parts of the country, where 1 had great opportunities of becom-
ing acquainted with the habits of the wilder and rarer birds and
beasts, who are natives of those districts ; and the pursuit of
whom always had greater charms for me than the more com-
monplace occupations of grouse or partridge shooting.

I hope that my readers will be indulgent enough to make allow-
ances for the unfinished style of these sketches, and the copious
use of the first person singular, which I have found it impossible
to avoid whilst describing the adventures which I have met with
in this wild country, either when toiling up the rocky heights of

B*2

INTRODUCTION.

our most lofty mountains, or cruising in a boat along the shores,
where rocks and caves give a chance of finding sea-fowl and
otters ; at one time wandering over the desert sand-hills of
Moray, where, on windy days, the light particles of drifting
sand, driven like snow along the surface of the ground, are per-
petually changing the outline and appearance of the district ; at
another, among the swamps, in pursuit of wild ducks, or attack-
ing fish in the rivers, or the grouse on the heather.

For a naturalist, whether he be a scientific dissector and pre-
server of birds, or simply a lover and observer of the habits and
customs of the different ferce natura, large and small, this dis-
trict is a very desirable location, as there are very few birds or
quadrupeds to be found in any part of Great Britain, who do
not visit us during the course of the year, or, at any rate, are to
be met with within a few hours' drive. The bays and rivers
attract all the migratory water-fowl, while the hills, woods, and
corn-lands afford shelter and food to all the native wild birds
and beasts. The vicinity too of the coast to the wild western
countries of Europe is the cause of our being often visited by
birds which are not striclly natives, nor regular visitors, but are
driven by continued east winds from the fastnesses of the
Swedish and Norwegian forests and mountains.

To the collector of stuffed birds this county affords a greater
variety of specimens than any other district in the kingdom,
whilst the excellence of the climate and the variety of scenery
make it inferior to none as a residence for the unoccupied
person or the sportsman.

Having thus described that spot of the globe which at present
is my resting-place, I may as well add a few lines to enable my
reader to become acquainted with myself, and that part of my
belongings which will come into question in my descriptions of
sporting, &c. To begin with myself, I am one of the unpro-
ductive class of the genus Homo, who, having passed a few years
amidst the active turmoil of cities, and in places where people do
most delight to congregate, have at last settled down to live a
busy kind of idle life. Communing much with the wild birds
and beasts of our country, a hardy constitution and much leisure
have enabled me to visit them in their own haunts, and to follow
my sporting propensities without fear of the penalties which are

INTRODUCTION.

apt to follow a careless exposure of oneself to cold and heat, at
all hours of night and day. Though by habit and repute a
being strongly endowed with the organ of destructiveness, I
take equal delight in collecting round me all living animals, and
watching their habits and instincts ; my abode is, in short, a
miniature menagerie. My dogs learn to respect the persons of
domesticated wild animals of all kinds, and my pointers live in
amity with tame partridges and pheasants ; my retrievers lounge
about amidst my wild-fowl, and my terriers and beagles strike
up friendship with the animals of different kinds whose capture
they have assisted in, and with whose relatives they are ready to
wage war to the death. A common and well kept truce exists
with one and all. My boys, who are of the most bird-nesting
age (eight and nine years old), instead of disturbing the num-
berless birds who breed in the garden and shrubberies, in full
confidence of protection and immunity from all danger of gun or
snare, strike up an acquaintance with every family of chaffinches
or blackbirds who breed in the place, visiting every nest, and
watching over the eggs and young with a most parental care.

My principal aide-de-camp in my sporting excursions is an old
man, who, although passing for somewhat of a simpleton, has more
acuteness and method in his vagaries than most of his neighbours.
For many years he seems to have lived on his gun, but with an
utter contempt of, and animosity against, all those who employ
the more ignoble means of snaring and trapping game ; and this
makes him fulfil his duty as keeper better tl»an many persons
trained regularly to that employment,

He is rather a peculiar person in his way, and has a natural
tendency to the pursuit of the rarer and wilder animals, such as
otters, seals, wild-fowl, &c. — which accords well with my own
tastes in the sporting line — many a day, and many a night too,
at all seasons, has he passed lying in wait for some seal or otter,
legardless of wet or cold.

His neighbours, though all allowing tliat he was a most in-
veterate poacher, always gave him credit for a great deal of
simple honesty in other things. So one day, having caught
him in a ditch waiting for wild ducks, on my shooting-
grounds, instead of prosecuting, I took him into my service,
where he has now remained for some years ; and though lie some-

INTRODUCTION.

times shows an inclination to return to his former way of life, he
lives tolerably steady, taking great delight at all idle times, in
teaching my children to shoot fish or trap vermin — a kind of
learning which the boys, young as they are, have become great
proficients in, preferring Simon Donald to their Latin master ;
and though they attend regularly and diligently to the latter,
they make equally good use of the lessons of the former, and can
dress a fly and catch a dish of trout for dinner, gallop on their
Shetland ponies across the wildest country, or hit a mark with a
rifle as well as most boys of double their age. And, after all,
this kind of education does boys more good than harm (as long
as they do not neglect their books at the same time, which I do
not allow mine to do), as they acquire hardihood of constitution,
free use of their limbs, and confidence in their own powers. But
I have said enough of me and mine, and must refer those who
may have any curiosity on the subject to the following sketches,
as illustrating my doings and observations in my temporary
home.

It may be proper to mention that Chapters XXVI. and XXX.
have already appeared in print ; some learned critic having
deemed it expedient to publish them in the 153rd Number of the
' Quarterly Review.'

CHAP, i.] HIGHLAND LAKES.

CHAPTER I.

Highland Lakes — Steam-boats — Small Lochs— Wild Cats— Ravenf — Drag-
ging the Lake — The Crea — Fishing at Night — Pike — Trolling large Trout
on Loch Ness — Flies, Otters, &c. — Fishing with the Otter — Spawning
Trout

THE beauties of Loch Lomond, Loch Awe, and several other of
the Highland lakes, are almost as well known to the English as
Regent Street or Hyde Park. Lovely and magnificent as all
these visited lakes are, and worthy of the praise of the poet and
the pencil of the painter, there are unnumbered other Highland
lochs whose less hackneyed beauties have far greater charms for
me. Visit Loch Lomond, or many others, and you find yourself
surrounded by spruce cockneys, in tight-waisted shooting-jackets,
plaid waistcoats, and (so called) Glengarry bonnets, all of whom
fancy themselves facsimiles of Roderick Uhu, or James Fitz-
James ; and quote Sir Walter to young ladies in tartan scarfs,
redolent, nevertheless, of the land of Cockayne. Steam-boats
and coaches are admirable things, but they spoil one's train of
ideas, and terminate one's reverie when enjoying the grandeur
and sublimity of one of these spots of beauty. Though a steam-
boat, at ;i certain numberof miles' distance, with its stream of smoke
winding over the rocky shore of a large lake, and adding a new
feature to the scene, may occasionally come in with good effect ; —
when it approaches and comes spluttering and groaning near you,
with its smoke drifting right into your face, and driving you from
some favourite point or bay, you are apt to turn your back on lake,
boat, and scenery, with a feeling of annoyance and disgust. I
well remember being one bright summer's day on the shore of
Loch Ness, and enjoying the surpassing loveliness of the scene.
The perfectly calm loch was like a mirror, reflecting the steep red
crags of the opposite shore ; and the weeping-birch trees, fea-
thering down to the very edge of the water, and hanging over
iU surface, as if to gaze at their own fair forms in its glassy

8 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. i.

depths, were as distinctly seen in the lake as on the shore ; while
here and there a trout rising at a fly dimpled the smooth water,
and in my idle mood I watched the circles as they gradually
widened and disappeared. The white gulls floated noiselessly by,
as if afraid to disturb the stillness of the scene, instead of sa-
luting their common enemy with loud cries. I had been for
some time stretched on the ground enjoying the quiet beauty of
the picture, till I had at last fallen into a half sleeping, half-
Waking kind of dreaminess, when I was suddenly aroused by a
Glasgow steamer passing within a hundred yards of me, full of
holiday people, with fiddles and parasols conspicuous on the
deck, while a stream of black sooty smoke showered its favours
over me, and filled my mouth as I opened it to vent my ill
temper in an anathema against steam-boats, country-dance tunes,
and cockneys.

There have come in my way, during my rambles through the
Highlands, many a fair and beauteous loch, placed like a bright
jewel in the midst of the rugged mountains, far out of reach of
steam and coach, accessible only to the walking traveller, or at
most to a highland pony, where the only living creature to be
seen is the silent otter playing its fantastic gambols in the quiet
of the evening^ or the stag as he comes to drink at the water's
edge or to crop the succulent grass which grows in the shallows.
There are so many small lochs which are known but to few indi-
viduals, but which are equally beautiful with those whose renown
and larger size have made them the resort of numberless visitors,
that it is difficult to single out any one as pre-eminent. In Inver*
ness-shire there are many lovely lakes, and many an hour and day
have I passed in fishing on some of these. There was one beautiful
lake to which I used sometimes to take net and boat, as well as
rod. It was a piece of water about four miles long, and one or
two broad ; at one end were two sandy bays, forming regular
semicircles, with their beaches covered to a width of a few feet
with small pebbles. Between these two bays was a bold rocky
promontory running into the lake, and covered with fine old
pine trees. Along one side was a stretch of perhaps three miles
of grey precipitous rocks nearly covered with birch and hazel,
which hung over the water, casting a dark shade on it. The
other end of the lake was contracted between the rocks till it

CUAP. i.] DRAGGING.

was lost to the view, while on the remaining side was flat moor-
land. The whole country round and within view of the lake
was picturesque and bold. In the rocks near the water were a
colony of wild cats, whose cries during the night deterred the
shepherd from passing that way ; while on the highest part of the
grey precipice was a raven's nest, the owners of which always
kept up a concert with their voices of ill omen whenever they
saw a human being near their dominions — there they would sit
on a withered branch of a tree or a pointed rock, croaking, and
playing their quaint antics for hours together. Their nest was so
protected by a shelf of rock which projected below it, that I never
could get a rifle-ball into it, often as I have tried, though I must
have frequently half filled it with the splinters of the rock.

In dragging this lake we were obliged to restrict ourselves to
the two sandy bays, as the rest of the bottom was covered with
old tree-roots and broken sticks, which tore our nets, and pre-
vented our using them.

In the quiet summer evenings it was interesting to see my
crew of five Highlanders, as, singing a Gaelic song, they rowed
the boat in a large semicircle round one of the bays, letting out
the net as they went, one end of the rope being held by a man
on the shore at the point from which they started. When they
got to the other side of the bay, they landed, with the exception
of one man, who remained in the boat to right the net if it got
fixed in roots or stones. The rest hauled in the net gradually,
bringing the two ends together. As it came in, a fine trout or
pike now and then would be seen making a dart round the
enclosed space within the net, or dashing at the net itself, drag-
ging for a moment half the corks under water. The head man
of the crew, a little peppery Highlander, invariably got into a
state of the most savage excitement, which increased as the net
approached the shore ; and if any stoppage occurred from its
being caught by a root or stick, he actually danced with excite-
ment, hallooing and swearing in Gaelic at the net, the men, and
the fish. When all went on smoothly and well, he acted the
part of fugleman with no little dignity, perched in the bow of
the boat, and keeping the men in proper place and time as they
dragged in the net. We generally caught a great number of trout
and pike, some of very large size. By the time we had killed all

10 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. i.

the fish, and arranged them in rows to admire their beauty and
size, the little captain (as the other men called him) subsided into
a good-humoured calm ; and having offered a pinch of snuff to the
gamekeeper, whom he generally fixed upon in particular to shout
at, in consequence of a kind of rivalry between them, and also in
consequence of his measuring some head and shoulders higher
than himself, he made a brief apology for what he had said, wind-
ing it up by saying, " And after all, that 's no so bad, your
Honour," as he pointed to some giant trout ; he then would light
a pipe, and having taken a few whiffs, deliberately shove it alight
into his waistcoat pocket, and extracting a netting-needle and
string, set to work, mending any hole that had been made in the
net. This done, and a dram of whisky having been passed round,
the net was arranged on the stern of the boat, and they rowed
round the wooded promontory to the other creek, keeping time
to their oars with some wild Gaelic song, with a chorus in which
they all joined, and the sound of which, as it came over the
water of the lake, and died gradually away as they rounded the
headland, had a most peculiarly romantic effect.

Sometimes we did not commence our fishing till sunset, choos-
ing nights when the full moon gave us sufficient light for the
purpose. Our object in selecting this time was to catch the
larger pike, who during the day remained in the deep water,
coming in at night to the shore, and to the mouths of the burns
which run into the lake, where they found small trout and other
food brought down by the streams. During the night time, also,
towards the beginning of autumn, we used to catch quantities of
char, which fish then, and then only, approached near enough to
the shore to be caught in the nets. In the clear frosty air of a
September night the peculiar moaning cry of the wild cats as
they answered to each other along the opposite shore, and the
hootings of the owls in the pine-wood, sounded like the voices of
unearthly beings, and I do not think that any one of my crew
would have passed an hour alone by that loch side for all the
fish in it. Indeed, the hill side which sloped down to the lake
had the name of being haunted, and the waters of the lake itself
had their ghostly inhabitant in the shape of what the Highlanders
called the water -bull. There was also a story of some strange
mermaid-like monster being sometimes seen, having the appear

CHAP, i.] TROUT— PIKE-CHAR. 11

ance of a monstrous fish with long hair. It was a scene worthy
of a painter, as the men with eager gestures scrambled up the fish
glancing like silver in the moonbeams ; and then, as they rowed
round, sometimes lost in the shade of the pine-trees, which com-
pletely darkened the surface of the water immediately below the
rocks on which they grew, or came again into full view as they
left the shadow of the woods, the water sparkling and glancing
from their oars. Frequently they stopped their wild chant, as the
strange cries of the different nocturnal animals echoed loudly from
the rocks, and we could hear the men say a few words of Gaelic
to each other in a low voice, and then recommence their song.

We always caught the largest fish at night-time, both trout
and pike, the latter frequently above twenty pounds' weight,
with the teeth and jaws of a young shark. Sometimes the net
brought in a great number of char, which appear to go in large
shoals ; but these latter only in the autumn.

In these lochs I killed great numbers of pike and the larger
trout by means of floating lines, which we put in at the wind-
ward side of the lake, to be carried down by the wind. On
favourable days, in March or October, when there was a brisk
wind, the lines went but half way across the loch before every
hook had a fish on it, and then commenced a rare chace. When
we neared afloat with a large pike hooked to it, as the water was
very clear, the fish took the alarm and swam off at a great pace,
often giving us some trouble before we could catch him. I have
seen an empty corked-up bottle, with line attached, used as afloat
for this kind of fishing, instead of the corks. Pike are very
capricious in taking the bait, and some days not one would move,
although the wind and weather all seemed favourable ; while on
other days every float had a fish to it. Again, the fish would be
quiet for some time, and then suddenly a simultaneous impulse
seemed to seize them, and they would seize the baits as quickly
as we could wish, for the space of an hour or so.

The trout seldom take a dead bait during the daytime, but we
often caught them on hooks left in the water all night. In all
the Highland lakes on which I have fished in this way, large
eels would sometimes take the hook, and often break my lines.
It is frequently said that putting pike into a lake would destroy
the trout-fishing; but I have invariably found that in all

12 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. i.

lakes of a considerable size, where the pike were plenty, the trout
have improved very much in size and quality, and not diminished
even in numbers to any great extent. In fact, the thing to be
complained of in most Highland lakes is> that the trout are too
numerous, and consequently of a small size and inferior quality.
The only way to kill the larger trout is by trolling. In Loch
Awe and several other lakes I have seen this kind of fishing

o

succeed well. If the sportsman is skilful, he is sure of taking
finer trout in this way than he would ever do when fly-fishing.
In trolling there are two or three rules which should be care-
fully observed : — Choose the roughest wind that your boat can
live in ; fish with a good-sized bait, not much less than a herring,
and do not commence your trolling until after two o'clock in the
afternoon, by which time the large fish seem to have digested
their last night's supper and to be again on the move. You
may pass over the heads of hundreds of large trout when they
are lying at rest and not hungry, and you will not catch one ;
but as soon as they begin to feed, a fish, although he may have
half a dozen small trout in his stomach, will still run at your
bait. The weight of sinkers on your line, and the depth at
which you fish, must of course depend on the depth of water in
the lake. A patient fisherman should find out how deep every
reach and bay of the lake is before he begins to troll. The
labour of a day spent in taking soundings is well repaid. The
strength and activity of the large loch trout is immense, and he
will run out your whole reel-line if allowed to do so. Some-
times he will go down perpendicularly to the bottom, where he
remains sulky or attempts to rub off the hooks: get him out of
this situation, and away he goes, almost towing your boat after
him. Then is the time for your boatman to make play to keep
up with the fish and save your line ; for a twenty-pound Salmo
ferox is no ignoble foe to contend with when you have him at
the end of a common fishing-line : he appears to have the
strength of a whale as he rushes away.

I was crossing Loch Ness alone one evening with my rod at
the stern of the boat, with my trolling-tackle on it trailing be-
hind Suddenly it was seized by a large trout, and before I
could do anything but take hold of my rod he had run out
eighty yards of line, and bent my stiff trolling-rod like a wil-

CHAP, i.] FLY-FISHING—TROLLING. 13

low, carrying half the rod under water. The loch was too deep
for me, and he snapped the line in an instant, the rod and the
twenty yards of line which remained jerking back into the air,
and sending the water in a shower of spray around. Comparing
the strength of this fish with that of others which I have killed
when trolling, he must have been a perfect water-monster. In-
deed I have little doubt that the immense depths of Loch Ness
contain trout as large, if not larger, than are to be found in any
other loch in Scotland.

For fly-fishing in lakes, it is difficult to give any rule as to the
colour and size of your fly. The best thing you can do is to
find out some person whose experience you can depend on, and
who has been in the habit of fishing in the particular water
where you want to try your own skill, for most lakes have a
favourite fly. I have always, when at a loss, had recourse to a
red, white, or black palmer. There are very few trout who can
withstand these flies when well made. The size of the palmer
should depend on the roughness or smoothness of the water.
On a dark windy day I have frequently found a white palmer
succeed when nothing else would tempt the fish to rise ; while
on a bright calm day a small black palmer should be tried.
There are endless favourite loch-flies, and it is seldom that a
person cannot be found to give you the requisite information as
to which to use : however, I never feel much at a loss as long
as I have some palmers in my fly-book.

In putting night-lines into a large lake, the best places are
those where any burn or ditch runs into it, or along some shallow
sandy or gravelly bay, for in these places the fish feed during
the night time. Worms, frogs, and small trout are the best bait
for night-lines. In trolling, the small silvery fish supposed to
be the young of the salmon, or the small kind of herring called
garvies, are the best bait. Preserved in spirits of wine, they
keep for a long time, and become so tough, that they do not
tear or break off your hook. If you take a fancy to fish with a
fly during the night in a lake, a large black fly is the best, but
unless it is drawn very slowly through the water, the fish, though
they rise, will miss it.

A small fly which I have found to be always a favourite with

14 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. LCHAP. i.

trout, is one made as follows : — Body yellow floss silk, with land-
rail wing, and a turn or two of red heckle near the head. In
most waters this fly succeeds. In some of the small black look-
ing lakes, far up in the solitudes of the mountains, where no
person is ever seen, unless a shepherd may chance now and then
to stray in their direction, or the deer-stalker stops to examine
the soft ground near the water edge for the tracks of deer — in
these lonely pools the trout seem often as unconscious of danger as
birds are said to be on a newly discovered island ; and they will rise
greedily at the rudest imitation of a fly fastened to a common piece
of twine, five or six trout rising at once, and striving who should
be caught first. The fish in some of these lakes which are situ-
ated at a great height, are excessively numerous, but generally
black and small. I have seen little black pools of this kind
actually crowded with small trout.

The otter takes to the waters far up in the hills during the sum-
mer time, where she may rear her young in the midst of abun-
dance and in solitary security. Making her lair on some small
island or point of land covered with coarse grass or rushes, she
lives in plenty and peace, till her young having grown strong,
and the frosts of winter having commenced, the family remove,
like their betters, to the sea-side, passing over hill and valley in
a straight line, to some remembered rocks and caves, where the
dam has wintered before.

Round the small hill-lake, too, are seen the tracks of the fox
and wild cat. Their nightly maraudings seem to lead them always
in the direction of water. During the heats of August, when at a
loss for grouse, I have always found it a good plan to hunt round
any lake that may be at hand — as the old birds lead their young
daily to the water's edge to drink, and to pick up the small
angular stones, numbers of which are invariably found in the
stomach of the grouse, being probably necessary to grind down
their dry and hard food. The hen-harrier and falcon too, seem
to hunt in these places, knowing that if grouse fail them, they
are sure to find either a duck or snipe, or perhaps a large flock
of plovers huddled together on the pebbles which edge the water.
In fact, the mountain lake seems to be always a kind of rendez-
vous for all wild animals ; and I doubt if any grouse-shooter or

CRAP.].] ARTIFICIAL OTTER. 15

deer-stalker ever passes near their clear waters without going
out of his way to look along the margin, or to refresh himself by
gazing over the cool surface.

When you are shooting, too, there is the inducement of
hoping to find a brood of ducks or teal, which few hill-lakes
are without. I have sometimes found great, numbers of
these birds, collected in some quiet pool on the hills, in August
or September, before they have descended to feed on the corn in
the low country.

Mahy a Highland lake has a legend attached to it, and how-
ever improbable the tale may seem to the incredulous Sassenach,
the Highlander believes firmly in the truth of it.

Some person, endowed doubtless with a prominent organ of
destructiveness, has within the last few years invented an im-
plement for fishing the lakes, called the otter ; and though it is
rather a poaching sort of affair, still I consider it quite a fair
way of catching trout in some of the mountain lochs, where a
rod could be used to no good effect, and where it would be im-
possible to launch a boat. Its principle of motion is exactly
similar to that of a boy's kite. Acted upon by the resistance of
the water, the otter, which consists of a small thin board, about
fourteen inches by eight, and leaded on one edge so as to swim
nearly upright, carries out a long line, which is attached to it by
four short strings, and is wound on a large reel. To this line
are fastened a dozen flies on short lines, which, being carried
along by the board, rake the surface of the water; and in windy
weather I have caught numbers of trout in this way, where the
rod would have been of no use whatever.

Many a grilse, and salmon too, have I killed in Loch Ness
with the otter. There are, however, some great drawbacks to the
merits of this implement. The fish are very apt to escape after
being struck by the hooks, and, being thus wounded and fright-
ened, become shy, and unwilling to rise again. Also, if a large
fish is hooked very near the board, there is a great risk that lie
will break your fly off, and go away with it sticking in his mouth.
For these reasons, the otter, though of great use in certain lo-
calities, should never be used in waters where the rod can be
brought into play. Though exciting enough in an unknown and

16 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. i.

remote lake, where you seldom fish, the actual sport which it
affords falls far short of rod fishing.

I have tried it for pike, but did not find it answer, as the fish
were constantly struck without being hooked — in consequence
of their requiring some time to gorge their prey. The angling
in some of the best trout loehs is completely spoilt by the intro-
duction of these instruments of destruction. Every shepherd's
boy or idle fellow can make one, and carry it about with him;
and in lakes where this kind of fishing is prohibited, he has
nothing to do, if he sees a keeper or watcher in the distance, but
to wrap up the whole thing in his plaid, and walk away with it.
There are but few Highland lochs in which a net can be drawn
with good effect, owing to the unevenness of the bottom, and the
risk of getting your tackle entangled and broken by roots and re-
mains of trees, which always abound in these waters — the
remnants of forests of an age gone by. Their great depth too
is another obstacle to net fishing, excepting here and there,
where a sandy bay or tolerably smooth bottom can be found.
To these places the trout always resort in the evenings, in order
to feed on the insects and smaller fish that frequent the small
stones.

In lochs containing pike, a hang-net, as it is called, placed
across deep angles of the water or along the edge of weeds, is
sure to catch them ; this fish always struggling and endeavour-
ing to press forward as soon as lie feels the net, whereas the
trout in these clear waters always escape the danger by turning
back as soon as they touch the meshes.

The Highland shepherds kill numbers of the spawning trout
in the autumn, in every little stream and rill, however small,
which feeds the lake. At this time of the year the trout are
seized with an irresistible inclination for ascending any running
stream that they can find ; and I have seen large trout of several
pounds' weight taken out of holes in very small runs of water, to
get into which they must have made their way for considerable
distances up a channel where the water could not nearly cover
them. Still, as long as a trout can keep his head against the
stream, so long will he endeavour to work his way up. Num-
bers of fish, and always the largest, fall a prey not only to men,

CHAP, i.] MIGRATION OF TROUT. 17

but to every prowling fox or wild cat who passes their way
during the autumn, and all vermin instinctively hunt along the
edge of water during the night time. A trout in shallow water
is easily caught by any of these animals. Even the buzzard and
the raven succeed in capturing them when they are left in small
rills, as is frequently the case, having been tempted to ascend
them by some shower, which swells the water for a short time
and then leaves it as low as ever.

18 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. n.

CHAPTER II.

Roe : Mischief done by — Fawns — Tame Roe — Boy killed by Roe — Hunting
Roe: Artifices of— Shooting Roe — Unlucky shot — Change of colour —
Swimming — Cunning Roe.

As the spring advances, and the larch and other deciduous
trees again put out their foliage, I see the tracks of roe and the
animals themselves in new and unaccustomed places. They now
betake themselves very much to the smaller and younger plan-
tations, where they can find plenty of one of their most favourite
articles of food — the shoots of the young trees. Much as I like
to see these animals (and certainly the roebuck is the most per-
fectly formed of all deer), I must confess that they commit great
havoc in plantations of hard wood. As fast as the young oak
trees put out new shoots the roe nibble them off, keeping the
trees from growing above three or four feet in height by con-
stantly biting off the leading shoot. Besides this, they peel the
young larch with both their teeth and horns, stripping them of
their bark in the neatest manner imaginable. One can scarcely
wonder at the anathemas uttered against them by proprietors of
young plantations. Always graceful, a roebuck is peculiarly so
when stripping some young tree of its leaves, nibbling them off
one by one in the most delicate and dainty manner. I have
watched a roe strip the leaves off a long bramble shoot, begin-
ning at one end and nibbling off every leaf. My rifle was aimed
at*his heart and my finger was on the trigger, but I made some
excuse or other to myself for not killing him, and left him un-
disturbed— his beauty saved him. The leaves and flowers of the
wild rose-bush are another favourite food of the roe. Just before
they produce their calves the does wander about a great deal, arid
seem to avoid the society of the buck, though they remain to-
gether during the whole autumn and winter. The young roe is
soon able to escape from most of its enemies. For a day or two
it is quite helpless, and frequently falls a prey to the fox, who at

CHAP, n.] ROEBUCKS— FAWNS. 19

that time of the year is more ravenous than at any other, as it
then lias to find food to satisfy the carnivorous appetites of its own
cubs. A young roe, when caught unhurt, is not difficult to rear,
though their great tenderness and delicacy of limb makes it not
easy to handle them without injuring them. They soon become
perfectly tame and attach themselves to their master. When in
captivity they will eat almost anything that is offered to them,
and from this cause are frequently destroyed, picking up and
swallowing some indigestible substance about the house. A
tame buck, however, becomes a dangerous pet ; for after
attaining to his full strength he is very apt to make use of
it in attacking people whose appearance he does not like. They
particularly single out women and children as their victims, and
inflict severe and dangerous wounds with their sharp-pointed
horns, and notwithstanding their small size, their strength and
activity make them a very unpleasant adversary. One day, at
a kind of public garden near Brighton, I saw a beautiful but
very small roebuck in an enclosure fastened with a chain, which
seemed strong enough and heavy enough to hold and weigh
down an elephant. Pitying the poor animal, an exile from his
native land, I asked what reason they could have for ill-using
him by putting such a weight of iron about his neck. The
keeper of the place, however, told me that small as the roebuck
was, the chain was quite necessary, as he had attacked and killed
a boy of twelve years old a few days before, stabbing the poor
fellow in fifty places with his sharp-pointed horns. Of course I
had no more to urge in his behalf. In its native wilds no animal
is more timid, and eager to avoid all risk of danger. The roe
has peculiarly acute organs of sight, smelling and hearing, and
makes good use of all three in avoiding its enemies.

In shooting roe, it depends so much on the cover, and other
local causes, whether dogs or beaters should be used, that no
rule can lie laid down as to which is best. Nothing is more ex-
citing than running roe with beagles, where the ground is suit-
able, and the covers so situated that the dogs and their game are
frequently in sight. The hounds for roe-shooting should be
small and slow. Dwarf harriers are the best, or good sized
rabbit-beagles, where the ground is not too rough. The roe
when hunted by small dogs of this kind does not make away, but

c 2

20 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. £CHAP. „.

runs generally in a circle, and is seldom above a couple of hun-
dred yards ahead of the beagles. Stopping every now and then
to listen, and allowing them to come very near, before he goes
off again. In this way, giving the sportsman a good chance of
knowing where the deer is during most of the run. Many people
use fox-hounds for roe-shooting, but generally these dogs run too
fast, and press the roebuck so much that he will not stand it, but
leaves the cover, and goes straightway out of reach of the sports-
man, who is left to cool himself without any hope of a shot. Be-
sides this, you entirely banish roe from the cover if you hunt
them frequently with fast hounds, as no animal more delights in
quiet and solitude, or will less put up with too much driving.
In most woods beaters are better for shooting roe with than dogs,
though the combined cunning and timidity of the animal fre-
quently make it double back through the midst of the rank of
beaters; particularly if it has any suspicion of a concealed enemy
in consequence of having scented or heard the shooters at their
posts, for it prefers facing the shouts and noise of the beaters to
passing within reach of a hidden danger, the extent and nature
of which it has not ascertained. By taking advantage of the
animal's timidity and shyness in this respect, I have frequently
got shots at roe in large woods by placing people in situations
where the animal could smell them but not see them, thus driving
it back to my place of concealment. Though they generally
prefer the warmest and driest part of the woods to lie in, I have
sometimes when looking for ducks started roe in the marshy
grounds, where they lie close in the tufts of long heather and
rushes. Being much tormented with ticks and wood-flies, they
frequently in the hot weather betake themselves not only to
these marshy places, but even to the fields of high corn, where
they sit in a form like a hare. Being good swimmers, they cross
rivers without hesitation in Jieir way to and from their favourite
feeding-places ; indeed I have often known roe pass across the
river daily, living on one side, and going to feed every evening
on the other. Even when wounded, I have seen a roebuck beat
three powerful and active dogs in the water, keeping ahead of
them, and requiring another shot before he was secured. Though
very much attached to each other, and living mostly in pairs, I
have known a doe take up her abode for several years in a soli-

CHAP. ii.l SHOOTING ROE.

tary strip of wood. Every season she crossed a large extent of
hill to find a mate, and returned after two or three weeks' ab-
sence. When her young ones, which she produced every year,
were come to their full size, they always went away, leaving
their mother in solitary possession of her wood.

The roe almost always keep to woodland, but I have known a
stray roebuck take to lying out on the hill at some distance from
the covers. I had frequently started this buck out of glens and
hollows several miles from the woods. One day, as I was stalk-
ing some hinds in a broken part of the hill, and had got within
two hundred yards of one of them, a fine fat barren hind, the
roebuck started out of a hollow between me and the red deer,
and galloping straight towards them, gave the alarm, and they
all made off. The buck, however, got confused by the noise
and galloping of the larger animals, and, turning back, passed me
within fifty yards. So to punish him for spoiling my sport I
took a deliberate aim as he went quickly but steadily on, ami
killed him dead. I happened to be alone that day, so I shoul-
dered my buck and walked home with him, a three hours' dis-
tance of rough ground, and I was tired enough of his weight
before I reached the house. In shooting roe, shot is at all times
far preferable to ball. The latter, though well aimed, frequently
passes clean through the animal, apparently without injuring
him, and the poor creature goes away to die in some hidden
corner ; whereas a charge of shot gives him such a shock that he
drops much more readily to it than to a rifle-ball, unless indeed
the bill happens to strike the heart or spine. Having killed roe
constantly with both rifle and gun, small shot and large, I am
inclined to think that the most effective charge is an Eley's car-
tridge with No. 2 shot in it. I have, when woodcock-shooting,
frequently killed roe with No. 6 shot, as when they are going
across and are shot well forward, they are as easy to kill as a
hare, though they will carry off a great deal of shot if hit too
far behind. No one should ever shoot roe without some well-
trained dog, to follow them when wounded ; as no animal is
more often lost when mortally wounded.

Where numerous, roe are very mischievous to both corn and
turnips, eating and destroying great quantities, and as they feed
generally in the dark, lying still all day, their devastations are

22 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. ICHAP. n.

difficult to guard against. Their acute sense of smelling enables
them to detect the approach of any danger, when they bound off
to their coverts, ready to return as soon as it is past. In April
they go great distances to feed on the clover-fields, where the
young plants are then just springing up. In autumn, the ripen-
ing oats are their favourite food, and in winter, the turnips,
wherever these crops are at hand, or within reach from the woods.
A curious and melancholy accident happened in a parish situated
in one of the eastern counties of Scotland a few years ago. Per-
haps the most extraordinary part of the story is, that it is per-
fectly true. Some idle fellows of the village near the place
where the catastrophe happened, having heard that the roe and
deer from the neighbouring woods were in the habit of feeding
in some fields of high corn, two of them repaired to the place
in the dusk of the evening with a loaded gun, to wait for the
arrival of the deer at their nightly feeding-ground. They had
waited some time, and the evening shades were making all objects
more and more indistinct every moment, when they heard a
rustling in the standing corn, at a short distance from them, and
looking in the direction, they saw some large animal moving.
Having no doubt that it was a deer that they saw, the man who
had the gun took his aim, his finger was on the trigger, and his
eye along the barrel ; he waited, however, to get a clearer view
of the animal, which had ceased moving. At this instant, his
companion, who was close to him, saw, to his astonishment, the
flash of a gun from the spot where the supposed deer was, and
almost before he heard the report his companion fell back dead
upon him, and with the same ball he himself received a mortal
wound. The horror and astonishment of the author of this
unlucky deed can scarcely be imagined when, on running up, lie
found, instead of a deer, one man lying dead and another sense-
less and mortally wounded. Luckily, as it happened, the wounded
man lived long enough to declare before witnesses that his death
was occasioned solely by accident, and that his companion, at the
moment of his being killed, was aiming at the man who killed
them. The latter did not long survive the affair. Struck with
grief and sorrow at the mistake he had committed, his mind and
health gave way, and he died soon afterwards.

The difference in the colour and kind of hair that a roe's skin

CHAP. II.] ROE SWIMMING. 23

is covered with, at different seasons of the year, is astonishingly
great. From May to October they are covered with bright red
brown hair, and but little of it. In winter their coat is a fine
dark mouse-colour, very long and close, but the hair is brittle,
and breaks easily in the hand like dried grass. When run with
greyhounds, the roebuck at first leaves the dogs far behind, but
if pressed and unable to make his usual cover, he appears to
become confused and exhaused, his bounds become shorter, and
he seems to give up the race. In wood, when driven, they in-
variably keep as much as they can to the closest portions of the
cover, and in going from one part to another follow the line
where the trees stand nearest to each other, avoiding the more
open parts as long as possible. For some unknown reason, as
they do it without any apparent cause, such as being hard hunted,
or driven by want of food, the roe sometimes take it into their
heads to swim across wide pieces of water, and even arms of the
sea. I have known roe caught by boatmen in the Cromarty
firth, swimming strongly across the entrance of the bay, and
making good way against the current of the tide, which runs
there with great rapidity. Higher up the same firth, too, roe
have been caught when in the act of crossing. When driven by
hounds, I have seen one swim Loch Ness. They are possessed of
great cunning in doubling and turning to elude these persever-
ing enemies. I used to shoot roe to fox-hounds, and one day was
much amused by watching an old roebuck, who had been run for
some time by three of my dogs. I was lying concealed on a
height above him, and saw the poor animal go upon a small
mound covered with young fir-trees. He stood there till the
hounds were close on him, though not in view ; then taking a
great leap at right angles to the course in which he had before
been running, he lay flat down with his head on the ground,
completely throwing out the hounds, who had to cast about in
order to find his track again ; when one bitch appeared to be
coming straight upon the buck, he rose quietly up, and crept in a
stooping position round the mound, getting behind the dogs. In
this way, on a very small space of ground, he managed for a
quarter of an hour to keep out of view of, though close to, three
capital hounds, well accustomed to roe-hunting. Sometimes he
squatted fiat on the ground, and at others leaped off at an angle,

24 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. n.

till having rested himself, and the hounds having made a wide
cast, fancying that he had left the place, the buck took an
opportunity to slip off unobserved, and crossing an opening in
the wood, came straight up the hill to me, when I shot him.

The greatest drawback to preserving roe to any great extent
is, that they are so shy and nocturnal in their habits that they
seldom show themselves in the daytime. I sometimes see a roe
passing like a shadow through the trees, or standing gazing at
me from a distance in some sequestered glade ; but, generally
speaking, they are no ornament about a place, their presence
being only known by the mischief they do to the young planta-
tions and to the crops. A keeper in Kincardineshire this year
told me, that he had often early in the morning counted above
twenty roe in a single turnip-field. As for the sport afforded by
shooting them, I never killed one without regretting it, and
wishing that I could bring the poor animal to life again. I do
not think that roe are sufficiently appreciated as venison, yet
they are excellent eating when killed in proper season, between
October and February, and of a proper age. In summer the
meat is not worth cooking, being dry, and sometimes rank.

CHAP, in.] GROUSE. 25

CHAPTER III.

Grouse's Nest — Partridge Nest — Grouse-shooting — Marten Cat — Witch :
Death of— Stags — Snaring Grouse — lilack Game: Battles of— Hybrid
Bird — Ptarmigan-shooting — Mist on the Mountain — Stag — Unsuccessful
Stalking — Death of Eagle.

I FOUND the nest of a grouse with eight eggs, or rather egg-
shells, within two hundred yards of a small farm-house on a part
of my shooting-ground, where there is a mere strip of heather
surrounded by cultivated fields, and on a spot particularly in-
fested by colley-dogs, as well as by herd-boys, et id gcmis omne.
But the poor bird, although so surrounded by enemies, had
managed to hatch and lead away her brood in safety. I saw
them frequently afterwards, and they all came to maturity.
How many survived the shooting-season I do not know, but the
covey numbered eight birds far on in October. If the parent
bird had selected her nesting-place for beauty of prospect, she
could not have pitched upon a lovelier spot. The nest was on a
little mound where I always stop, when walking in that direction,
to admire the extensive and varied view — the Bay of Findhorn
and the sand-hills, the Moray Firth, with the entrance to the
Cromarty Bay, and the bold rocky headlands, backed by the
mountains of Ross-shire. Sutherland, Caithness, Inverness, and
Ross-shire are all seen from this spot ; whilst the rich plains
of Moray, dotted with timber, and intersected by the winding
stream of the Findhorn, with the woods of Altyre, Darnaway,
and Brodie, form a nearer picture.

It is a curious fact, but one which I have often observed, that
dogs frequently pass close to the nest of grouse, partridge, or
other game, without scenting the hen bird as she sits on her eggs.
I knew this year of a partridge's nest which was placed close to
a narrow footpath near my house ; and although not only my
people, but all my dosrs. were constantly passing within a foot

1>6 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. in.

and a half of the bird, they never found her out, and she hatched
her brood in safety.

Grouse generally make their nest in a high tuft of heather.
The eggs are peculiarly beautiful and game-like, of a rich brown
colour, spotted closely with black. Although in some peculiarly
early seasons, the young birds are full grown by the 12th of
August, in general five birds out of six which are killed on that
day are only half come to their strength and beauty. The 20th
of the month would be a much better day on which to commence
their legal persecution. In October there is not a more beautiful
bird in our island ; and in January a cock grouse is one of the
most superb fellows in the world, as he struts about fearlessly
with his mate, his bright red comb erected above his eyes, and
his rich dark-brown plumage shining in the sun. Unluckily,
they are more easily killed at this time of the year than at any
other ; and I have been assured tnat a ready market is found for
them not only in January, but to the end of February, though
in fine seasons they begin to nest very early in March. Hardy
must the grouse be, and prolific beyond calculation, to supply
the numbers that are yearly killed, legally and illegally. Vermin,
however, are their worst enemies ; and where the ground is kept
clear of all their winged and four-footed destroyers, no shooting
seems to reduce their numbers.

I cannot say that my taste leads me to rejoice in the slaughter
of a large bag of grouse in one day. I have no ambition to see
my name in the county newspapers as having bagged my seventy
brace of grouse, in a certain number of hours, on such and such
a hill. I have much more satisfaction in killing a moderate
quantity of birds, in a wild and varied range of hill, with my
single brace of dogs, and wandering in any direction that, fancy
leads me, than in having my day's beat laid out for me, witn
relays of dogs and keepers, and all the means of killing the grouse
on easy walking ground, where they are so numerous that one
has only to load and fire. In the latter case, I generally find
myself straying off in pursuit of some teal or snipe, to the neglect
of the grouse, and the disgust of the keeper, who may think his
dignity compromised by attending a sportsman who returns with
less than fifty brace. Nothing is so easy to shoot as a grouse,
when they are tolerably tame ; and with a little choice of his

CHAP, in.] MARTEN CAT— BLACKCOCKS. '27

shots, a very moderate marksman ought to kill nearly every bird
that lie shoots at early in the season, when the birds sit close,
fly slowly, and are easily found. At the end of the season, when
the coveys are scattered far and wide, and the grouse rise and Hy
wildly, it requires quick shooting and good walking to make up
a handsome bag ; but how much better worth killing are the birds
at this time of year than in August. If my reader will wade
through some leaves of an old note-book, I will describe the

O '

kind of shooting that, in my opinion, renders the sporting in the
Highlands far preferable to any other that Great Britain can afford.

October 2Q(h. — Determined to shoot across to Malcolm's
shealing, at the head of the river, twelve miles distant ; to sleep
there ; and kill some ptarmigan the next day.

For the first mile of our walk we passed through the old fir
woods, where the sun seldom penetrates. In the different grassy
glades we saw several roe, but none within shot. A fir-cone
falling to the ground made me look up, and I saw a marten cat
running like a squirrel from branch to branch. The moment
the little animal sa\v that my eye was on him he stopped short,
and curling himself up in the fork of a branch, peered down on
me. Pretty as he was, I fired at him. He sprung from his
hiding-place, and fell half way down, but catching at a brand),
clung to it for a minute, holding on with his fore-paws. I was
just going to fire at him again, when he lost his hold, and came
down on my dogs' heads, who soon dispatched him, wounded as
he was. One of the dogs had learned by some means to be an
excellent vermin-killer, though steady and staunch at game. As
we were just leaving the wood a woodcock rose, which I killtd.
Our way took us up the rushy course of a burn. Both dogs
came to a dead point near the stream, and then drew for at lea>t
a quarter of a mile, and just as my patience began to be exhausted,
a brace of magnificent old blackcocks rose, but out of shot. One
of them came back right over our heads at a good height, making
for the wood. As he flew quick down the wind, I aimed nearly
a yard ahead of him as he came towards me, and down he fell,
fifty yards behind me, with a force that seemed enough to break
every bone in his body. Another and another blackcock fell to
my gun before we had left the burn, and also a hare, who trot up

28 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. in.

in the broken ground near the water. Our next cast took us up
a slope of hill, where we found a wild covey of grouse. Right
and left at them the moment they rose, and killed a brace ; the
rest went over the hill. Another covey on the same ground
gave me three shots. From the top of the hill we saw a dreary
expanse of flat ground, with Loch A-na-caillach in the centre
of it, a bleak cold-looking piece of water, with several small
grey pools near it. Donald told me a long story of the origin
of its name, pointing out a large cairn of stones at one end of it.
The story was, that some few years ago — " Not so long either,
Sir (said Donald) ; for Rory Beg, the auld smuggler, that died
last year, has often told me, that he minded the whole thing
weel" — there lived down below the woods an old woman, by habit
and repute a witch, and one possessed of more than mortal power,
which she used in a most malicious manner, spreading sickness
and death among man and beast. The minister of the place, who
came, however, but once a month to do duty in a building called
a chapel, was the only person who, by dint of prayer and Bible,
could annoy or resist her. He at last made her so uncomfortable
by attacking her with holy water and other spiritual weapons,
that she suddenly left the place, and no one knew where she
went to. It soon became evident, however, that her abode was
not far off, as cattle and people were still taken ill in the same
unaccountable manner as before. At last, an idle fellow, who
was out poaching deer near Loch A-na-caillach late one evening,
saw her start through -the air from the cairn of stones towards
the inhabited part of the country. This put people on the look-
out, and she was constantly seen passing to and fro on her unholy
errands during the fine moonlight nights. Many a time was she
shot at as she flew past, but without success. At last a pot-
valiant and unbelieving old fellow, who had long been a Serjeant
in some Highland regiment, determined to free his neighbours
from the witch ; and having loaded his gun with a double charge
of gunpowder, put in, instead of shot, a crooked sixpence and
some silver buttons, which he had made booty of somewhere or
other in war time. He then, in the most foolhardy manner, laid
himself down on the hill, just where we were then standing when
Donald told me the story, and, by the light of the moon, watched
the witch leave her habitation in the cairn of stones. As soon as

CHAP, in.] SHOOTING A WITCH. 29

she was gone, he went to the very place which she had just left,
and there lay down in ambush to await her return. u 'Deed
did he, Sir ; for auld Duncan was a mad-like deevil of a fellow,
and was feared of nothing." Long he waited, and many a pull
he took at his bottle of smuggled whisky, in order to keep out
the cold of a September night. At last, when the first grey of
the morning began to appear, " Duncan hears a sough, and a
wild uncanny kind of skirl over his head, and he sees the witch
hersel, just coming like a muckle bird right towards him, —
'deed, Sir, but he wished himsel at hame ; and his finger was
so stiff with cold and fear that he could na scare* pull the trigger.
At last, and long, he did put out (Anglice, shoot off) just as she
was hovering over his head, and going to light down on the
cairn." Well, to cut the story short, the next morning Duncan
was found lying on the cairn in a deep slumber, half sleep and
half swoon, with his gun burst, his collar-bone nearly broken,
and a fine large heron shot through and through lying beside him,
which heron, as every one felt assured, was the caillach herself.
" She has na done much harm since yon (concluded Donald) ;
but her ghaist is still to the fore, and the loch side is no canny
after the gloaming. But, Lord guide us, Sir, what's that ?" and
a large long-legged hind rose from some hollow close to the
loch, and having stood for a minute with her long ears standing
erect, and her gaze turned intently on us, she trotted slowly off,
soon disappearing amongst the broken ground. But where are
the dogs all this time ? There they are, both standing, and
evidently at different packs of grouse. I killed three of these
birds, taking a right and left shot at one dog's point, and then
going to the other.

Off went Old Shot now, according to his usual habit, straight
to a rushy pool. I had him from a friend in Ireland, and
being used to snipe-shooting, he preferred it to everything else.
The cunning old fellow chose not to hear my call, but made for
his favourite spot. He immediately stood, and now for the first
time seemed to think of his master, as he looked back over his
shoulder at me, as much as to say, '' Make haste down to me,
here is some game." And sure enough up got a snipe, which
I killed. The report of my gun putting up a pair of mallards,
one of which I winged a long way off, " Hie away, Shot," and

, 30 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. in.

Shot, who was licensed to take such liberties, splashed in with
great glee, and after being lost to sight for some minutes amongst
the high rushes, came back with the mallard in his mouth. " A
bad lesson for Carlo that, Master Shot," but he knows better than
to follow your example. We now went up the opposite slope
leaving Loch A-na-caillach behind us, and killing some grouse,
and a mountain hare, with no white about her as yet. We next
came to a long stony ridge, with small patches of high heather.
A pair of ravens rising from the rocks, soared croaking over us
for some time. A pair or two of old grouse were all we killed
here. But the view from the summit was splendidly wild as we
looked over a long range of grey rocks, beyond which lay a wide
and extensive lake, with several small islands in it. The oppo-
site shore of the lake was fringed with birch-trees, and in the
distance were a line of lofty mountains whose sharp peaks were
covered with snow. Human habitation or evidence of the
presence of man was there not, and no sound broke the silence
of the solitude excepting the croak of the ravens and the
occasional whistle of a plover. " Yon is a fine corrie for
deer," said Donald, making me start, as he broke my reverie,
and pointing out a fine amphitheatre of rocks just below us.
Not being on the look-out for deer, however, I did not pay
much attention to what he said, but allowed the dogs to range
on where they liked. Left to themselves, and not finding
much game, they hunted wide, and we had been walking in
silence for some time, when on coming round a small rise
between us and the dogs, I saw two fine stags standing, who,
intent on watching the dogs, did not see us. After standing
motionless for a minute, the deer walked deliberately towards us,
not observing us until they were within forty yards ; they then
suddenly halted, stared at us, snorted, and then went off at a
trot, but soon breaking into a gallop, fled rapidly away, but were
in sight for a long distance. Shot stood watching the deer for
some time, but at last seeing that we took no steps against them,
looked at me, and then went on hunting. We killed several
more grouse and a brace of teal. Towards the afternoon we
struck off to the shepherd's house. In the fringe of a birch that
sheltered it, we killed a blackcock and hen, and at last got to the
end of our walk with fifteen brace of grouse, five black game,

CHAP, m.] SNARING GROUSE. 31

one mallard, a snipe, a woodcock, two teal, and two hares ; and
right glad was I to ease my shoulder of that portion of the game
which I carried to help Donald, who would at any time have
preferred assisting me to stalk a red deer than to kill and carry
grouse. Although my day's sport did not amount to any great
number, the variety of game, and the beautiful and wild scenery
I had passed through, made me enjoy it more than if I had been
shooting in the best and easiest muir in Scotland, and killing
fifty or sixty brace of birds.

In preserving and increasing a stock of grouse, the first thing
is to kill the vermin of every kind, and none more carefully than
the grey crows, as these keen-sighted birds destroy an immense
number of eggs. The grouse should also be well watched in the
neighbourhood of any small farms or corn-fields that may be on
the ground, as incredible numbers are caught in horsehair snares
on the sheaves of corn. A system of netting grouse has been
practised by some of the poachers lately, and when the birds are
not wild they catch great numbers in this manner ; and as in nine
cases out of ten the shepherds are in the habit of assisting and
harbouring the poachers, as well as allowing their dogs to destroy
as many eggs and young birds as they like, these men require
as much watching as possible. I have generally found it entirely
useless to believe a word that, they tell me respecting the
encroachments of poachers, even if they do not poach them-
selves. With a clever sheep-dog and a stick I would engage
to kill three parts of every covey of young grouse which I found
in July and the first part of August ; and, in fact, the shepherds
generally do kill great numbers in this noiseless and destructive
manner. As the black game for the most part breed in planta-
tions, where sheep and shepherds have no business to be found,
they are less likely to be killed in this way. But the young ones,
till nearly full grown, lie so close, that it is quite easy to catch
half the brood.

When able to run, the old hen leads them to the vicinity of
some wet and mossy place in or near the woodlands, where the
seeds of the coarse grass and of other plants, and the insects that
abound near the water, afford the young birds plenty of food.
The hen takes great care of her young, fluttering near any in-

32 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. m.

trader as if lame, and having led him lo some distance from the
brood takes flight, and making a circuit returns to them. The
cock bird sometimes keeps with the brood, but takes good care
of himself, and running off leaves them to their fate. Wild and
wary as the blackcock usually is, he sometimes waits till you
almost tread on him, and then flutters away, giving as easy a
shot to the sportsman as a turkey would do. At other times,
being fond of basking in the sun, he lies all day enjoying its
rays in some open place where it is difficult to approach him
without being seen.

In snowy weather the black game perch very much on the
fir-trees, as if to avoid chilling their feet on the colder ground :
in wet weather they do the same.

During the spring, and also in the autumn, about the time
the first hoar-frosts are felt, I have often watched the blackcocks
in the early morning, when they collect on some rock or height,
and strut and crow with their curious note not unlike that of a
wood-pigeon. On these occasions they often have most desperate
battles. I have seen five or six blackcocks all fighting at once,
and so intent and eager were they, that I approached within a
few yards before they rose. Usually there seems to be a master-
bird in these assemblages, who takes up his position on the most
elevated spot, crowing and strutting round and round with
spread-out tail like a turkey-cock, and his wings trailing on the
ground. The hens remain quietly near him, whilst the smaller
or younger male birds keep at a respectful distance, neither
daring to crow, except in a subdued kind of voice, or to ap-
proach the hens. If they attempt the latter, the master-bird
dashes at the intruder, and often a short melee ensues, several
others joining in it, but they soon return to their former re-
spectful distance. I have also seen an old blackcock crowing
on a birch-tree with a dozen hens below it, and the younger
cocks looking on in fear and admiration. It is at these times
that numbers fall to the share of the poacher, who knows that
the birds resort to the same spot every morning.

Strong as the blackcock is, he is often killed by the peregrine
falcon and the hen-harrier. When pursued by these birds, I
have known the blackcock so frightened as to allow himself to
be taken by the hand. I once caught one myself who had been

CHAP. m.J BLACK GAME— GROUSE— PTARMIGAN. 33

driven by a falcon into the garden, where he took refuge under
a gooseberry bush and remained quiet till I picked him up. I
kept him for a day or two, and then, as he did riot get recon-
ciled to his prison, I turned him loose to try his fortune again
in the woods. Like some other wary birds, the blackcock, when
flushed at a distance, if you happen to be in his line of flight,
will pass over your head without turning off, as long as you re-
main motionless. In some places, apparently well adapted for
these birds, they will never increase, although left undisturbed
and protected, some cause or other preventing their breeding.
Where they take well to a place, they increase very rapidly, and,
from their habit of taking long flights, soon find out the corn-
fields, and are very destructive, more so, probably, than any
other kind of winged game. A bold bird by nature, the black-
cock, when in confinement, is easily tamed, and soon becomes
familiar and attached to his master. In the woods instances are
known of the blackcock breeding with the pheasant. I saw
a hybrid of this kind at a bird-stuffer's in Newcastle : it had
been killed near AInwick Castle. The bird was of a beautiful
bronzed-brown colour, and partaking in a remarkable degree of
the characteristics of both pheasant and black game. I have
heard also of a bird being killed which was supposed to be bred
between grouse and black game, but I was by no means satisfied
that it was anything but a peculiarly dark- coloured grouse.
The difference of colour in grouse is very great, and on different
ranges of hills is quite conspicuous. On some ranges the birds
have a good deal of white on their breasts, on others they
are nearly black : they also vary very much in size. Our
other species of grouse, the ptarmigan, as every sportsman
knows, is found only on the highest ranges of the Highlands.
Living above all vegetation, this bird finds its scanty food
amongst the loose stones and rocks that cover the summits of
lien Nevis and some other mountains. It is difficult to ascertain
indeed what food the ptarmigan can find in sufficient quantities
on the barren heights where they are found. Being visited by
the sportsman but rarely, these birds are seldom at all shy or
wild, but, if the day is fine, will come out from among the scat-
tered stones, uttering their peculiar croaking cry, and running
in flocks near the intruder on their lonely domain, offer, evni to

D

34 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. in.

the worst shot, an easy chance of filling his bag. When the
weather is windy and rainy, the ptarmigan are frequently shy
and wild ; and when disturbed, instead of running about like
tame chickens, they fly rapidly off to some distance, either round
some shoulder of the mountain, or by crossing some precipitous
and rocky ravine get quite out of reach. The shooting these
birds should only be attempted on fine, calm days. The labour
of reaching the ground they inhabit is great, and it often re-
quires a firm foot and steady head to keep the sportsman out of
danger after he has got to the rocky and stony summit of the
mountain. In deer-stalking I have sometimes come amongst
large flocks of ptarmigan, who have run croaking close to me,
apparently conscious that my pursuit of nobler game would pre-
vent my firing at them. Once, on one of the highest mountains
of Scotland, a cold, wet mist suddenly came on. We heard the
ptarmigan near us in all directions, but could see nothing at a
greater distance than five or six yards. We were obliged to sit
down and wait for the mi>it to clear away, as we found ourselves
gradually getting entangled amongst loose rocks, which fre-
quently, on the slightest touch, rolled away from under our feet,
and we heard them dashing and bounding down the steep sides
of the mountain, sometimes appearing, from the noise they
made, to be dislodging and driving before them large quantities
of debris ; others seemed to bound in long leaps down the pre-
cipices, till we lost the sound far below us in the depths of the
corries. Not knowing our May in the least, we agreed to come
to a halt for a- short time, in hopes of some alteration in the
weather. Presently a change came over the appearance of the
mist, which settled in large fleecy masses below us, leaving us as
it were on an island in the midst of a snow-white sea, the blue
sky and bright sun above us without a cloud. As a light air
sprung up, the mist detached itself in loose masses, and by de-
grees drifted off the mountain side, affording us again a full view
of all around us. The magnificence of the scenery, looking
down from some of these mountain heights into the depths of
the rugged and steep ravines below, is often more splendid and
awfully beautiful than pen or pencil can describe ; and the effect
is often greatly increased by the contrast between some peaceful
and sparkling stream and green valley seen afar off', and the

CHAP, in.] MOUNTAIN SCENERY. 35

rugged and barren foreground of rock and ravine, where no
living thing can find a resting-place save the eagle or raven.

I remember a particular incident of that day's ptarmigan-
shooting; which, though it stopped our sport for some hours,
I would not on any account have missed seeing. Most of the
mist had cleared away, excepting a few cloud-like drifts, which
were passing along the sf«ep sides of the mountain. These, as
one by one they gradually came into the influence of the currents
of air, were whirled and tossed about, and then disappeared ;
lost to sight in the clear noonday atmosphere, as if evaporated
by wind and sun.

One of these light clouds, which we were watching, was
suddenly caught in an eddy of wind, and, after being twisted into
strange fantastic shapes, was lifted up from the face of the moun-
tain like a curtain, leaving, in its place a magnificent stag, of a
size of body and stretch of antler rarely seen ; he was not above
three hundred yards from us, and standing in full relief between
us and the sky. After gazing around him, and looking like the
spirit of the mountain, he walked slowly on towards a ridge
which connected two shoulders of the mountain together. Fre-
quently he stopped, and scratched with his hoof at some lichen-
covered spot, feeding slowly (quite unconscious of danger)
on the moss which he separated from the stones. I drew my
shot, and put bullets into both barrels, and we followed him
cautiously, creeping through the winding hollows of the rocks,
sometimes advancing towards the stag, and at other times obliged
suddenly to throw ourselves flat on the face of the stony moun-
tain, to avoid his piercing gaze, as he turned frequently round to
see that no enemy was following in his track.

He came at one time to a ridge from which he had a clear
view of a long stretch of the valley beneath. Here he halted to
look down either in search of his comrades or to see that all was
safe in that direction. I could see the tops of his horns as they
remained perfectly motionless for several minutes on the horizon.
We immediately made on for the place, crawling like worms
over the stones, regardless of bruises and oils. We were within
about eighty yards of the points of his horns; the rest of the
animal was invisible, being concealed by a mass of stone behind
which he was standing. I looked over my shoulder at Donald,

D2

36 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. in.

who answered my look with a most significant kind of silent
chuckle ; and, pointing at his knife, as if to say that we should
soon require its services, he signed to me to move a little to the
right hand, to get the animal free of the rock, which prevented
my shooting at him. I rolled myself quietly a little to one side,
and then silently cocking both barrels, rose carefully and slowly
to one knee. I had already got his head and neck within my
view, and in another instant would have had his shoulder. My
finger was already on the trigger, and I was rising gradually an
inch or two higher. The next moment he would have been
mine, when, without apparent cause, he suddenly moved, disap-
pearing from our sight in an instant behind the rocks. I should
have risen upright, and probably should have got a shot ; but
Donald's hand was laid on my head without ceremony, holding
me down. He whispered, " The muckle brute has na felt us ; we
shall see him again in a moment." We waited for a few minutes,
almost afraid to breathe, when Donald, with a movement of im-
patience, muttered, " 'Deed, Sir, but I'm no understanding it," —
and whispered to me to go on to look over the ridge, which I
did, expecting to see the stag feeding, or lying close below
it. When I did look over, how ever, I saw the noble animal
at a considerable distance, picking his way down the slope
to join some half-dozen hinds who were feeding below him,
and who occasionally raised their heads to take a good look
at their approaching lord and master. " The Deil tak the brute,"
was all that Donald said, as he took a long and far-sounding
pinch of snuff, his invariable consolation and resource in times
of difficulty or disappointment. When the stag had joined the
hinds, and some ceremonies of recognition had been gone through,
they all went quietly and steadily away, till we lost sight of
them over the shoulder of the next hill. " They'll no stop till
they get to Alt-na-cahr," said Donald, naming a winding rushy
burn at some distance off; ' Alt-na-cahr ' meaning the ; Burn of
many turns,' as far as my knowledge of Gaelic goes. And there
we were constrained to leave them and continue our ptarmigan-
shooting, which we did with but little success and less spii it. Soon
afterwards a magnificent eagle suddenly rose almost at our feet, as
we came to the edge of a precipice, on a shelf of which, near the
summit, he had been resting. Bang went one barrel at him, at a

CHAP. HI.] DEATH OF AN EAGLE. 37

distance of twenty yards. The small shot struck him severely,
and, dropping his legs, he rose into the air, darting upwards nearly
perpendicularly, a perfect cloud of feathers coming out of him.
He then came wheeling in a stupified manner back over our
heads. "We both of us fired together at him, and down he fell
with one wing broken, and hit all over with our small shot. He
struggled hard to keep up with the other wing, but could not do
so, and came heavily to the ground within a yard of the edge of
the precipice. He fell over on his back at first, and then rising
up on his feet, looked round with an air of reproachful defiance.
The blood was dropping slowly out of his beak, when Donald
foolishly ran to secure him, instead of leaving him to die where he
was ; in consequence of his doing so, the eagle fluttered back a
few steps, still, however, keeping his face to the foe. But, coming
to the edge of the precipice, he fell backwards over it, and we saw
him tumbling and struggling downwards, as he strove to cling to
the projections of the rock — but in vain, as he came to no stop till
he reached the bottom, where we beheld him, after regaining his
feet for a short time, sink gradually to the ground. It was im-
possible for us to reach the place where he lay dead without
going so far round that the daylight would have failed us. I
must own, notwithstanding the reputed destructiveness of the
eagle, that I looked with great regret at the dead body of the
noble bird, and wished that I had not killed him, the more
especially as I was obliged to leave him to rot uselessly in that
inaccessible place.

38 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. iv.

CHAPTER IV.

The Wild Cat: Strength of; Rencontre with — Trapping tame Cats:
Destructivencss of — Poisoning vermin — Trapping vermin.

THE true wild cat is gradually becoming extirpated, owing to
the increasing preservation of game ; and though difficult to hold
in a trap, in consequence of its great strength and agility, he
is by no means difficult to deceive, taking any bait readily,
and not seeming to be as cautious in avoiding danger as
many other kinds of vermin. Inhabiting the most lonely and
inaccessible ranges of rock and mountain, the wild cat is
seldom seen during the day time ; at night (like its domestic
relative) he prowls far and wide, walking with the same delibe-
rate step, making the same regular and even track, and hunting
its game in the same tiger-like manner ; and yet the difference
between the two animals is perfectly clear, and visible to the
commonest observer. The wild cat has a shorter and more
bushy tail, stands higher on her legs in proportion to her size,
and has a rounder and coarser look about the head. The strength
and ferocity of the wild cat when hemmed in or hard pressed are
perfectly astonishing. The body when skinned presents quite a
mass of sinew and cartilage. I have occasionally, though rarely,
fallen in with these animals in the forests and mountains of this
country ; once, when grouse-shooting, I came suddenly, in a
rough and rocky part of the ground, upon a family of two old
ones and three half-grown young ones. In the hanging birch-
woods that border some of the Highland streams and lochs, the
wild cat is still not uncommon, and I have heard their wild and
unearthly cry echo far in the quiet night as they answer and call
to each other. I do not know a more harsh and unpleasant cry
than that of the wild cat, or one more likely to be the oriuin of
superstitious fears in the mind of an ignorant Highlander. These
animals have great skill in finding their prey, and the damage
they do to the game must be very great, owing to the quantity of
food which they require. When caught in a trap, they fly with-

CHAP, iv.] WILD CATS. 39

out hesitation at any person who approaches them, not waiting
to be assailed. I have heard many stories of their attacking and
severely wounding a man, when their escape has been cut off'.
Indeed, a wild cat once flew at me, in the most determined
manner. I was fishing at a river in Sutherlandshire, and in pass-
ing from one pool to another had to climb over sonio. rock and
broken kind of ground. In doing so, I sank through some
rotten heather and moss up to my knees, almost upon a wild cat,
who was concealed under it. I was quite as much startled as the
animal herself could be, when I saw the wild-looking beast so
unexpectedly rush out from between my feet, with every hair on
her body standing on end, making her look twice as large as
she really was. 1 had three small Skye terriers with me, who
immediately gave chace, and pursued her till she took refuge in
a corner of the rocks, where, perched in a kind of recess out of
reacli of her enemies, she stood with her hair bristled out, anil
spitting and growling like a common cat. Having no weapon
with me, I laid down my rod, cut a good-sized stick, and pro-
ceeded to dislodge her. As soon as I was within six or seven
feet of the place, she sprang straight at my face over the dogs'
heads. Had I not struck her in mid air as she leaped at me, I
should probably have got some severe wound. As it was, she
fell with her back half broken amongst the dogs, who, with my
assistance, di»[>atched her. I never saw an animal fight so des-
perately, or one which was so difficult to kill. If a tame cat
has nine lives, a wild cat must have a dozen. Sometimes one
of these animals takes up its residence at no great distance from
a house, and entering the hen-houses and outbuildings, carries off
fowls or even lambs in the most audacious manner. Like other
vermin, the wild cat haunts the shores of the lakes and rivers,
and it is therefore easy to know where to lay a trap for them.
" Having caught and killed one of the colony, the rest of them
are sure to be taken if the body of their slain relative is left in
some place not far from their usual hunting-ground, and sur-
rounded with traps, as every wild cat who passes within a con-
siderable distance of the place will to a certainty come to it. 3
The same plan may be adopted successfully in trapping foxes,
who also are sure to visit the dead body of any other fox which
they scent during their nightly walk. There is no animal more

40 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CTAH. IT.

destructive than a common house-cat, when she takes to hunting
in the woods. In this case they should always be destroyed, as
when once they have learned to prefer hares and rabbits to rats
and mice, they are sure to hunt the larger animals only. I be-
lieve, however, that by cropping their ears close to the head,
cats may be kept from hunting, as they cannot bear the dew or
rain to enter these sensitive organs. Tame cats who have once
taken to the woods soon get shy and wild, and then produce
their young in rabbit-holes, decayed trees, and other quiet
places ; thus laying the foundation of a half-wild race. It is
worthy of notice, that whatever colour the parents of these
semi-wild cats may have been, those bred out of them are
almost invariably of the beautiful brindled grey colour, as the
wild cats. A shepherd, whose cat had come to an un-
timely end — by trap or gun, I forget which— in lamenting
her death to me, said it was a great pity so valuable an
animal should be killed, as she brought him every day in the
year either a grouse, a young hare, or some other head of game.
Another man told me that his cat brought to the house during
the whole winter a woodcock or a snipe almost every night,
showing a propensity for hunting in the swamps and wet places
near which the cottage was situated, and where these birds were
in the habit of feeding during the night. A favourite cat of
my own once took to bringing home rabbits and hares, but never
winged game. Though constantly caught in traps, she could
never be cured of her hunting propensities. When caught in an
iron trap, instead of springing about and struggling, and by
this means breaking or injuring her legs, she used to sit quietly
clown and wait to be let out. There is a cat at the farm now,
who is caught at least twice a-week, but from adopting the same
plan of waiting quietly and patiently to be liberated, she seldom
gets her foot much hurt.

The animal that requires the greatest care in trapping is the
fox. If the trap is too smooth, he slips his foot out ; if too
sharp, he cuts off his foot, and escapes, leaving it behind him.
I consider the best manner of having fox-trap* made is to get
them without teeth, but with about three spikes of an inch in
length on each side of the trap ; these entering the animal's leg
without cutting it, hold him firmly and securely. The surest

CHAP. iv.l POISONING BY STRYCHNIA. 41

way, however, of destroying foxes (I am speaking of course of
foxes of the Highlands, where no hounds are kept) is by poison.
But then the rabbit or bait in which the poison is laid should not
be touched by the hand, so suspicious is this animal of the slight-
est taint of man. The most artistic way is to catch a rabbit or
crow in a trap, and having killed it with a stick, a small slit
should be cut in the head, without however touching the animal
with the hand ; into this hole three or four grains of the poison
called Strychnia should be dropped. So powerful is this poison,
that a fbx having eaten the above quantity seldom goes thirty
yards before he dies. Strychnia is the concentrated part of Nux
vomica. Though frequently much adulterated, it can generally
be obtained of sufficient strength from any respectable druggist.
The Strychnia is, I believe, mixed with a little alkali, to prevent
its power being destroyed by exposure to the air. In poisoning
crows with it, a very small quantity is sufficient, and it should
be put into a slit in the skin or the eye of a dead animal. Before
a carrion crow has taken three or four pecks at the poisoned
carrion he falls backwards perfectly dead. Weazels, stoats, and
all vermin are destroyed by it with equal ease. The drug having
no smell, these animals are not shy of eating a dead rabbit or
bird on which it has been placed. Foxes and large vermin
always commence at the head of their prey, while for smaller
vermin and birds a hole should be cut in the skin to receive the
poison, as they generally begin their operations whenever they
see an opening, where the flesh is exposed to view. It is need-
less to give a warning against using this powerful drug rashly,
as no man in his senses would place it anywhere but in the most
secure situations. " It is worth remembering, that foxes, carrion
crows, and many other destructive animals will eat a dead rat,
whereas no dog will do so. By poisoning the dead bodies of
this animal, therefore, no risk is run of destroying your dogs.
An equally good way of applying Strychnia is in the body of a
wild duck or a wood-pigeon. Many a fox, whose worldly expe-
rience nearly ensures him safety from trap or gin, will fall a
victim to this poison ; for so small a quantity is necessary, and
so scentless is it, that a sufficient dose is swallowed before the
animal discovers its presence in anything which he is eating.
From the extreme rapidity with which it acts, destroying life

42 WILD SPOUTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. iv.

almost instantaneously, it is perhaps as merciful a way of put-
ting: an end to noxious and troublesome animals as can be devised,

o

and no method can be more certain. 1 have always been of
opinion that nine keepers out of ten who carry guns are but of
little use in destroying vermin. The grand desideratum in pre-
serving game is, that the animals should be left in perfect quiet.
A man walking about with a gun in his hand, shooting at mag-
pias and crows, does nearly as much mischief to the preserves
as if he shot at the game itself.

A quiet intelligent trapper does more good in killing vermin
than a dozen men with guns. The former sees a pair of crows,
or a stoat ; if he is well skilled in his profession, the creatures are
dead by the next day, having been caught without noise and
without disturbing a single head of those animals which are re-
quired to be kept in peace and quiet. The shooting keeper in
making his way through woods and coverts to get shots at ver-
min, often fails in killing it, but is sure to disturb and molest
the game, driving it here and there, and exposing it to the view
and attacks of hawks and poachers. I have always a far better
opinion of the usefulness of a keeper when I see him with a
number of traps on his shoulder, than when he carries his gun
always with him. It is no bad amusement occasionally to ac-
company an intelligent and experienced trapper on his rounds,
and see his plans to deceive and entice the fox and the otter,
the hawk or the raven.

In catching all these animals, the spot to be selected for trap-
ping should not be near their abodes or nests, but in that part
of the outskirts of the covers where they wander during the
night time in pursuit of prey. Almost every kind of vermin
hunts in the open country and fields, wherever they may lie con-
cealed during the day : for knowing that rabbits, hares, and the
other animals which form their principal food, resort to the pas-
tures, the corn-fields, or the waterside to feed during the night ;
to these same places do their hungry enemies follow them. Hawks
and crows too, who feed in the day-time, are perfectly aware that
they have a better chance of seeing and catching their prey in the
open country than in the woods and covers. Besides which,
a hungry fox or hawk hunting for game, is less on his guard
than when prowling quietly and cautiously through the woods.

CHAP, v.] POACHING. 48

CHAPTER V.

Poaching in the Highlands — Donald — Poachers and Keepers — Bivouac in
Snow — Connivance of Shepherds — Deer killed - Catching a Keeper —
Poaching in the Forests — Shooting Deer by Moonlight — Ancient Poachers.

I HAD a visit last week from a Highland poaclier of some
notoriety in his way. Pie is the possessor of a brace of the
finest deer-hounds in Scotland, and he came down from his
mountain-home to show them to me, as I wanted some for a
friend. The man himself is an old acquaintance of mine, as I had
fallen in with him more than once in the course of my rambles.
A finer specimen of the genus Homo than Ronald I never saw.
As he passes through the streets of a country-town, the men
give him plenty of walking room ; while not a girl in the street
but stops to look after him, and says to her companions — " Kh,
but yon 's a bonnie lad." And indeed Ronald is a " bonnie
/or/" — about twenty-six years of age — his height more than
six feet, and with limbs somewhat between those of a Hercules
and an Apollo — he steps along the street with the -good-natured
self-satisfied swagger of a man who knows all the womtn are
admiring him. He is dressed in a plain grey kilt and jacket,
with an otter-skin purse and a low skull-cap with a long peak,
from below which his quick eye seems to take at a glance in
everything which is passing around him. A man whose life is
spent much in hunting and pursuit of wild animals, acquires un-
consciously a peculiar restless and quick expression of eye, ap-
pearing to be always in search of something. When Ronald
doffs his cap, and shows his handsome hair and short curling
beard, which covers all the lower part of his face, ami which he
seem-; to be something of a dandy al>out, I do not know a finer
looking fellow amongst all my acquaintance — and his occupa-
tion, which affords him constant exerci>e without hard labour,
gives him a degree of strength and activity seldom equalled.

44 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. v.

As he walked into my room, followed by his two magnificent
dogs, he would have made a subject worthy of Landseer in his
best moments — and it would have been a picture which many a
fair damsel of high, as well as low degree, would have looked
upon with pleasure. Excepting when excited, he is the most
quiet, good-natured fellow in the world ; but I have heard some
stories of his exploits, in defence of his liberty, when assailed by
keepers, which proved his immense strength, though be has always
used it most good-naturedly. One feat of his is worth repeating.
He was surprised by five men in a shealing, where he had re-
tired to rest after some days' shooting in a remote part of the
Highlands. Ronald had a young lad with him, who could only
look on, in consequence of having injured one of his hands.

Ronald was awoke from his sleep in the wooden recess of the
shealing (which is called a bed), by the five men coming in, —
and saying that they had tracked him there, that he was caught
at last, and must come along with them. " Deed, lads," said
Ronald, without rising, " but I have had a long travel to-day,
and if I am to go, you must just carry me." " Sit quiet, Sandy,"
he added to his young companion. " They '11 no fash us, I 'm
thinking." The men, rather surprised at such cool language
from only one man with nobody to assist him but a boy, repeated
their order for him to get up and go with them ; but receiving
no satisfactory answer, two of them went to his bed to pull him
out. " So I just pit them under me " (said Ronald in describ-
ing it), <x and kept them down with one knee. A third chiel
then came up, with a bit painted wand, and told me that he was
a constable, but I could na help laughing at the man, lie looked
so frightened like; — and I said to him, 'John Cameron, my
man, you 'd be better employed making shoes at home, than
coming here to disturb a quiet lad like me, who only wants to
rest himself:' and then I said to the rest of them, still keeping the
twa chiels under my knee, ' Ye are all wrong, lads ; I 'm no
doing anything against the law ; I am just resting myself here,
and rest myself I will : and you have no right to come here to
disturb me ; so you 'd best just mak off at once.' They had not
caught me shooting, Sir," he added, " and I was sure that no
justice would allow of their seizing me like an outlaw. Besides
which, I had the licence with me, though I didn't want to have to

CHAP, v.] POACHERS AND KEEPERS. 45

show it to them, as I was a stranger there, and I didn't wish
them to know my name. Weel, we went on in this way, till at
last the laird's keeper, who I knew well enough, though he didn't
know me, whispered to the rest, and all three made a push at
me, while the chiels below me tried to get up too. The keeper
was the only one with any pluck amongst them, and he sprang
on my neck, and as he was a clever like lad, I began to get sore
pressed. Just then, however, 1 lifted up my left hand, and
pulled one of the sticks that served for rafters, out of the roof
above me, and my blood was getting quite mad like, and the
Lord only knows what would have happened if they hadn't all
been a bit frightened at seeing me get the stick, and when part of
the roof came falling on them, and so they all left me and went
to the other end of the shealing. The keeper was but ill pleased
though— as for the bit constable body, his painted stick came into
my hand some how, and he never got it again ! One of the lads
below my knee got hurt in this scuffle too, indeed one of his ribs
was broken, so I helped to lift him up, and put him on the bed.
The others threatened me a great deal, but did na like the looks
of the bit constable's staff I had in my hand. At last, when they
found that they could do nothing, they begged me, in the Lord's
name, to leave the shealing and gang my way in peace. But I
did na like this, as it was six hours at least to the next bothy
where I could get a good rest, so I just told them to go them-
selves— and as they did na seem in a hurry to do so, I went at
them with my staff, but they did na bide my coming, and were all
tumbling out of the door in a heap, before I was near them : I
could na help laughing to see them. It was coming on a wild
night, and the poor fellow in the bed seemed vera bad, so I
called to them and told them they might just come back and
sleep in the shtaling if they would leave me in peace — and after
a little talk they all came in, and I laid down in my plaid at one
end of the bothy, leaving them the other. I made the lad who
was with me watch part of the night to see they didn't get at me
when I was asleep, though I didn't want him to join in helping
me, as they knew his name, and it might have pot him into
trouble. In the morning I made my breakfast with some meal
I had with me, and gave them the lave of it. They would have
been right pleased to have got me with them. — but as they

46 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. v.

could na do it, like wise chiels, they didn't try — so I wished
them a good day, and took the road. I had my gun and four
brace of grouse, which they looked at very hard indeed, but I did
not let them lay hands on any thing. When I had just got a few
hundred yards away, I missed my shot belt, so I went back and
found that the keeper had it, and would not give it up. ' You'll
be giving me my property, lad, I'm thinking,' I said to him ; but
he was just mad like with rage, and said that he would not let
me have it. However, I took him by the coat and shook him a
bit, and he soon gave it me, but he could na' keep his hands off,
and as I turned away, he struck me a sair blow with a stick on
my back ; so I turned to him, and deed I was near beating him
weel, but after all I thoch't that the poor lad was only doing his
duty, so I only gave him a lift into the burn, taking care not to
hurt him ; but he got a grand ducking — and, Lord ! how he did
swear. I was thinking, as I travelled over the hills that day, it
was lucky that these twa dogs were not with me, for there would
have been wild work in the shealing. Bran there canna bide a
scuffle but what he must join in it, and the other dog would go
to help him ; and the Lord pity the man they took hold of — he
would be in a bad way before I could get this one off -his throat
— wouldn't he, poor dog?" — and Bran looked up in Ronald's
face with such a half lear, half snake-like expression, that I
thought to myself, that I would about as soon encounter a tiger
as such a dog, if his blood was well roused.

The life of a Highland poacher is a far different one from that
of an Englishman following the same profession. Instead of a
sneaking night-walking ruffian, a mixture of cowardice and
ferocity, as most English poachers are, and ready to commit any
crime that he hopes to perpetrate with impunity, the High-
lander is a bold fearless fellow, shooting openly by daylight,
taking his sport in the same manner as the Laird, or the
Sassenach who rents the ground. He never snares or wires
game, but depends on his dog and gun. Hardy and active as
the deer of the mountain, in company with two or three com-
rades of the same stamp as himself, he sleeps in the heather
wrapped in his plaid, regardless of frost or snow, and commences
his work at daybreak. When a party of them sleep out on the
hill side, their manner of arranging their couch is as follows :

cnAr. v.J BIVOUAC IN SNOW. 47

— If snow is on the ground, they first scrape it off a small space ;
they then all collect a quantity of the driest heather they can
find. The next step is for all the party excepting one to lie
down close to each other, with room between one couple for the
remaining man to get into the rank when his duty is done ;
which is, to lay all the plaids on the top of his companions, and
on the plaids a quantity of long heather; when he has sufficiently
thatched them in, he creeps into the vacant place, and they are
made up for the night. The coldest frost has no effect on them,
when bivouacking in this manner. Their guns are laid dry be-
tween them, and their dogs share their master's couch.

With the earliest grouse-crow they rise and commence opera-
tions. Their breakfast consists of meal and water. They gene-
rally take a small bag of meal with them ; but it is seldom that
there is not some good-natured shepherd living near their day's
beat, who, notwithstanding that he receives pay for keeping off
or informing against all poachers, is ready to give them milk and
anything else his bothy affords. If the shepherd has a peculiarly
tender conscience, he vacates the hut himself on seeing them
approach, leaving his wife to provide for the guests. He then,
if accused of harbouring and assisting poachers, can say in excuse,
" Deed, your honour, what could a puir woman do against four
or five wild Hieland lads with guns in their hands ?" In fact, the
shepherds have a natural fellow-feeling with the poachers, and,
both from policy and inclination, give them any assistance they
want, or leave their wives and children to do so ; and many a side
of red deer or bag of grouse they get for this breach of promise
to their masters. In the winter season a poacher calls on the
shepherd, and says, " Sandy, lad, if you look up the glen there,
you'll see a small cairn of stones newly put up ; just travel twenty
paces east from that, and you'll find a bit venison to yoursel' "
some unlucky deer having fallen to the gun of one of the poach-
ing fraternity. This sort of argument, as well as the fear of
" getting a bad name, " is too strong for the honesty of most of
the shepherds, who are erroneously supposed to watch the came,
and to keep off trespassers. The keepers themselves in the
Highlands, as long as the poachers do not interfere too much
with their master's sport, so as to make it imperative on them to
interfere, are rather anxious to avoid a collision with these

48 WILD SPOKTS OF THE HIGHLANDS [CHAP. v.

" Hieland lads." For, although they never ill-use the keepers
in the savage manner that English poachers so frequently do, I
have known instances of keepers, who (although they were too
smart gentlemen to carry their master's game) have been taken
prisoners by poachers on the hill, and obliged to accompany them
over their master's ground, and carry the game killed on it all day.
They have then either been sent home, or, if troublesome, the
poachers have tied them hand and foot, and left them on some
marked spot of the muir, sending a boy or shepherd to release them
some hours afterwards. Going in large bodies on well-preserved
ground, these men defy the keepers, and shoot in spite of them.
If pursued by a party stronger than themselves, they halt occa-
sionally, and fire bullets either over the heads of their pursuers
or into the ground near them, of course taking care not to hurt
them. The keepers go home, protesting that they have been
fired upon and nearly killed, while the Highlanders pursue their
sport. The grand object of the poachers being to keep out of
the fangs of the law, they never uselessly run the risk of being
identified, and although they frequently have licences, they
always avoid showing them if possible, in order that their names
may not be known. If they shoot on ground where the watchers
know them, they take great care to avoid being seen. If they
think there is any likelihood of a prosecution occurring, they be-
take themselves to a different part of the country till the storm
is blown over. In some of the wide mountain districts, a band
of poachers can shoot the whole season without being caught,
and I fancy that many of the keepers, and even their masters,
rather wish to shut their eyes to the trespassing of these gangs
as long as they keep to certain districts, and do not interfere
with those parts of the grouse-ground which are the most care-
fully preserved.

Some proprietors or lessees of shooting-grounds make a kind
of half compromise with the poachers, by allowing them to kill
grouse as long as they do not touch the deer ; others, who are
grouse -shooters, let them kill the deer to save their birds. I
have known an instance where a prosecution was stopped by the
aggrieved party being quietly made to understand, that if it was
carried on, " a score of lads from the hills would shoot over his
ground for the rest of the season."

CHAP, v.] POACHING FOR DEER. 49

In the eastern part of the Highlands and on the hills adjoin-
ing the Highland roads, the grand harvest of the poachers arises
from grouse, which are shipped by the steamers, and sent by the
coaches southwards, in numbers that are almost incredible. Before
the 12th of August, hundreds of grouse are shipped, to be ready
in London on the first day that they become legal food for her
Majesty's subjects. In these districts the poachers kill the deer
only for their amusement, or to repay the obliging blindness and
silence of shepherds and others. Many a fine stag is either shot
or killed by dogs during the winter season ;— the proprietor, or
person who rents the forest, supposing that his paying half a
dozen watchers and foresters ensures the safety of his deer.

" Indeed, his lordship has seven foresters," said a Highlander
to me ; '' but they are mostly old men, and not that fit for catch-
ing the likes of me ; besides which, if we leave the forest quiet
during the time his lordship 's down, they are not that over hard
on us ; nor are we sair on their deer either, for they are all ceevil
enough, except the head forester, who is an Englishman, and we
wouldna wish to get them to lose their bread by being turned
away on our account. So it 's not often we trouble the forest,
unless, maybe, we have a young dog to try, and we canna get a
run at a deer on the marches of the ground, where it would harm
no one."

" And how do you manage not to be caught t" was my
question.

" Why, we sleep at some shepherd's house or shealing ; and
if there is not ,one convenient, we lay out somewhere on the
ground, going to our sleeping-place after nightfall ; and so we
are ready to get at the deer by daylight ; and maybe we have
killed one and carried him off before the foresters have found out
that we are out."

It is not so easy, however, for the poachers to kill deer undisco-
vered with dogs, as it is with the gun ; for in the event of the
greyhounds getting in chace of a young stag or a hind, they may
be led away to a great distance, and in the course of the run
move half the deer in the forest ; and there is no surer sign of
mischief being aHoat than seeing the deer passing over the hills
in a startled manner. No man, accustomed to them, can mistake
this sign of an enemy having disturbed them ; and one can judge

50 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. v.

pretty well the direction the alarm comes from by taking notice
of the quarter in which the wind is, and from which part of the
mountain the deer are moving. With a rifle, however, in the
hand of a good shot, the business is soon over, without frighten-
ing the rest of the herd a tenth part so much, or making them
change their quarters to such a distance ; and even if the shot is
heard by the keepers, which is a great chance, it is not easy to
judge exactly from which direction it comes amongst the nu-
merous corries and glens which confuse and mislead the
listener.

Ronald told me that one day his dogs brought a fine stag to
bay, in a burn close to the house of the forester on the ground
where he was poaching : " The forester luckily was no at hame,
sir ; but the dogs made an awful noise, yowling at the stag ; and
a bit lassie came out and tried to stone them off the beast ; so I
was feared they might turn on her, and I just stepped down from
where I was looking at them, and putting my handkerchief over
my face, that the lassie mightn't ken me, took the dogs away,
though it was a sair pity, as it was a fine beast ; and one of the
dogs was quite young at the time, and it would have been a grand
chance for blooding him."

Many a deer is killed during the bright moonlight nights.
The poacher in this case finds out some grassy burn or spot of
ground, where the deer are in the habit of feeding. Within
shot of this, and with his gun loaded with three pistol-balls, or a
bullet aiiu two slugs, he lies ensconced, taking care to be well
concealed before the time that the deer come to feed, and keeping
to leeward of the direction in which they will probably arrive.
Many an hour he may pass in his lonely hiding-place, listening
to every cry and sound of the different animals that are abroad
during the night time, and peering out anxiously to see if he can
distinguish the object of his vigil approaching him. Perhaps,
although he may hear the deer belling or clashing their horns
together in the distance, none come within reach of his gun
during the whole night ; and the call of the grouse-cock just
before daybreak, as he collects his family from their roosting-
places in the heather, warns him that it is time to leave his
ambuscade, and betake himself home, chilled and dispirited. It
often, however, happens that he hears the tramp of the deer, as

CHAP. v.J POACHING FOR DEER. 51

they descend from the more barren heights to feed on the grass
and rushes near his place of concealment. On they come, till he
can actually hear their breathing as they crop the herbage; and
can frequently distinguish their ghostlike forms as they pass to
and fro, sometimes grazing, and sometimes butting at each other
in fancied security. His own heart beats so that he almost fears
the deer will hear him. Often his finger is on the trigger; but
he still refrains, as no deer has come into full view which he
thinks worth killing. At last a movement amongst the herd
apprises him that the master stag is probably approaching. And
suddenly the gaunt form of the animal appears in strong relief
between him and the sky, standing on some rising bit of ground,
within thirty yards of the muzzle of his gun. The next instant
the loud report is echoing and rolling along the mountain side,
till it gradually dies away in the distance. The stag, on receiving
the shot, utters a single groan, partly of affright and partly of
pain, and drops to the ground, where he lies plunging and floun-
dering, but unable to rise from having received three good-sized
pistol-balls in his shoulder. The rest of the herd, frightened by
the report and the flash of the gun, dart off at first in all direc-
tions ; but soon collecting together, they can be heard in the
still night, for some time after they are lost to view, going up
the hill side at a steady gallop. The poacher rushes up to the
stag, who is now nearly motionless, only showing symptoms of
life by his loud, deep breathing, and an occasional quiver of his
limbs, as his life is oozing rapidly away in streams of blood.
The skene dhu, plunged into the root of his neck, and reaching
to his heart, soon ends his struggles ; and before the next morn-
ing the carcass is carried off and cut up. Many a noble stag
falls in this way. Near the Caledonian Canal, which affords
great facility of carriage, the Lochaber poachers kill a consider-
able number during the season, sending them to Edinburgh,
Glasgow, or other large towns, where they have some confidential
friend to receive and sell them. In Edinburgh, there are num-
bers of men who work as porters, &c. during the winter, and
poach in the Highlands during the autumn. "\Vhen in town,
these men are useful to their friends on the hills in disposing of
their game, which is all killed for the purpose of being sent away,
and not for consumption in the country.

E 2

52 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. v.

Many poachers of the class I have here described are of re-
spectable origin, and are well enough educated. When my
aforesaid acquaintance Ronald called on me, he had a neat kind
of wallet with his dry hose, a pair of rather smart worsted-worked
slippers (he did not seem disposed to tell me what fair hands had
worked them), and clean linen, &c. He wore also a small
French gold watch, which had also been given him. Several of
the Highlanders who have lived in this way emigrate to Canada,
and generally do well ; others get places as foresters and keepers,
making the best and most faithful servants. Their old allies
seldom annoy them when they take to this profession, as there is
a great deal of good feeling amongst them, and a sense of right,
which prevents their thinking the worse of their quondam com-
rade because he does his duty in his new line of life.

There is another class of hill poacher — the old, half worn-out
Highlander, who has lived and shot on the mountain before the
times of letting shooting-grounds and strict preserving had come
in. These old men, with their long single-barrelled gun, kill
many a deer and grouse, though not in a wholesale manner,
hunting more from ancient habit and for their own use than for
the market. I have met some quaint old fellows of this descrip-
tion, who make up by cunning and knowledge of the ground for
want of strength and activity. I made acquaintance with an old
soldier, who after some years' service had returned to his native
mountains, and to his former habits of poaching and wandering
about in search of deer. He lived in the midst of plenty of them
too, in a far off and very lonely part of Scotland, where the keepers
of the property seldom came. When they did so, I believe they
frequently took the old man out with them to assist in killing a
stag for their master. At other times he wandered through the
mountains with a single-barrelled gun, killing what deer he
wanted for his own use, but never selling them. I never in my
life saw a better shot with a ball : I have seen him constantly
kill grouse and plovers on the ground. His occupation, I fear,
is at last gone, owing to changes in the ownership and the letting
of the shooting, for the last time I heard of him he was leading
an honest life as cattle-keeper.

When this man killed a deer far from home, he used to go to
the nearest shepherd's shealing, catch the horse, which was sure to

CHAP, v.] PTARMINGAN— WHITE HARES. 53

be found feeding near at hand, and make use of it to carry home
the deer. This done, he turned the horse's head home, and let
it loose, and as all Highland ponies have the bump of locality
strongly developed, it was sure to find its way home. I have
known one of these old poachers coolly ride his pony up the
mountain from which he intended to take a deer, turn it loose,
and proceed on his excursion. The pony, as cunning and accus-
tomed to the work as his master, would graze quietly near the
spot where he was left, till his services were required to take
home the booty at night. The old man never went to the hill
till he had made sure of the whereabouts of the forester, by
which means he always escaped detection.

The principal object of pursuit of the Highland poacher, next
to grouse and deer, are ptarmigan, as these birds always bring a
high price, and by making choice of good weather and knowing
where to find the birds, a man can generally make up a bag that
repays him for his day's labour, as well as for his powder and
shot. Being sportsmen by nature, as well as poachers, they
enjoy the wild variety of a day's ptarmigan-shooting as much as
the more legal shooter does. In winter, when a fresh fall of
snow has taken place, a good load of white hares is easily
obtained, as this animal is found in very great numbers on some
mountains, since the destruction of vermin on so large a scale
has taken place. What with the sale of these different kinds of
game, and a tolerable sum made by breaking dogs, a number of
young men in the Highlands make a very good income during
the shooting-season, which enables them to live in idleness the
rest of the year, and often affords them the means of emigrating
to America, where they settle quietly down and become exten-
sive and steady farmers.

54 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. vi.

CHAPTER VI.

Salmon-fishing — Salmon ascending Fords — Fishers— Cruives — Right of
Fishing — Anecdote — Salmon-leaps — History of the Salmon — Spearing
Salmon — River Poaching — Angling — Fly-making — Eels — Lampreys.

DURING the spring and summer it is an amusing sight to watch
the salmon making their way up the river. Every high tide
brings up a number of these fish, whose whole object seems
to be to ascend the stream. At the shallow fords, where the
river spreading over a wide surface has but a small depth of
water, they are frequently obliged to swim, or rather wade (if
such an expression can be used), for perhaps twenty yards
in water of two inches in depth, which leaves more than half
the fish exposed to view. On they go, however, scrambling
up the fords, and making the water fly to the right and left,
like ducks at play. When the fish are numerous, I some-
times see a dozen or more at once. They might be killed in
these places by spears, or even a stick, and indeed many a salmon
does come to his death in this way. The fishermen (when the
river is low) save a great deal of useless fatigue, and qf injury to
their nets, by working in some pool immediately above a shallow
place, where they station one of their number, who watches for
the fish ascending, giving a signal to his companions whenever
he sees one. They then immediately put out their nets, and are
nearly sure to catch the salmon. In this way very few of the
fish can escape as long as the water is low, but when a slight
flood comes they can get up unperceived. It is as easy to see
them in the night time as in the day, the water glancing and
shining as they struggle up. Indeed on the darkest night the
noise they make is easily heard, and distinguished by the accus-
tomed ear of the fishermen.

There is something wild and interesting in listening during
the night to the shout of the man stationed to watch, when he
sees fish, and the sound of the oars and boat immediately after-
wards, though the object of pursuit is but a fish after all. Some-

CHAP. VI.J SALMON-FISHING. 55

times a silent otter suddenly shows himself on the ford, having
slipped quietly and unobserved through the deeper parts of the
stream till he is obliged to wade, not having water enough to
cover him. His appearance is the signal of a general outcry,
and if he returns to the deep water where the net is, the fisher-
men occasionally manage to entangle him, and dragging him to
shore, soon dispatch him. lie is one of their worst enemies.
More often, however, he slips noiselessly to the side of the river,
and half ensconced behind some broken bank, remains quiet and
concealed till the danger is past, and then glides away unper-
ceived. There is no animal more difficult to get the advantage
of than the otter, as long as he is on ground that he knows.
The fish which escape the nets, and those which go up during
floods and on Sundays, on which day they are allowed to have a
free passage, seldom stop until they get to the deep quiet pools
amongst the rocks some four or five miles up the water, where
they rest till fresh water and opportunity enable them to con-
tinue their upward progress. Neither sea-trout nor salmon ever
seem happy excepting when making their way up a stream. It
is wonderful, too, against what difficulties, in the shape of falls
and rapids, they will ascend a river. In the Findhorti, owing to
the impetuosity of the stream, the frequent and sudden floods it
is subject to, and the immense quantity of shingle and gravel,
which is always shifting its place, and changing the course of
the lower part of the water, there are no cruives made use of.
They would probably be destroyed as fast as they were built.
In the Spey, however, and many other rivers, large cruives are
built, which quite prevent the ascent of the fish, excepting on
Sundays and on floods. To describe a cruive minutely would
be tedious. It is, however, merely a kind of dim built across
the river, with openings here and there, allowing the water to
pass through in a strong stream, and through which the fish
ascend and get into a kind of wooden cage, out of which they
cannot find their way again, the entrance being made after the
fashion of a wire mouse-trap, affording an easier ingress than
egress. Much do the anglers on the upper part of the Spey pray
for a furious flood, or speat, as it is called, which may break
down these barriers, and enable the salmon to ascend to the
higher pools before the fishermen can repair the damage done.

56 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. vi.

The right of fishing in many of the Scotch rivers is vested in
a very singular manner ; as, for instance, in the Findhorn, where
the proprietor of many miles of land along the river banks has no
right to throw a line in the water, but is obliged to pay a rent
for fishing on his own ground. Indeed, this kind of alienation
of the right of fishing from the person who would seem to be the
natural proprietor of it is very common. I remember an anec-
dote told me by an old Highlander as to the cause of the fishing
in a particular river in Sutherland being out of the hands of the
proprietor of the land on its banks. The story is as follows : —
The laird of the property higher up on the water was also the
possessor of a small island in the river. He was a deep, long-
headed fellow, and grudged his neighbour the profit he made out
of the fishing just below him, the water on the upper part not
being so good. He therefore commenced building a fort on the
island, and falling in with his neighbour, asked him in an off-hand
way to give him, merely, he said", for the convenience of his work-
men, a right of fishing the whole river until his building was
completed, salmon in those days being used as a means of feeding
the numerous retainers and servants who lived upon and followed
every laird and chieftain. Indeed, but a few years back it was
often made a stipulation by servants on being hired by a Highland
master that they should not be fed on salmon above a certain
number of days in the week. But to continue my story. The
permission was granted ; and, to save all dispute about the matter,
even a legal written document was given over to the wily laird,
granting him exclusive right of fishing and netting the river,
" until his house was finished." The building was immediately
stopped, and the right of fishing still belongs to the proprietor
of the little islet, who will probably never finish his building, as
doing so would put an end to his valuable rights on the river.
So runs the tale, which does more credit to the acuteness than
to the honesty of the inventor of the ruse. The jumping of the
salmon up a fall is a curious and beautiful sight, and the height
they leap, and the perseverance which they show in returning
again and again to the charge, after making vain efforts to sur-
mount the fall, are quite wonderful. Often on a summer even-
ing, when the river is full of fish, all eager to make their way
up, have I watched them for hours together, as they sprang in

CHAP, vi.] SALMON-SPEARING BY TORCHLIGHT. 57

rapid succession, looking like pieces of silver as they (lashed up
the falls with rapid leaps. The fish appear to bend their head
to their tail, and then to fling themselves forward and upwards,
much as a bit of whalebone whose two ends are pinched together
springs forward on being released. I have often watched them
leaping, and this has always seemed the way in which they ac-
complish their extraordinary task. Both salmon and sea-trout,
soon after they enter the fresh water, from the sea, make won-
derful leaps into the air, shooting perpendicularly upwards, to
the height of some feet, with a quivering motion, which is often
quite audible. This is most likely to get rid of a kind of para-
sitical insect which adheres to them when they first leave the sea.
The fishermen call this creature the sea-louse : it appears to
cause a great deal of irritation to the fish. It is a sure sign that
the salmon is in good condition, and fresh from the sea, when
these insects are found adhering to him.

Though the natural history of the salmon is daily being searched
into, and curious facts connected with it are constantly ascertained,
I fancy that there is much still to be learnt on the subject, as some
of the statements advanced seem so much at variance with my own
frequent though unscientific observations, that I cannot give in to
all that is asserted. But as I have not opportunities of proving
many points, I will leave the whole subject in the abler hands of
those who have already written on it, and whose accounts, though
they may err here and there, are probably in the main correct.
As long as the salmon are in the river water they seem to lose
condition, and become lean and dark coloured. By the time that
they have ascended to within a dozen miles or so of the source of
the river they are scarcely fit to eat. Nevertheless vast numbers
are killed by poachers and shepherds in the autumn, even after
the legal season is over. I once fell in with a band of Highlanders,
who were employed busily in the amusing but illegal pursuit of
spearing salmon by torchlight. And a most exciting and inte-
resting proceeding it was. The night was calm and dark. The
steep and broken rocks were illuminated in the most brilliant
manner by fifteen or sixteen torches, which were carried by as
many active Highlanders, and glanced merrily on the water,
throwing the most fantastic light and shade on all around as they
moved about. Sometimes one of them would remain motionless

58 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. vi.

for a few moments, as its bearer waited in the expectation that
some fish which had been started by his companions would come
within reach of his spear, as he stood with it ready poised, and
his eager countenance lighted up by his torch as he bent over
the water. Then would come loud shouts and a confused hurry-
ing to and fro, as some great fish darted amongst the men, and
loud and merry peals of laughter when some unlucky fellow
darting at a fish in too deep water, missed his balance, and fell
headlong into the pool. Every now and then a salmon would
be seen hoisted into the air, and quivering on an uplifted spear.
The fish, as soon as caught, was carried ashore, where it was
knocked on the head and taken charge of by some man older
than the rest, who was deputed to this office. Thirty-seven
salmon were killed that night ; and I must say that I entered
into the fun, unmindful of its not being quite in accordance with
my ideas of right and wrong ; and I enjoyed it probably as much
as any of the wild lads who were engaged in it. There was not
much English talked amongst the party, as they found more ex-
pressive words in Gaelic to vent their eagerness and impatience.
All was good humour, however ; and though they at first looked
on me with some slight suspicion, yet when they saw that I
enjoyed their torchlight fishing, and entered fully into the spirit
of it, they soon treated me with all consideration and as one of
themselves. I happened to know one or two of the men ; and
after it was over, and we were drying our drenched clothes in a
neighbouring bothy, it occurred to me to think of the river
bailiffs and watchers, several of whom I knew were employed on
that part of the stream, and I asked where they were, that they
did not interfere with the somewhat irregular proceeding in
which we had all been engaged. " 'Deed ay, sir, there are no
less than twelve baillies and offishers on the water here, but they
are mostly douce-like lads, and don't interfere much with us, as
we only come once or twice in the season. Besides which, they
ken well that if they did they might get a wild ducking amongst
us all, and they would na ken us again, as we all come from
beyont the braes yonder. Not that we would wish to hurt the
puir chiels," continued my informer, as he took off a glass of
whisky, " as they would be but doing their duty. They would
as lave, however, I am thinking, be taking a quiet dram at Sandy

CHAP, vi.] ANGLING. 59

Roy's down yonder aa getting a ducking in the river ; and they
are wise enough not to run the risk of it." Not bad reasoning
either, thought I ; nor can I wonder that the poor water-bailiff's
would prefer a quiet bowl of toddy to a row with a party of wild
Badenoch poachers, who, though good-natured enough on the
whole, were determined to have their night's fun out in spite of
all opposition. There are worse poachers, too, than these said
Highlanders, who only come down now and then more for the
amusement than the profit of the thing ; and whom it is generally
better policy to keep friends with than to make enemies of.

The ponderous lexicographer, who describes a fishing-rod as a
stick with a fool at one end, and a worm at the other, displays in
this saying more wit than wisdom. Not that I quite go the
whole length of my quaint and amiable old friend, Isaac Walton,
who implies in every page of his paragon of a book, that the art
of angling is the summum bonum of happiness, and that an
angler must needs be the best of men. I do believe, however,
that no determined angler can be naturally a bad or vicious man.
No man who enters into the silent communings with Nature,
whose beauties he must be constantly surrounded by, and familiar
with during his ramblings as an angler, can fail to be improved
in mind and disposition during his solitary wanderings amongst
the most lovely and romantic works of the creation, in the wild
Highland glens and mountains through which the best streams
take their course. 1 do not include in my term angler, the pond
or punt fisher, however well versed he may be in the arts of
spitting worms and impaling frogs, so learnedly discussed by
Isaac — notwithstanding the kindliness and simplicity of heart so
conspicuous in every line he writes. Angling in my sense of
the word implies, wandering with rod and creel in the wild soli-
tudes, and tempting (or endeavouring to do so) the fish from
their clear water, with artificial fly or minnow. Nothing can
be more unlike the " worm " described as forming one end of
the thing called a fishing-rod, than the gay and gaudy collection
of feathers and tinsel which form the attraction of a Findhorn
fly. Let us look at the salmon-fly, which I have just finished,
and which now lies on the table before me, ready for trial in
some clear pool of the river. To begin : I tie with well-waxed
silk a portion of silkworms' intestines on a highly-tempered and

60 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. vi.

finished Limerick-made hook. Here are three different sub-
stances brought into play already. I next begin at the tail of
the fly : first come two turns of gold thread, then a tenth part of
an inch of red floss-silk ; next comes the tail, consisting of a
bright gold feather from the crest of the golden pheasant. The
body is now to be made of, alternately, a stripe of green, a stripe
of blue, and the remainder of orange-coloured floss-silk, with a
double binding of gold thread and silver tinsel ; the legs are
made of a black barn-door cock's hackle, taken from him, in
winter, when the bird is in full plumage ; next to the wing comes
a turn of grouse's feather, and two or three turns of the purple-
black feather which is pendant on the breast of an old cock heron.
Now for the wing, which is composed of a mixture of feathers from
the mallard killed in this country ; from the teal drake, also a
native ; from the turkey-cock ; the bustard, from India ; a stripe
or two of green parrot ; a little of the tippet of the gold pheasant ;
a thread or two from the peacock's tail ; a bit from the Argus
pheasant, and from the tail of a common hen pheasant : all these
mixed and blended together form an irresistible wing. Round the
shoulder of the wing a turn of the blue and black feather off a
jay's wing. For the head, a small portion of that substance called
pig's wool, so mysterious to the uninitiated, pigs not being the
usual animals from which wool is supposed to be derived ; then
finished off with a few turns of black ostrich feather ; not forget-
ting that finish to the whole, two horns of red and blue macaw's
feather. Now, all this makes a fly, either of the dragon or some
other species, which no salmon who is in a taking mood (one
can hardly suppose he swallows it out of hunger) can resist.
See the gallant fish, as he rises suddenly up from the dark depths
of the pool, poises himself for a moment, as the fly hovers before
him, in the twirling eddy, then darts forward, seizes the gaudy
bait, and retreats again, apparently well satisfied with his skill
in fly-catching, till lie suddenly finds himself pulled up, and held
fast by the unexpected strength of the insect. I suspect that a
salmon, after a quarter of an hour's struggle on a line, would
scarcely call the fisherman at the other end " a fool," even if he
took the fly to be some newly discovered glittering worm.
Skill in fly-fishing can only be acquired by practice, and no
directions can make a good angler. And even when fairly

CHAP, vi.] FLY-FISHING. 61

hooked, a salmon is only to be held by a happy mixture of the
suaviter in modo and fortiter in re, which keeps the line at a
gentle but firm stretch, from which he cannot escape by dint
of straightforward pulling — to which the skilful fisher must
gradually yield, to prevent too much strain on his slight line.
Nor, on the other hand, ought the fish to be allowed, by the
angler slackening the line, to get a sudden jerk at it, by means
of a fresh rush, as few lines or hooks can stand this. In fishing
for sea-trout, I always kill the largest fish, and the greatest
number, by using small flies, though certainly too small hooks
are apt to lead to disappointment, by not taking sufficient hold of
this tender-skinned fish. As all rivers require different flies for
sea-trout, no general rule can be given, but I never find myself
unable to catch trout, if there are any in the water, and I use
either a small palmer, red, black, or white, and if these do not
succeed, I try a small fly with black or blue body, a turn or two
of silver twist, no hackle round the body, but a little black
hackle immediately under the wings, which latter consist of
lark's or hen blackbird's feather, or that of some other bird of a
similar pale grey colour. I have often been amused by being
told gravely by some fishing-tackle maker in a country-town,
when showing him one of these simple flies. " Why, sir, that
fly may do now and then, but it is not fit for this river, and I am
afraid, sir, you will catch nothing with it." His own stock of
flies, which he wants to sell, being all of one kind probably, and
which he has managed to convince himself and others are the
only sort the fish in the neighbouring stream will rise at. I
remember one day on the Findhorn when the fish would not
rise at a fly, although they were leaping in all directions. I put
on a small white fly and filled my basket, to the astonishment of
two or three habitues of the river, who could catch nothing.
Having watched me some time, and not being able to make out
why I had such good sport, they begged to look at my fly. They
scarcely believed their own eyes when I showed them my little
white moth, which the sea-trout were rising at so greedily ; it
being so unlike the flies which from habit and prejudice they had
been always accustomed to use.

I was much interested one day in May, in watching the thou-
sands of small eels which were making their way up the river.

62 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. vi.

It was some distance from the mouth, and where the stream,
confined by a narrow rocky channel, ran with great strength.
Nevertheless these little eels, which were about six inches long,
and as large round as a quill, persevered in swimming against
the stream. When they came to a fall, where they could not
possibly ascend, they wriggled out of the water, and gliding
along the rock close to the edge, where the stone was constantly
wet from the splashing and spray of the fall, they made their
way up till they got above the difficulty, and then again slipping
into the water, they continued their course. For several hours
there was a continued succession of these little fish going up in
the same way ; and for more than a week, the same thing was
to be seen every day. The perseverance they displayed was
very great, for frequently, although washed back several times,
an eel would always continue its efforts till it managed to ascend.
Towards winter they are said to descend the river again, in equal
numbers. Trout and many birds feed constantly on these small
eels, catching them with great ease in the shallows.

One summer day I was amused by watching the singular pro-
ceedings of two lampreys in a small ditch of clear running water
near my house. They were about six inches in length, and as
large round as a pencil. The two little creatures were most
busily and anxiously employed in making little triangular heaps
of stones, using for the purpose irregularly shaped bits of gravel
about the size of a large pea. When they wished to move a
larger stone, they helped each other in endeavouring to roll it
into the desired situation : occasionally they both left off their
labours and appeared to rest for a short time, and then to return
to the work with fresh vigour. The object of their building I
am not sufficiently learned in the natural history of the lamprey
to divine ; but I conclude that their work had something to do
with the placing of their spawn. I had, however, a good oppor-
tunity of watching them, as the water was quite clear and shal-
low, and they were so intent upon what they were at, that they
took no notice whatever of me. I had intended to examine the
little heaps of stones which they had made, but going from home
the next day put it out of my recollection, and I lost the oppor-
tunity. It seems, however, so singular a manreuvre on the part
of fish to build up regular little pyramids of gravel, bringing

CHAP, vi.] LAMPKEYS. 63

some of the stones from the distance of two feet against the
current and rolling them to the place with evident difficulty,
that the lampreys must have some good reason which induces
them to take this trouble. It is a great pity that the habits of
fish and animals living in water are so difficult to observe with
any degree of exactness.

64 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. rn.

CHAPTER VII.

Short-eared Owl: Habits of— Long-eared Owl— Tame Owl— White Owl —
Utility of Owls — Mice — Rats : Destructiveness of — Water Rats : Food of
— Killing Rats — Ratcatchers.

AMONGST the migratory birds that pass the winter in this coun-
try is the short-eared owl, Stryx brachyotus : it arrives in
October, sometimes in flights of some number. I have heard
from perfectly good authority of sixteen or seventeen of these
birds having been found in one turnip-field on the east coast,
evidently having just arrived. It is a long-winged bird, and
more active in its manner of flight than most of the other owls,
nor is it so completely nocturnal. I saw one of this kind hunt-
ing a rushy field and regularly beating it for prey at midday.
The owl was so intent on his pursuit that he flew straight in
my direction and nearly close to me before he observed me.
When he did so, he darted off with great quickness and with a
most hawk-like flight, but too late to escape. I killed him
(though it is against my usual rule to shoot at an owl) because
he appeared to me to be of a different species from any with
which I was acquainted. Before I shot him he had put up and
made a dash at a snipe, but did not follow up his pursuit, pro-
bably perceiving that it would be useless. I have very frequently
flushed this kind of o\vl in rushes, furze, and other low cover.
When put up, instead of being distressed and confused by the
light of the sun, he flies boldly and steadily away. Sometimes
I have seen one, when put up, rise high in the air and fly
straight away until I could no longer distinguish him.

The owls that breed here are the long-eared owl, the tawney
owl, and the barn-owl : the latter, though so common in Eng-
land, is by far the rarest in this country.

The long-eared owl is a fine bold bird, and his bright yellow
eye gives him a peculiarly handsome appearance : altogether he
is of a lighter make and more active than the other owls ; they

CHAP. TIL] DOMESTICATED OWL. 85

are very common in the shady fir-woods. I often see this bird
sitting on a branch close to the stem of the tree, and depending
on the exact similitude of his colour to that of the bark, he sits
motionless with his bright golden eye watching earnestly every
movement I make. If he fancies himself observed, and likely
to be molested, down he dashes, flies a hundred yards or so, and
then suddenly pitches again. His long ears and bright eyes
give him a most unbirdlike appearance as he sits watching one.
As soon as evening comes on, the owl issues forth in full life and
activity, and in the woods here may be seen and heard in all
directions, sitting on the topmost branch of some leafless tree,
generally a larch or ash (these two being his favourites), where
he hoots incessantly for an hour together, swelling his throat
out, and making the eccentric motions of a pouter pigeon. They
breed in rocks, ivy, or in the deserted nest of a magpie.

I do not know why, but I never could succeed in rearing one
of these birds — they have invariably died, without any apparent
cause, before their first year was over. Not so with the tawny
owl. One of these birds has been in my kitchen-garden for
three years. Though his wing is sometimes cut, he can fly suffi-
ciently to get over the wall, but seldom ventures beyond the
adjoining flower-garden or orchard. From habit or tameness
this bird seems to pay little regard to sunshine or shade, sitting
during the daytime as indifferently in the mo.-t open and exposed
places as in the more shaded corners: he is quite tame too. and
answers to the call of the children. lie hoots as vigorously at
midday as at night, and will take a bird from my hand when
offered to him. Although his flight has been impeded by his
wing being cut, he seems to have entirely cleared the garden of
mice, with which it was much overrun. Though a light bird,
and not apparently very strongly built, his sharp claws and bill
enable him to tear to pieces any crow or sea-gull that is offered
to him. When he has had his meal oft' some large bird of this
kind, and has satisfied his appetite, he carries away and carefully
hides the remainder, returning to it when a^ain hungry. I do
not know whether the owl, when at. liberty in his native woods,
has the same fox-like propensity to hide what he cannot eat. I
have frequently heard this kind of owl hoot and utter another

66 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. VH.

sharp kind of cry during the daytime in the shady solitudes of
the pine-woods.

The white or barn-owl is rare here, and very seldom seen. I
believe him to have been almost eradicated by traps and keepers.

With regard to the mischief done by owls, all the harm they
do is amply repaid by their utility in destroying a much more
serious nuisance in the shape not only of the different kinds of
mice, but of rats also, these animals being their principal food
and the prey which they are most adapted for catching.

I knew an instance where the owls having been nearly de-
stroyed by the numerous pole-traps placed about the fields for
the destruction of them and the hawks, the rats and mice in-
creased to such an extent on the disappearance of these their
worst enemies, and committed such havoc among the nursery-
gardens, farm-buildings, &c., that the proprietor was obliged to
have all the pole-traps taken down, and the owls having been
allowed to increase again, the rats and mice as quickly dimi-
nished in number. When the long-eared owls have young, they
are not particular as to what they prey upon, and I have found
the remains of many different kinds of game about their nests.

The wings of the owl are peculiarly adapted for seizing their
sharp-eared prey with silence : were it otherwise, from not
having the rapidity of the hawk and other birds of prey, the owl
would have little chance of catching the active little mouse.
As it is, he comes silently and surely near the ground, and
dropping down on the unfortunate mouse, surrounds it with his
wings, and grasping it in his sharp and powerful claws, soon
puts an end to the little animal. The wings are fringed with
a downy texture, which makes his flight quite inaudible on the
calmest night. The numbers of mice destroyed by a breeding
pair of owls must be enormous, and the service they perform by
so doing very great to the farmer, the planter, and the gardener.
Though neither cats nor owls ever eat the little shrew-mouse,
they always strike and kill it when opportunity offers, leaving
the animal on the spot. What there is so obnoxious to all
animals of prey in this little creature it is impossible to say.
Besides the shrew we have the common house-mouse, the short-
cared mouse, and that beautiful bright-eyed kind the long-tailed

CHAP, vii.] OWLS— RATS AND MICE. 67

field-mouse. The last is very destructive to the garden-seeds,
and without the assistance of the owls would be kept under with
great difficulty. The large-headed, short-eared mouse is not so
pretty an animal, but equally destructive, taking great delight in
sweet peas and other seeds : they also climb the peach-trees and
destroy great quantities of the fruit. A fig-tree this year, when
its winter covering of straw was taken off, was found to be
entirely barked and all the shoots eaten off by these mice. The
shrew-mouse has the same propensity for barking trees. I have
known the former kind, indeed, destroy Scotch fir-trees of the
height of fifteen or sixteen feet by nibbling and peeling the top-
most shoot till the tree gradually withered away. The quan-
tities of acorns and other seeds that the long-tailed field-mice
hoard up for their winter use show that, were they allowed to
increase, the mischief they would do would be incalculable ;
and undoubtedly the best way of getting rid of all mice is to
preserve and encourage owls. The long-tailed field-mouse has
great capabilities as a digger, and in making his hole carries up
an incredible quantity of earth and gravel in a very short time.
When the weather is cold they close up the mouth of their hole
with great care. They seem to produce their young not under-
ground, but in a comfortable, well-built nest, formed in the
shape of a ball, with a small entrance on one side. As it is
built of the same material as the surrounding herbage, and the
entrance is closed up, it is not easily seen.

Everybody must be glad to encourage any animal that kills a
rat. and the owls are the most determined enemies to this, the
most disgusting and obnoxious animal which we have in this
country. For what can be so sickening as to know that these
animals come direct from devouring and revelling in the foulest
garbage in the drains of your house, to the larder where your
own provisions are kept ; and, fresh from their stinking and filthy
banquet, run over your meat with their clammy paws, and gnaw
at your bread with their foul teeth ? what cleansing and washing
can wipe away their traces? Nothing will keep out these
animals when they have once established themselves in a house.
They gnaw through stone, lead, or almost anything. They may
be extirpated for a time, but you suddenly find yourself invaded
by a fresh army. Some old rats, t(x>, acquire such a carnivorous

F 2

G8 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS, [CHAP. VIT.

appetite, that fowls and ducks, old or young, pigeons, rabbits, —
all fall a prey to them. Adepts in climbing as well as in under-
mining, they get at everything, dead or alive. They reach
game, although hung most carefully in a larder, by climbing the
wall, and clinging to beam or rope till they get at it ; they then
devour and destroy all that can be reached. I have frequently
known them in this manner destroy a larder fijjl of game in a
single night. They seem to commence with the hjnd legs_ of the
hares, and to eat downwards, hollowing the animal out as it hangs
up, till nothing but the skin is left. In the fields, to which the
rats betake themselves in the summer time, not only corn, but
game, and eggs of all kinds, fall to their share.

Mr. Waterton says that no house in England has more suffered
from the Hanoverian rats than his own ; I don't doubt it — in
every sense. The poor water-rat is a comparatively harmless
animal, feeding principally upon herbage, not refusing, however,
fish, or even toads, when they come in its way. The succulent
grasses that grow by the sides of ditches, seem to form its chief
food during the summer season. Early in the spring, before these
grasses are well grown, the water-rat preys much on toads. I have
found little piles of the feet, and remains of several of these animals,
near the edge of water frequented by these rats, which they seem
to have collected together in certain places, and left there. I have
known the water-rat do great damage to artificial dams and the
heads of .ponds, by undermining them, and boring holes in every
direction through them, below the water-mark, as well as above
it. The water-rat has peculiarly sensitive organs of scent, and
it is therefore almost impossible to trap him, as he is sure to dis-
cover the taint of the human hand. Cunning as the house-rat
is, this kind is much more so. Though the former may be in a
measure kept down by constant trapping, it is a troublesome
method, and there are sure to be some cunning old patriarchs
who will not enter any kind of trap. I believe that the best kind
of trap in a house is the common gin. laid open and uncovered
in their runs. They then do not seem to suspect any danger,
but when the trap is covered they are sure to detect its presence,
and, like all wild animals, they are much more cautious in avoid-
ing a concealed danger than an open one. Poison is the best
means of getting rid of them, and the manner of applying; it is as

*"/.

CHAP, vn.] RATS. 69

follows : — For the space of a fortnight feed the rats with good
wholesome meal and water in some quiet room or cellar accessible
to all these troublesome inmates of your house. At first two or
three rats may find it out ; these are sure to lead others to the
place, till the whole company of freebooters go for their share.
As soon as you see that they seem to have collected in numbers
in your feeding-room, season your meal with plenty of arsenic,
and you may be pretty sure of its being all devoured. Continue
giving them this till you find no more come, and by that time
probably there are none left alive in the house. The only danger
is, that some of them may die behind the wainscots of your
rooms, in which case you must either open the place and search
till you find the dead animal, or you must vacate that room till
the dreadful stench is over. That rats carry off hens' and even
turkeys' eggs to some considerable distance is a fact ; how they
accomplish this feat I should like to know, as they do it without
breaking the shell, or -leaving any mark upon it. A crow or
magpie, Columbus like, shortens the difficulty by sticking the
lower mandible of his bill into a hen's egg when he wants to
carry it off, but this is beyond a rat's capabilities ; nevertheless,
eggs form one of their favourite repasts. The increase of rats,
if left to breed in peace, would exceed that of almost any other
animal, as they produce broods of six or eight young ones in
rapid succession, throughout the greatest part of the year. In
building a nest for her young, the female carries off every soft
substance which she can find ; pieces of lace, cloth, and above
all, paper, seem to be her favourite lining.

The natural destroyers in this country of this obnoxious animal
seem to be, the hen-harrier, the falcon, the long-eared and the
tawny owl, cats, weasels, and stoats ; and, ante omncs, boys of
every age and grade wage war to the knife against rats, where-
ever and whenever they can find them.

As for rat-catchers — find me an honest one, and I will forfeit
my name. I would as soon admit a colony of rats themselves,
as one of these gentry to my house, — not but what I have amused
myself by learning slight tricks of the trade from one of these
representatives of roguery and unblushing effrontery, but, fas est
et ab hoste doceri. Rats swarm about the small towns in this
countrv where the herrings are cured, living amongst the stones

70 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. ICHAP. vn.

of the harbours and rocks on the shore, and issuing out in great
numbers towards nightfall, to feed on, the stinking remains of
the fish.

They have been seen migrating from these places at the end
of the fishing-season in compact bodies and in immense numbers.
They then spread themselves, an invading host, amongst the
farm-houses and stack-yards in the neighbourhood ; repairing
again to the coast for the benefit of a fish diet and sea air, when
their wonderful instinct tells them that the fishing-season has
again commenced. But I really must finish the subject, or my
reader will be as tired as I am myself of these accounts of the
unprincipled greediness and voracity of the Hanoverian or Grey
Rat, who has made for itself a home in this country, after nearly
extirpating the original indigenous and much less vile race of
British rats.

CHAP, viii.] CROSSBILLS. 71

CHAPTER VIII.

Crossbills: Habits of; Nest — Snowy Owl — Great-eared Owl — Hoopoe —
Shrike — Tawny and Snow Bunting — Lizards — Singular Pets — Toads :
Utility of; Combats of— Adders— Dog and Snakes — Large Snake— Blind-
Worm.

WHILST walking through the extensive fir and larch woods in
this neighbourhood, I am often much amused by the proceedings
of those curious little birds the crossbills. They pass incessantly
from tree to tree with a jerking quick flight in search of their
food, which consists of the seeds of the fir and larch. They ex-
tract these from the cones with the greatest skill and rapidity,
holding the cone in one foot, and cutting it up quickly and tho-
roughly with their powerful beak, which they use much after the
manner of a pair of scissors. When the flock has stripped one
tree of all the sound cones, they simultaneously take wing,
uttering at the same time a sharp harsh chattering cry. Sometimes
they fly off to a considerable height, and after wheeling about
for a short time, suddenly alight again on some prolific-looking
tree, over which they disperse immediately, hanging and swinging
about the branches and twigs, cutting off the cones, a great many of
which they fling to the ground, often with a kind of impatient
jerk. These cones, I conclude, are without any ripe seed. They
continue uttering a constant chirping while in search of their
fo<xl on the branches. I have never succeeded in finding the
nest of the crossbill, though I am confident that they breed in
this country, having seen the birds during every month of ,tlie
year, so that either some barren ones must remain, or they hatch
their young here. The nest lias been described to me as placed
at a considerable height from the ground, at the junction of some
large branch with the main stem.

The crossbill itself is a busy, singular-looking little fellow, as
he flits to and fro, or climbs, parrot-like, up and down the
branches ; and the cock, with his red plumage shining in the

?2 WILD SPORTS OP THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP, vm.

sun, has more the appearance of some Eastern or tropical bird
than any other of our sober northern finches. When engaged
in feeding, these birds are often so intent on their occupation that
they will allow a horsehair snare, attached to the end of a long
twig, to be slipped round their necks before they fly away. In
captivity they are very tame, but restless, and are constantly
tearing with their strong mandibles at the woodwork and wires
of their cage.

Altogether the crossbill is a gay> lively bird, and, I hope,
likely to increase and become a regular inhabitant of this
country, as the numerous plantations of fir and larch which are
daily being laid out, afford them plenty of their favourite and
natural food.

The eastern coast of Scotland, owing to its .proximity to
Sweden and Norway, and also to the great prevalence of easterly
winds, is often visited by foreign birds. Amongst these is that
splendid stranger the snowy owl, who occasionally is blown over
to our coast from his native fastnesses amongst the mountains and
forests of the north of Europe. Now and then one of these
birds is killed here, and I was told of one having been seen two
or three years back on part of the ground rented by me. He
was sitting on a high piece of muirland, and at a distance
looked, said my informant, " like a milestone." This bird was
pursued for some hours, but was not killed. The snowy owl
has been also seen, to the astonishment of the fisherman or bent-
puller, on the sand-hills, where he finds plenty of food amongst
the rabbits that abound there. One was winged in that district
a few years ago, and lived for some time in confinement. He
was a particularly fine old bird, with perfect plumage, and of a
great size. I am much inclined to think that the great-eared
owl, Strix bubo, is also occasionally a visitor to the wildest
parts of this district. A man described to me a large bird,
which he called an eagle. The bird was sitting on a fir-tree,
and his attention was called to it by the grey crows uttering
their cries of alarm and war. He went up to the tree, and close
above his head sat a great bird, with large staring yellow eyes,
as bright (so he expressed it) as two brass buttons. The man
stooped to pick up a stone or stick, and the bird dashed off the
tree into the recesses of the wood, and was not seen again. 1

CHAP, vui.] MIGRATORY BIRDS. 73

have no doubt that, instead of an eagle, as he supposed it to
be, it was the great Strix bubo. The colour of its eyes, the
situation the bird was in on the branch of a tall fir-tree, and its
remaining quiet until the man approached so close to it, all con-
vince me that it must have been the great owl, whose loud mid-
night hootings disturb the solitude of the German forests, giving
additional weight to the legends and superstitions of the peasants
of that country, inclined as they are to belief in supernatural
sounds and apparitions.

The hoopoe has been killed in the east of Sutherlandshire, on
the bent-hills near Dornock, and so also has the rose-coloured
ousel. These birds must have been driven over by the east
winds, as neither of them are inhabitants of Britain. Indeed,
many a rare and foreign bird may visit the uninhabited and
desert tracts of bent and sand along the east coast without being
observed, excepting quite by chance ; and the probability is, that
nine persons out of ten who might see a strange bird would take
no notice of it.

Last winter I saw a great ash-coloured shrike or butcher-bird
in my orchard. The gardener told me that he had seen it for
some hours in pursuit of the small birds, and I found lying about
the walls two or three chaffinches, which had been killed and
partly eaten, in a style unlike the performance of any bird of
prey that I am acquainted with ; so much so, indeed, that before
I saw the butcher-bird, my attention was called to their dead
bodies by the curious manner in which they seemed to have been
pulled to pieces. Having watched the bird for a short time as
he sat perched on an apple-tree very near me, I went in for my
gun, but did not see him again. The tawny bunting and the
siK)w-bunling visit us in large flocks, especially the latter, which
birds remain here during the whole winter, appearing in greater
or lesser flocks according to the temperature. In severe weather
the fields near the sea-shore, and the shore itself, are sometimes
nearly covered by them. When the snow-buntings first arrive,
in October and November, they are of a much darker colour
than they are afterwards as the winter advances. If there is
much snow, they put on a white plumage immediately. I do not
know how this change of colour is effected, but it is very visible,
and appears to depend entirely on the severity of the season.

74 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP, vm

They feed a great deal on the shore. When flying they keep in
close rank, but as soon as they alight the whole company instantly
disperse, and run (not jump, like many small birds) quickly
about in search of their food, which consists principally of small
insects and minute seeds. They often pitch to look for these on
the barest parts of the sand-hills, the dry sands always producing
a number of small flies and beetles. So tine and dry is the sand
which composes the hillocks and plains of that curious district,
that every beetle and fly that walks or crawls over its surface in
calm and dry weather leaves its track as distinctly marked on
the finely pulverised particles, as the rabbit or hare does on
snow. The foot-prints of the lizards, which abound there, are
very neatly and distinctly marked, till the first breath of wind
drifting the sand erases the impressions. One of my children
brought home a large lizard one day, and put it into a box, intend-
ing to keep it as a pet ; boys having strange tastes in the animals
which they select as favourites. I remember that when I was a
boy at school, I was the owner of three living pets — a rat, a bat.
and a snake, all of which lived and flourished for some months
under my tender care, notwithstanding the occasional edicts sent
forth from head-quarters against any living animal whatever
being kept in the school-room. But to return to the lizard in
the box. The next morning, to the children's great delight, the
lizard had become much reduced in circumference, but had pro-
duced four young ones, who were apparently in full and vigorous
enjoyment of life. They were voted, at a consultation of the
children, to be entitled to, and worthy of liberty, and were all
(mother and children) carefully put into the garden, in a sunny
corner under the wall. For my own part, I can see nothing
more disgusting in animals usually called reptiles, such as lizards
and toads, than in any other living creatures. A toad is a most
useful member of society, and deserves the freedom of all flori-
cultural societies, as well as entire immunity from all the pains and
penalties which he undergoes at the hands of the ignorant and
vulgar. In hotbeds and hothouses he is extremely useful, and
many gardeners take great care of toads in these places, where
they do good service by destroying beetles and other insects. In
the flower-beds too they are of similar use. Of quiet and do-
mestic habits, the toad seldom seems to wander far from his

CHAP. Tin.] TOADS— ADDERS. 75

seat or form under a loose stone* or at the foot of a fruit-lree or
box-edging. There are several habitues of this species in my
garden, whom I always see in their respective places during the
middle of the day. In the evening they issue out in search of
their prey. I found a toad one clay caught by the leg in a horse-
hair snare which had been placed for birds. The animal, not-
withstanding the usual placid and phlegmatic demeanour of its
race, seemed to be in a perfect fury, struggling and scratching
at everj thing within his reach, apparently much more in anger
than fear. Like many other individuals of quiet exterior, toads
are liable to great fits of passion and anger, as is seen in the
pools during April, when five or six will contend for the good
graces of their sultanas with a fury and pertinacity that is quite
wonderful, fighting and struggling for hours together. And
where a road intervenes between two ditches, I have seen the
battle carried on even in the dry dust, till the rival toads, in
spite of their natural aquatic propensities, became perfectly dry
and covered with sand, and in this powdered state will they con-
tinue fighting, regardless of the heat, which shrivels up their
skin, or of passers by, who may tread on them and maim them,
but cannot stop their fighting. There is more character and
enertry in a toad than is supposed. After the young ones have
acquired their perfect shape, they appear to leave the water, and
frequently the roads and paths are so covered with minute but
well-formed toadlings, that it is impossible to put your foot down
without crushing some of them.

In some of the drier banks and hills in this country, there
are numerous adders ; like most other snakes, however, they
never willingly fly at people, only biting when trod upon or
taken hold of. I have had my dogs occasionally, but rarely,
bitten by adders. The swelling is very severe, and only reduced
after several hours' rubbing witli oil and laudanum. A retriever
of mine, having been bit by an adder, conceived the most deadly
hatred against them ever after, and killed a great number of them
without being again bit; his method was to snap quickly at the
adder, biting it in two almost instantaneously, and before the
reptile could retaliate. A favourite amusement of this dog, when
he was in Sussex with me some time afterwards, used to be
hunting the hedgerows for snakes and adders. He made a most

76 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. vm.

marked distinction between the two, killing the former quietly
and without hurry, but whenever he found an adder, he darted
on it with a perfect frenzy of rage, at the same time always ma-
naging to escape the fangs of the venomous reptile, quickly as
it can use them. The poisonous teeth of the adder greatly re-
semble the talons of a cat in shape, and can be raised or laid flat
on the jaw according to the wish of their owner ; indeed, the
fangs of the adder, which are hollow throughout, are only raised
when he is angry, and in self-defence. The common snake, which
is quite harmless, has no such teeth. There are stories among
the peasants, of adders being seen in Darnaway Forest, of great
size and length, measuring five or six feet, but I do not believe
that there are any larger than, the usual size.

I have never seen the Anguis fragilis, or blind-worm, as it is
called, but once in this country, though I am told it is not un-
common ; a man brought me one last year which he had found
floating down the river after a flood, as if swept off some rock by
the sudden rise of the water. I mentioned the circumstance to
some of my acquaintance, but could find no one who had either
seen or heard of such a creature in this country. This one was
alive when brought to me, but had received a cut which nearly
divided its body in two, so that it did not long survive.

Amongst the rare feathered visitors to these woods, I forgot to
mention the spotted woodpecker, Picits meditis, which bird I
killed in Inverness-shire ; I was attracted to the spot, where he
was clinging to the topmost shoot of a larch-tree, by hearing his
strange harsh cry.

CHAP, ix.] INSTINCT OF BIRDS.

CHAPTER IX.

On the Peculiarities and Instinct of different Animals — Eggs of Birds —
Nests — Feeding habits — The Beaks of Birds — Wings of Owl— Instinct in
finding Food — Ravens — Knowledge of Change of Weather — Fish.

THERE are two birds, which although wild and unapproachable
at every other time, throw themselves during the breeding-season
on the mercy and protection of man : these are the wood-pigeon
and the missel-thrush. Scarcely any bird is more wary than
the wood-pigeon at other times, yet in the spring there are
generally half a dozen nests in the most exposed places close to
my house, while the old birds sit tamely, and apparently devoid
of all fear, close to the windows ; they seem to have an instinctive
knowledge of places where they are allowed to go through the
business of incubation without being molested. In like manner,
the missel-thrush, though during the rest of the year it is
nearly impossible to get within a hundred yards of it, forms
its nest in the apple-trees close to the house : they build at a
height of six or seven feet, in the fork of the tree where the main
limbs branch off; and although their nest is large, it is so care-
fully constructed of materials resembling in colour the bark of
the tree, and is made to blend itself so gradually with the branches
as to show no distinct outline of a nest, and to render it very
difficult to discover ; and this bird, at other times so shy and
timid, sits so close on her eggs that she will almost allow herself
to be taken by the hand. The missel-thrushes on the approach
of a hawk give a loud cry of alarm, and then collecting all their
neighbours, lead them on to attack the common enemy, swooping
and striking fearlessly at him, till lie Is driven out of the vicinity
of their nests.

The observation of the different plans that birds adopt to avoid
the discovery and destruction of their egsjs, is by no means an
uninteresting study to the naturalist. There is far more of art
and cunning design in their manner of buililiuir. than the casual

78 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. ix.

observer would suppose, and this, even amongst the commonest
of our native birds. The wren, for instance, always adapts her
nest to the colour and appearance of the surrounding foliage, or
whatever else may be near the large and comfortable abode
which she forms for her tiny family. In a beech-hedge near the
house, in which the leaves of the last year still remain at the
time when the birds commence building, the wrens form the out-
side of their nests entirely of the withered leaves of the beech, so
that, large as it is, the passerby would never take it for anything
more than a chance collection of leaves heaped together, and
though the nest is as firm and strong as possible, they manage to
give it the look of a confused mass of leaves, instead of a round
and compact ball, which it really is. The wren also builds near
the ground, about the lower branches of shrubs which are over-
grown and surrounded with long grass : in these situations she
forms her nest of the long withered grass itself, and twines and
arches it over her roof, in a manner which would deceive the
eyes of any animal, excepting those of boys. When her nest is
built, as it often is, in a spruce fir-tree, she covers the outside
with green moss, which of all the substances she could select is
the one most resembling the foliage of the spruce : the interior
of the wren's nest is a perfect mass of feathers and soft sub-
stances.

The chaffinch builds usually in the apple-trees, whose lichen-
covered branches she imitates closely, by covering her nest with
the lichens and moss of a similar colour. Even her eggs are
much of the same hue. Sometimes this bird builds in the wall-
fruit trees, when she collects substances of exactly the same
colour as the wall itself.

The greenfinch, building amongst the green foliage of trees,
covers her nest with green moss, while her eggs resemble in
colour the lining on which they are laid. The yellow-hammer,
again, builds on or near the ground, and forming her nest out-
wardly of dried grass and fibres, like those by which it is sur-
rounded, lines it with horsehair ; her eggs too are not unlike in
colour to her nest — while the greenish brown of the bird herself
closely resembles the colour of the grass and twigs about her.

The little whitethroat builds her nest on the ground, at the
root of a tree or in long withered grass, and carefully arches it

CHAP, ix.] INSTINCT OF BIRDS. 79

over with the surrounding herbage, and to hide her little white
e«-£s, places a leaf in front of the entrance whenever she leaves

OO ' r

her nest. When the partridge quits her eggs for the purpose of
feeding, she covers them in the most careful manner, and even
closes up her run by which she goes to and fro through the sur-
rounding grass. The same plan is adopted by the wild duck,
who hides her eggs and nest by covering them with dead leaves,
sticks, and other substances, which she afterwards smooths care-
fully over so as entirely to conceal all traces of her dwelling.
There are several domesticated wild ducks, who build their nests
about the flower-beds and lawn near the windows — a privilege
they have usurped rather against the will of my gardener. Tame
as these birds are, it is almost impossible to catch them in the
act of going to or from their nests. They take every precaution
to escape observation, and will wait for a long time rather than
go to their nests if people are about the place.

The peewits, who lay their eggs on the open fields with
scarcely any nest, always manage to choose a spot where loose
stones or other substances of the same colour as their eggs are
scattered about. The terns lay their eggs in the same manner
amongst the shingle and gravel. So do the ring-dottrel, the
oyster-catcher, and several other birds of the same description ;
all of them selecting spots where the gravel resembles their eggs
in size and colour. Without these precautions, the grey crows
and other egg-eating birds would leave but few to be hatched.

The larger birds, the size of whose nests does not admit of
their concealment, generally take some precautions to add to
their safety. A raven, who builds in a tree, invariably fixes on
the one that is most difficult to climb. She takes up her abode
in one whose large size and smooth trunk, devoid of branches,
set at defiance the utmost efforts of the most expert climbers of
the village school. When she builds on a cliff', she fixes on a
niche protected by some projection of the rock from all attacks
both from above and below, at the same time choosing the most.
inaccessible part of the precipice. The falcon ami eaijle do the
same. The magpie seems to depend more on the fortification of
brambles and thorns with which she surrounds her nest than to
the situation which she fixes upon. There is one kind of swallow
which breeds very frequently about the caves and rocks on the

80 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. ix.

sea-shore here. It is almost impossible to distinguish the nest of
this bird, owing to her choosing some inequality of the rock to
hide the outline of her building, which is composed of mud and
clay of exactly the same colour as the rock itself.

In fine, though some birds build a more simple and exposed
nest than others, there are very few who do not take some pre-
caution for its safety, or whose eggs and young do not resemble
in colour the substances by which they are surrounded. The
care of the common rabbit, in concealing and smoothing over
the entrance of the hole where her young are deposited, is very
remarkable, and doubtless saves them from the attacks of almost
all their enemies, with the exception of the wily fox, whose fine
scent enables him to discover their exact situation, and who in
digging them out, instead of following the hole in his excavations,
discovers the exact spot under which they are, and then digs
down directly on them, thus saving himself a great deal of
labour.

The fox chooses the most unlikely places and holes to produce
her young cubs in ; generally in some deep and inaccessible earth,
where no digging can get at them, owing to the intervention of
rocks or roots of trees. I once, however, two years ago, found
three young foxes about two days old, laid in a comfortable nest
in some long heather, instead of the usual subterraneous situation
which the old one generally makes choice of. Deer and roe fix
upon the most lonely parts of the mountain or forest for the
habitation of their fawns, before they have strength to follow
their parents. I one day, some time ago, was watching a red-deer
hind with my glass, whose proceedings I did not understand, till .
I saw that she was engaged in licking a newly-born calf. I
walked up to the place, and as soon as the old deer saw me she
gave her young one a slight tap with her hoof. The little crea-
ture immediately laid itself down ; and when I came up I found
it lying with its head flat on the ground, its ears closely laid back,
and with all the attempts at concealment that one sees in animals
which have passed an apprenticeship to danger of some years,
whereas it had evidently not known the world for more than an
hour, being unable to run or escape. I lifted up the little crea-
ture, being half inclined to carry it home in order to rear it.
The mother stood at the distance of two hundred yards, stamping

CHAP, ix.] MATERNAL SOLICITUDE. 81

with her foot, exactly as a sheep would have done in a similar
situation. I, however, remembering the distance I had to carry
it, and fearing- that it might get hurt on the way, laid it down
again, and went on my way, to the great delight of its mother,
who almost immediately trotted up, and examined her progeny
carefully all over, appearing, like most other wild animals, to be
confident that her young and helpless offspring would be a safe-
guard to herself against the attacks of her otherwise worst enemy.
I have seen roe throw themselves in the way of danger, in order
to take my attention from their young. No animal is more
inclined to do battle for her young ones than the otter ; and I
have known an instance of an old female otter following a man
who was carrying off her young for a considerable distance,
almost disputing the way with him ; leaving the water, and
blowing at him in their peculiar manner ; till at last, having
no stick or other means of defence, he actually got so frightened
at her threats that he laid down the two young ones and went his
way. He returned presently with a stick he had found, but
both old and young had disappeared. Even a partridge will do
battle for her young. A hen partridge one day surprised me by
rushing out of some cover (through which I was passing by a
narrow path) and flying at a large dog who accompanied me ;
she actually spurred and pecked him, driving him several yards
along the road ; and this done, she ran at my heels like a barn-
door hen. As I passed, I saw her newly-hatched brood along
tho edge of the path. I have known a pheasant do exactly the
same tiling. Wild ducks, snipes, woodcocks, and many other
shy birds, will also throw themselves boldly within the reach of
destruction in defence of their young.

82 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. x.

CHAPTER X.

The Eagle : Habits ; Greediness ; Anecdotes of; Killing Eagles ; Trapping ;
Food of — The Peregrine Falcon : Manner of Hunting — Tame Falcon
Anecdotes of — Guinea-Hen and Ducks — The Osprey — The Kite:
Trapping— The Buzzard ; Nests and Habits of.

I SAW an eagle to-day passing southwards, apparently on his way
from the mountains of Sutherland or Caithness to the moresouthern
heights of the Grampians. The bird was flying very near the
ground, making his way against the wind, and pursued by a whole
squadron of grey crows, who had found out that he was a stranger,
and taking advantage of the unconcerned contempt with which
he treated their attacks, kept up a continual clamour and petty
warfare against the royal bird. The eagle, as lie came over the
more enclosed part of the country, flew higher, as if suspicious
of concealed foes amongst the hedges and enclosures. I have
almost every year during my stay in Morayshire seen the eagles
occasionally passing, at the beginning of winter invariably going
southwards, and again early in the spring on their return north-
wards ; in windy weather flying low, but when calm, cleaving
the air at a great height. The eagle's flight, when passing from
one point to another, is peculiarly expressive of strength and
vigour. He wends his way with deliberate strong strokes of his
powerful wing, every stroke apparently driving him on a con-
siderable distance, and in this manner advancing through the air
as rapidly as the pigeon or any other bird which may appear to
fly much more quickly.

Notwithstanding the facility with which he flies when once
fairly launched, like many other heavy birds, a very slight wound
disables him from rising into the air when on level ground.
Even after having gorged himself to excess (and there is no
greater glutton than this king of the air) the eagle is unable to
rise, and falls a victim occasionally to his want of moderation in
feeding1. When in Sutherlandshire I twice fell in with instances

CHAP, x.] EAGLES. 83

of eagles being knocked down when unable to rise from over-
eating. On one occasion a curious kind of character, who acted
the part of hanger-on to me in my deer-shooting excursions,
brought home an eagle, which he had killed with his stick before
it could rise from the ground. This man, who was dumb, and
was supposed (very erroneously) to be half-witted also, had a
great penchant for assisting in beating the woods for roe or deer ;
and from long acquaintance with the country, and from a pro-
pensity (very common to people similarly afflicted) for wandering
about, he had a perfect knowledge of every corner of the extensive
woods on the property, and also a most shrewd guess as to where
the deer would be lying, and in which direction they would break
cover. Though generally of a most morose and even malicious
temper, Muckle Thomas, as they called him, entertained a great
affection, in his way, for me ; and every morning was to be found
seated in front of the windows, smoking a solitary pipe, and wait-
ing to see if I wanted him. Though dumb, he was not deaf, and
understanding what was said to him, could make himself quite
intelligible by signs, assisting my comprehension by drawing, in
a rude way, figures on the ground with the long staff which he
invariably carried. One morning I had sent him to look in a
certain part of the woods to see if any deer's tracks were visible.
In an hour or two he returned with something large bundled up
in his plaid, which he opened, and cast down his load at my feet
with a look and grunt of triumph. After some explanatory
signs, &c., I found out that he had come on the eagle, who had
so completely gorged himself with a rotten sheep in the wood
that it could not rise.

Another instance occurred in the same country. A shepherd's
boy found an eagle gorging itself on some drowned sheep in a
watercourse, and being, like all herd-boys, as skilful as David in
the use of sling and stone, he had broken the eagle's pinion with
a pebble, and had actually stoned the poor bird to death. In
this case the eagle was taken at peculiar disadvantage, being
surprised in a deep rocky burn, out of which he would have had
difficulty in rising quickly, even if he had not dined so abun-
dantly. When wounded by shot, or even ufter escaping (but
maimed) from a trap, the eagle is often unable to rise. A curious
anecdote was told me by a friend. An eagle had been caught in

G 2

54 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. x.

a vermin-trap, and, by his struggles, had drawn the peg by which
the trap was fastened to the ground, and had flown away with it.
Nothing was seen for some weeks of eagle or trap, till one day
my friend seeing some strange object hanging from the branch
of a tree, went to examine what it was, and found the poor bird
hanging by his leg. which was firmly held by the trap. The
chain and peg had got fixed amongst the branches, and the poor
eagle had died miserably from starvation in this position, sus-
pended by the foot. Though certainly the eagles in some locali-
ties commit great havoc amongst the lambs, and also destroy the
grouse when no larger game offers itself, it would be a great
pity that this noble bird should become extinct in our Highland
districts, who, notwithstanding his carnivorous propensities, should
be rather preserved than exterminated. How picturesque he
looks, and how perfectly he represents the genius loci, as, perched
on some rocky point or withered tree, he sits unconcerned in
wind and storm, motionless and statue-like, with his keen, stern
eye, however, intently following every movement of the shepherd
or of the sportsman, who, deceived by his apparent disregard,
attempts to creep within rifle-shot. Long before he can reckon
on reaching so far with his bullet, the bird launches himself into
the air, and gradually sweeping upwards, wheels high out of shot,
leaving his enemy disappointed and vexed at having crept in vain
through bog and over rock in expectation of carrying home so
glorious a trophy of his skill. When intent on his game, the
eagle frequently will venture within a short distance of the
grouse-shooter or deer-stalker. I have seen him pounce (no,
that is not the proper word, for he rather rushes) down on a
pack of grouse, and, with outspread wings, he so puzzles and
confuses the birds, that he seizes and carries off two or three
before they know what has happened, and in the very face of the
astonished sportsman and his dogs. The mountain hare, too, is
carried off by the eagle with as much apparent ease as the mouse
is borne away by the kestrel.

The marten and the wild cat are favourite morsels. A tame
eagle which I kept for some time killed all the cats about the
place. Sitting motionless on his perch, he waited quietly and
seemingly unheeding till the unfortunate animal came within
reach of his chain. Then down he flew, and surrounding th*1

CHAP. x.J PEREGRINE FALCON. 85

cat with his wings, seized her in his powerful talons, with one
foot planted firmly on her loins, and the other on her throat ;
and nothing more was seen of poor Grimalkin except her skin,
which the eagle left empty and turned inside out, like a rabbit-
skin hung up by the cook, the whole of the carcass, bones and
all, being stowed away in the bird's capacious maw. The quan-
tity of meat taken from the stomach of an eagle killed on the
mountain is sometimes perfectly incredible. I regret not having
taken a note of the weight of mutton I once saw taken out of one
I shot.

We are occasionally visited, too, by the peregrine falcon, who
makes sad havoc in the poultry-yard when he appears here.
There is a nest of these birds always built in the inaccessible
rocks of the Findhorn. Indeed, in the good old days of hawk-
ing, when a gentleman was known by his hawk and hound, and
even a lady seldom went abroad without a hawk on her gloved
hand, the Findhorn hawks were always in great request. The
peregrine seems often to strike down birds for his amusement ;
and I have seen one knock down and kill two rooks, who were
unlucky enough to cross his flight, without taking the trouble to
look at them after they fell. In the plain country near the sea-
shore the peregrine frequently pursues the peewits and other
birds that frequent the coast. The golden-plover, too, is a
favourite prev, and affords the hawk a severe chace before he is
caught. I have seen a pursuit of this kind last for nearly ten
minutes, the plover turning and doubling like a hare before
greyhounds, at one moment darting like an arrow into the air,
high above the falcon's head ; at the next, sweeping round some
bush or headland — but in vain. The hawk, with steady, relent-
less flight, without seeming to hurry herself, never gives up the
chace. till the poor plover, seemingly quite exhausted, slackens
her pace, and is caught by the hawk's talons in mid-air, and
carried off to a convenient hillock or stone to be quietly devoured.
Two years ago I brought a young peregrine falcon down from
near the source of the Findhorn, where I found her in the pos-
session of a shepherd's boy, .who fed her wholly on trout. For
the first year the bin! was of a dark brown colour above, with
longitudinal spots on the feathers of her breast. On changing
her plumage during the second autumn of her existence, she

8S WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. x.

became of a most beautiful dark slate colour above, and the spots
on her breast turned into cross-bars, every feather being barred
with black ; her throat became of a beautiful cream colour.
With great strength, she is possessed of the most determined
courage, and will attack any person or dog whom she takes a
dislike to. Her poultry-killing propensities oblige me to keep
her chained in the kitchen-garden, where no other bird, except a
tame owl, resides. The owl she appears to tolerate with great
good-nature, and even allows him to carry off any remains of
pigeon or crow that she leaves after she has satisfied her hunger.
One day an unfortunate duck strayed within reach of her chain,
and was immediately pounced on and devoured, leaving a nume-
rous family of ducklings to mourn her loss.

A curious stepmother took them in hand, however. A Guinea-
fowl, whose mate had been condemned to death for killing young
poultry, took compassion on the orphan ducklings, and led them
about, calling them, and tending them with as much or more
care than their deceased parent. It was a most singular sight
to see the Guinea-fowl quite changing her natural habits, and
walking about followed by a brood of young ducks. She never
left them fora moment, excepting when she retired to her nest to
lay ; and even then, if the ducks uttered any cry of alarm, on
the approach of dog or children, their stepmother came flying
over bushes and fences in a most furious hurry. Indeed she be-
came quite the terror of the children, running after them and
pecking their legs if they came too near to her adopted brood ;
although at other times she was rather a wild and shy bird. The
ducks had a habit of hunting for worms in the dusk of the even-
ing, and the poor Guinea-hen, much against her inclination and
natural propensities, thought it necessary always to accompany
them. Frequently tired out, she used to fly up to roost, but
always kept her eye on the young ducks, and on the least alarm
came bustling down to protect them if she thought it necessary,
at any hour of the night. A pugnacious cock at another time
was rash enough to attack the hawk, and was not only killed, but
devoured. Frequently, unlucky pigeons came within reach of
her chain, and were also eaten. In consequence of these depre-
dations, she is exiled to the walled garden. One day I was
altering her chain, and she flew away. After flying three or four

CHAP, x.] OSPREYS. 87

times round the house and garden, she perched in a high tree and
would not come down. I was obliged to leave her at night, and
in the morning the hawk was nowhere to be found. For four
days I saw nothing of her ; but on going out early on the fifth
morning, I saw her wheeling about at a great height, with some
hooded crows giving battle to her. I stood out in an open place
and whistled. As soon as she heard me, after two or three rapid
sweeps round my head, she perched down on my arm, and imme-
diately began caressing me, and as plainly as possible expressing
her delight at having found me again ; whether hunger or affec-
tion induced her to return, I know not ; though I rather fear the
former, as, on my giving her a rabbit, she commenced devouring
it as if her fast had not been broken since she got away. In
feeding on birds, I observe that she invariably begins by plucking
them of almost all their feathers, however hungry she may be;
vid when I give her a rat or rabbit, she always pulls off most of
the hair before commencing her meal. The only animal that she
appears unwilling to eat is a mole, everything else is devoured
wr.hout hesitation, and, when hungry, no bird is too large for
her to attack. Black -backed gull or cormorant is instantly seized
and plucked ; and one day, a Skye terrier going too near her
chain, she instantly flew at it, and, had I not come to the rescue,
would probably have killed it, as, perching on the dog's back, the
hawk commenced immediately tearing at its head and eyes. The
male peregrine is considerably smaller than the female, and of a
much lighter colour ; their nest is built in some inaccessible
niche or shelf of a lofty cliff or rock, and both birds assist in the
Business of incubation. The quantity of game killed by a pair
of these birds to feed their young is immense ; and, from their
jreat courage and strength, no bird of the game kind in this
country has any chance with them.

Occasionally an osprey comes sailing down the course of the
river, but does not breed anywhere in our immediate neighbour-
hood. This very beautiful bird drops like a stone on any unlucky
fish that its sharp eye may detect in the clear pools of the river,
and I believe she seldom pounces in vain. Having caught a
trout or small salmon, she flies with it to land, or to some rock,
and there tears it up. When the river is too high and black for
the fish to be attainable, no dead carcass comes amiss to her ;

88 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. x.

and in floods on the Findhorn there is seldom any dearth of food
of this kind. Mountain sheep or wounded roe are frequently
swept down its rapid course, when swollen with much rain or by
the melting of snows on the higher mountains from whence this
river derives its source. This winter, a young red deer (a calf
of about eight months old), was found in the river. The animal
had been shot with a slug through the shoulder, and had probably
taken to the water (as wounded deer are in the habit of doing),
and had been drowned and carried down the stream.

That beautiful bird, the kite, is now very rare in this country.
Occasionally I have seen one, wheeling and soaring at an im-
mense height; but English keepers and traps have nearly extir-
pated this bird, as no greater enemy or more destructive a foe to
young grouse can exist. Their large and ravenous young require
a vast quantity of food, and the old birds manage to keep their
craving appetite well supplied. Not only young grouse and black
game, but great numbers of young hares are carried to the nest.
Though a bird of apparently such powerful and noble flight, the
kite appears not to be very destructive to old grouse, but to con-
fine her attacks to the young broods. During the season of the
year, too, when she has no young ones to provide for, carrion of
all kinds forms her principal food. In consequence of her greedy
disposition, the kite is very easily trapped. From her habit of
following the course of streams, and hunting along the shores of
the loch in search of dead fish or drowned animals of any kind,
one of the most successful ways of trapping the kite is to peg
down the entrails of some animal in the shallow part of the water,
and then to place the trap either on the shore immediately adjoin-
ing ; or, what is often done, to form a small artificial promontory
close to the bait, and to set the trap on this. The garbage
catches the sharp eye of the bird, as she soars at a great height
above it, and the clever trapper seldom fails in catching her in
this manner.

The buzzard is another of the hawk tribe, which is gradually
becoming rarer and rarer, and from the same cause. Like the
kite, too, the buzzard is a carrion-feeding bird, and seldom kills
anything but small birds, mice, or frogs, excepting during the
breeding-season, when it is very destructive to game ; at other
times the buzzard lives an indolent lazy life. After having satis-

CHAP, x.] BUZZARDS. 89

fied her hunger, this bird will sit for hours perfectly motionless
on some withered branch, or on a projecting corner of rock,
whence she commands a good view of the surrounding country,
and can easily detect the approach of danger. A cowardly bird,
except when excited by hunger, she submits patiently to the
attacks of the smaller birds, and flies from the magpie or jackdaw.
Like the kite, the raven, the eagle, and all birds who feed much
on carrion, the buzzard has a lofty flight when in search of food.
Soaring high up in the air, and wheeling in circles, she appears
to examine the surface of the land for miles and miles, in hopes
of detecting some dead sheep or other carcass. The buzzard
evinces little cunning in avoiding traps, and is easily caught. I
have found their nests, containing from three to four large and
nearly white eggs, in different situations ; sometimes built on
rocks, and at other times in the brandies of a tree, at no great
height from the ground. She sits close, and will allow the near
approach of a passer by, before she leaves her eggs. Though she
is one of the most ignoble of the hawk kind, I have a lingering
affection for this bird, in consequence of her being connected in
my remembrances with the rocky burns and hanging woods of the
most romantic glens in the Highlands, where I have frequently
fallen in with her nest and young. In this part of the country the
bu/zard has become very rare, and is only seen as an occasional
visitor.

90 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xi.

CHAPTER XI.

The Hen-Harrier: Destructiveness to Game; Female of — Trapping — The
Sparrowhawk: Courage of; Ferocity; Nest— The Kestrel: Utility of—
The Merlin : Boldness— The Hobby — Increase of Small Birds.

IN the autumn my partridges suffer much from the hen-harrier.
As soon as the corn is cut this bird appears, and hunts the whole
of the low country in the most determined and systematic manner.
The hen-harrier, either on the hill-side or in the turnip-field, is
a most destructive hunter. Flying at the height of only a few
feet from the ground, he quarters the ground as regularly as an
old pointer, crossing the field in every direction ; nor does he
waste time in hunting useless ground, but tries turnip-field after
turnip-field, and rushy field after rushy field, passing quickly
over the more open ground, where he thinks his game is not so
likely to be found. The moment he sees a bird, the hawk darts
rapidly to a height of about twenty feet, hovers for a moment,
and then comes down with unerring aim on his victim, striking
dead with a single blow partridge or pheasant, grouse or black-
cock, and showing a strength not to be expected from his light
figure and slender though sharp talons.

I saw on a hill-side in Ross-shire a hen-harrier strike a heath
hen. I instantly drove him away, but too late, as the head of
the bird was cut as clean off by the single stroke as if done with
a knife. On another day, when passing over the hill in the
spring, I was attended by a hen-harrier for some time, who
struck down and killed two hen grouse that I had put up. Both
these birds I contrived to take from him ; but a third grouse rose,
and was killed and carried off over the brow of a hill before I
could get up to him. There is no bird more difficult to shoot
than this. Hunting always in the open country, though ap-
pearing intent on nothing but his game, the wary bird, with
an instinctive knowledge of the range of shot, will keep always

CHAP, xi.] HEN-HARRIER— SPARROWHAWK. 91

just out of reach, and frequently carry off before your very face
the partridge you have flushed, and perhaps wounded.

There is a diversity of opinion whether the hawk commonly

called the ringtail is the female of the hen-harrier. I have,

however, no doubt at all on the subject. The ringtail is nothing

more than the female or young bird. The male does not put on

his blue and white plumage till he is a year old. I have frequently

found the nest both on the mountain, where they build in a patcli

of rough heather, generally by the side of a burn, and also in a

furze-bush. Though very destructive to grouse and other game,

this bird has one redeeming quality, which is, that he is a most

skilful rat-catcher. Skimming silently and rapidly through a

rickyard, he seizes on any incautious rat who may be exposed to

view ; and from the habit this hawk has of hunting very late in

the evening, many of these vermin fall to his share. Though of

so small and light a frame, the hen-harrier strikes down a mallard

without difficulty ; and the marsh and swamp are his favourite

hunting-grounds. Quick enough to catch a snipe, and strong

enough to kill a mallard, nothing escapes him. Although so

courageous in pursuit of game, he is a wild, untamable bird in

captivity ; and though I have sometimes endeavoured to tame

one, I could never succeed in rendering him at all familiar. As

he disdains to eat any animal not killed by himself, he is a very

difficult bird to trap. The best chance of catching him is in

what is called a pole-trap, placed on a high post in the middle of

an open part of the country ; for this hawk has (in common with

many others) the habit of perching on upright railings and posts,

particularly as in the open plains, where he principally hunts,

there are but few trees, and he seldom perches on the ground.

His flight is leisurely and slow when searching for game ; but

his dart, when he has discovered his prey, is inconceivably rapid

and certain.

There is another most destructive kind of hawk who frequently
pays us a visit — the sparrowhawk. Not content with the par-
tridges and other ferte naturtf, this bold little freebooter invades
the poultry-yard rather too frequently. The hens scream, the
ducks quack, and rush to the cover of the plantations; whilst the
tame pigeons dart to and fro amongst the buildings, but in vain.
The sparrowhawk darts like an arrow after one of the latter birds,

92 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xi.

and carries it off, though the pigeon is twice or three times his
own weight. The woman who takes care of the poultry runs
out, but is too late to see anything more than a cloud of white
feathers, marking the place where the unfortunate pigeon was
struck. Its remains are, however, generally found at some little
distance ; and when this is the case, the hawk is sure to be caught,
as he invariably returns to what he has left, and my boys bring
the robber to me in triumph before many days elapse. Sometimes
he returns the same day to finish picking the bones of the bird,
but often does not come back for two or three. In the mean time,
whatever part of the pigeon he has left is pegged to the ground,
and two or three rat-traps are set round it, into one of which he
always contrives to step. When caught, instead of seeming
frightened, he flies courageously at the hand put down to pick
him up, and fights with beak and talons to the last. Occasionally,
when standing still amongst the trees, or even when passing
the corner of the house, I have been startled by a sparrowhawk
gliding rapidly past me. Once one came so close to me, that his
wing actually brushed my arm ; the hawk being in full pursuit
of an unfortunate blackbird. On another occasion, a sparrow-
hawk pursued a pigeon through the drawing-room window, and
out at the other end of the house through another window, and
never slackened his pursuit, notwithstanding the clattering of the
broken glass of the two windows they passed through. But the
most extraordinary instance of impudence in this bird that I ever
met with, was one day finding a sparrowhawk deliberately stand-
ing on a very large pouter-pigeon on the drawing-room floor,
and plucking it, having entered in pursuit of the unfortunate bird
through an open window, and killed him in the room.

The sparrowhawk sometimes builds on rocks, and sometimes
in trees. Like all rapacious birds, he is most destructive during
the breeding-season. I have found a great quantity of remains
of partridges, wood-pigeons, and small birds about their nests ;
though it has puzzled me to understand how so small a bird can
convey a wood-pigeon to its young ones. There is more dif-
ference in size between the male and female sparrowhawk than
between the different sexes of any other birds of the hawk kind,
the cock bird being not nearly so large or powerful a bird as the
hen. Supposing either male or female sparrowhawk to be killed

CHAP, xi.] KESTKEL— MERLIN. 93

during the time of incubation, the survivor immediately finds a
new mate, who goes on with the duties of the lost bird, whatever
stage of the business is being carried on at the time, whether
sitting on the eggs or rearing the young.

The kestrel breeds commonly with us about the banks of the
river, or in an old crow's nest. This is a very beautifully marked
hawk, and I believe does much more good than harm. Though
occasionally depriving us of some of our lesser singing birds,
this hawk feeds principally, and indeed almost wholly, on mice.
Any person who knows a kestrel-hawk by sight must have con-
stantly observed them hovering nearly stationary in the air, above
a grass-field, watching for the exit from its hole of some unfor-
tunate field-mouse. When feeding their young, a pair of kestrels
destroy an immense number of these mischievous little quadrupeds,
which are evidently the favourite food of these birds. Being
convinced of their great utility in this respect, I never shoot at,
or disturb a kestrel. It is impossible, however, to persuade a
gamekeeper that any bird called a hawk can be harmless ; much
less can one persuade so opinionated and conceited a personage
(as most keepers are) that a hawk can be useful ; therefore the
poor kestrel generally occupies a prominent place amongst the
rows of bipeds and quadrupeds nailed on the kennel, or wherever
else those trophies of his skill are exhibited. It is a timid and
shy kind of hawk, and therefore very difficult to tame, never
having an appearance of contentment or confidence in its master
when kept in captivity.

Another beautiful little hawk is common here in the winter,
the merlin. This bird visits us about October, and leaves us in
the spring. Scarcely larger than a thrush, the courageous litUe
fellow glides with the rapidity of thought on blackbird or field-
fare, sometimes even on the partridges, and striking his game
on the back of the head, kills it at a single blow. The merlin is
a very bold bird, and seems afraid of nothing. I one day winged
one as he was passing over my head at a great height. The
little fellow, small as he was, flung himself on his back when I
went to pick him up, and gave battle most furiously, darting out
his talons (which are as sharp and hard as needles) at everything
that approached him. We took him home, however, and I put
him into the walled garden, where he lived for more than a year.

94 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xi.

He very soon became quite tame, and came on being called to
receive his food, which consisted of birds, mice, &c. So fearless
was he, that he flew instantly at the largest kind of sea-gull or
crow that we gave him. When hungry, and no other food was
at hand, he would attend the gardener when digging, and swallow
the large earthworms as they were turned up. To my great
regret, we found the little bird lying dead under the tree in
which he usually roosted ; and though I examined him carefully,
I could not find out the cause of his death.

Although all these small hawks which frequent this country
destroy a certain quantity of game, their principal food consists
of thrushes, blackbirds, and other small birds. In the winter,
when the greenfinches collect in large flocks on the stubble fields,
I have frequently seen the merlin or sparrowhawk suddenly glide
round the angle of some hedgerow or plantation, and taking up a
bird from the middle of the flock, carry it off almost before his
presence is observed by the rest of the greenfinches.

Sometimes two merlins hunt together, and, as it were, course
a lark, or even swallow, in the air, the two hawks assisting each
other in the most systematic manner. First one hawk chases
the unfortunate bird for a short time, while his companion hovers
quietly at hand ; in a minute or so, the latter relieves his fellow-
hunter, who in his turn rests. In this way they soon tire out the
lark or swallow ; and catching the poor bird in mid-air, one of
the hawks flies away with him, leaving his companion to hunt
alone till his return from feeding their young brood.

The hobby, a beautiful little hawk, like a miniature peregrine
falcon, is not very common here, though I have occasionally
killed it. This kind of hawk leaves us before the winter. I have
seen its nest in a fir or larch tree ; but they seem to be very rare
here. A strong courageous bird, the hobby attacks and preys
on pigeons and partridges, though so much larger than himself.

Since the introduction of English traps and keepers, all birds
of prey are gradually decreasing in this country, whilst blackbirds,
thrushes, and other singing birds increase most rapidly. In the
highland districts of Moray, where a few years back a blackbird
or thrush was rather a rare bird, owing to the skill and perse-
verance of gamekeepers and vermin-trappers in exterminating
their enemies, they now abound, devastating our fruit-gardens,

CHAP. «.] THRUSHES— BLACKBIRDS. 95

but amply repaying all the mischief they do by enlivening every
glade and grove with their joyous songs. This year (1846) the
thrushes and blackbirds were in full voice in January, owing to
the mildness of the winter ; and I knew of a thrush who was
sitting on eggs during the most severe storm of snow that we
have had the whole season.

96 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. XIT.

CHAPTER XII.

The Otter: Habits — Catching of— Shooting — Attachment to each other —
Anecdotes — Fish killed by.

HAVING lately seen the tracks of three or four otters about the
edge of the burn, I had some strong traps placed on a sand-
bank where they were in the nightly habit of landing. For
some unknown reason of their own, they appeared to leave the
water at this bank, and, after going round some alder bushes, to
return again to the pool. We placed the traps with great care,
fastening them strongly, and covering them with sand. Before
setting the trap for an otter, both the hands of the person who
sets it and the trap itself should be well washed and rubbed
with sand, in order to take away the human scent /as much as
possible. After setting the trap, a small branch of a free should
be used to smooth the ground and obliterate all footmarks, and
then dipping the branch in the water, the whole place should be
well sprinkled, which generally does away with all marks of
people having been about it. As otters invariably have some
particular points at which they leave the water, it is easy to
know where to place the trap. They do not, however, always
haunt the same part of a stream, so the trapper must have some
patience. After our traps had been set for two nights, we found,
on going to them in the morning, that an otter had been caught,
and by twisting the chain lound the root of a tree had contrived
to break it, and escape with the trap on its leg. I sent home for my
retriever, who, from having been severely bitten by other otters,
was very eager in pursuing them. We hunted up and down the
burn for some time in vain ; at last we found his track and that
of the trap in the sand at a shallow place of the water. This
encouraged us, and we renewed our search. At last, nearly a
mile from where the trap had been set, the dog began to run up
and down the bank, whining and showing evident symptoms of

CHAP. xn. | HABITS OF THE OTTER. 97

perceiving, or, as my old keeper called it, " feeling " the smell
of the otter. He could not make out exactly where it was, till
at last coining to a dead stop opposite a quantity of floating
branches and roots that had collected at a turn of the water, he
pointed for a moment, and then springing in, pulled out a large
otter with the trap still on him. It was rather difficult to know
whether the otter was bringing the dog, or the dog the otter, so
vehemently did they fight and pull at each other ; but we ran up,
and soon put an end to the battle. The next morning I found
another otter in the traps. Nothing could keep the dog from
him ; the moment he came within three hundred yards of the
place he smelt him, and rushed off to attack him. A few nights
afterwards, the moon being bright and the air quite still, my
keeper determined to lay wait for the remaining otter. His
track showed that he was a very large one, and he seemed too
cunning for the traps. The man's plan was to make himself a
small hiding-place, opposite a shoal in the burn, where the otter
must needs wade instead of swimming. We had come to the
conviction from the tracks that the otters remained concealed
during the day time a considerable way up the water, and hunted
down the burn during the night to where it joined the river.

It was a fine calm December night, with a full moon. The
old man, wrapped in a plaid, and with a peculiar head-dress
made of an old piece of drugget, which he always wore on occa-
sions of this kind, took up his position at six o'clock. Before
nine the otter was killed, having appeared, as he had calculated,
on its way down to the river.

This is one of the surest ways of killing this animal when he
frequents a river or brook which in parts is so shallow as to
oblige the otter to show himself in his nightly travels. They
appear to go a considerable distance, generally hunting down
the stream, and returning up to their place of concealment before
dawn. At certain places they seem to come to land every night,
or, at any rate, every time that they pass that way. In solitary
and undisturbed situations I have sometimes fallen in with the
otter during the day. In a loch far on the hills, I have seen
one raise itself half out of the water, take a steady look at me,
and then sink gradually and quietly below the surface, appearing

H

98 WILD SPORTS OP THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP xn.

again at some distance, but next time showing only part of its
head. At other times I have seen one floating down a stream,
with no exertion of its own which could attract notice ; but
passing with the current, showing only the top of its head and
its nose, with its tail floating near the surface, and waving to and
fro as if quite independent of all restraint from its owner. If
he fancies that he is observed on these occasions, down he sinks
to the bottom, where he lies quietly as long as he can do without
air; and when obliged to rise to breathe, he comes up close to
the bank, or amongst weeds, with only his nose above water.
If, however, the water is clear, and you persist in watching him,
and by quickly approaching him, oblige him constantly to dive,
the poor beast will at last in sheer despair crawl out on the bank,
concealing himself in the best manner he can. But it takes
some time to oblige him to do this.

Otters are very affectionate animals. If you shoot an old one
who has young in the vicinity, they very soon appear searching
anxiously for their mother ; and if you kill the young ones, the
parent will come boldly to the surface, and hover about the place
till she is killed herself. When a pair of otters frequent a place,
if one is killed, the other will hunt for its lost mate in the most
persevering manner. If one is caught in a trap, the other re-
mains all night near her, running round and round, in vain trying
to get her away. Though usually so noiseless and quiet, on these
occasions they make a great hubbub, blowing and snorting almost
like a swimming horse

Sometimes they lie all day on some small island or bank
covered with rushes, ready to slip down into the water on the
approach of danger. I was one day in August looking for young
wild ducks in a swamp covered with rushes and grass, when my
dog, who was running and splashing through the shallow water,
suddenly stood still, sometimes whining as if caught in a trap,
and then biting furiously at something in the water. I could
not imagine what had happened to him, and he either would not
or could not come to me when called, so I waded over to see
what was the matter. I found a large otter firmly holding on by
his powerful jaws to the dog's shoulder, and had he nut had a
good covering of curly hair, I believe the brute would have

CHAP, xn.] HABITS OF THE OTTER. 99

broken his leg, so severe was the bite : even when I came up,
i IK- otter seemed very little inclined to let go ; but at last did
so, and I sliot him as he splashed away.

When one of these animals is surprised in an open place, he
will for some time trust to being concealed, remaining flat on
the ground, with his sharp little eyes, which are placed very
high on the head, intently fixed on you. Like all other wild
animals, he has an instinctive knowledge of how long he is un-
perceived, for the moment he sees that your eye is on him, he
darts off, but not till then. During the winter many of the
river and lake otters take to the coast, travelling a long way for
this purpose, sometimes keeping the course of the streams, but
occasionally going across the country. I have seen their tracks
in places at a very great distance from water, where they evi-
dently had been merely passing down to the sea.

When on the coast, they frequent the caves and broken masses
of rock. The otters that live wholly on the coast grow very
large. It is easy to turn them out of their holes with terriers,
as long as you remain quiet and unobserved by the otter your-
self. If he once has found out that you are waiting to receive
him at the mouth of his hole, he will fight to the last rather than
leave it. I have been told that they bolt more readily to a white
coloured dog than to any other. All courageous dogs who
have been once entered at otters, hunt them with more eager-
ness and animosity than they do any other kind of vermin.

The otters here are very fond of searching the shallow pools
of the sea at the mouth of the river for flounders, and I often
find their tracks, where they have evidently been so employed.
If surprised by the daylight appearing too soon to admit of
their returning to their usual haunts, they will lie up in any
broken bank, furze bush, or other place of concealment.

At some of the falls of the Findhorn, where the river runs so
rapidly that they cannot stem it, they have to leave the water to
go across the ground ; and in these places they have regularly
beaten tracks. I was rather amused at an old woman living at
Sluie, on the Findhorn, who, complaining of the hardness of the
present times, when " a puir body could n'a get a drop smuggled
whisky, or shot a rae without his lordship's sportsman finding it
tut," added to her list of grievances that even the otters were

n2

100 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xn.

nearly all gone, " puir beasties." " Well, but what good could
the otters do you?" I asked her. " Good, your honour? why
scarcely a morn came but they left a bonny grilse on the scarp
down yonder, and the vennison was none the vvaur of the
bit, the puir beasts eat themselves." The people here call
every eatable animal, fish, flesh, or fowl, venison, or as they pro-
nounce it, " vennison." For instance they tell you that the
snipes are " good vennison," or that the trout are not good
" vennison " in the winter.

It seems that a few years ago, before the otters had been so
much destroyed, the people on particular parts of the river were
never at a loss for salmon, as the otters always take them ashore,
and generally to the same bank or rock, and when the fish are
plenty, they only eat a small piece out of the shoulder of each,
leaving the rest. The cottagers, aware of this, were in the habit
of looking every morning for these remains.

CHAP, xiii.] WEASELS— FERRETS. 101

CHAPTER XIII.

Weasels — Ferrets : Fierceness of — Anecdotes — Food of Weasels — Manner of
Hunting for Prey: — The Stoat — Change of Colour — Odour of — Food
of— Their catching Fish :— Polecat— The Marten Cat — Habits— Trapping
— Eating Fruit — Activity of: — Different Species.

THE bloodthirstiness and ferocity of all the weasel tribe is per-
fectly wonderful. Tne proverb " L'appetit vient en mangcant "
is well applied to these little animals. The more blood they
spill, the more they long for, and are not content till every
animal that they can get at is slain. A she ferret, with a litter
of young ones, contrived to get loose a few nights back, and
instinctively made her way to the henhouse, accompanied by
her six kittens, who were not nearly half-grown, indeed their
eyes were not quite open. Seven hens and a number of tame
rabbits were killed before they were discovered ; and every
animal that they killed, notwithstanding its weight and size, was
dragged to the hutch in which the ferrets were kept, and as they
could not get their victims through the hole by which they had
escaped themselves, a perfect heap of dead bodies was collected
round their hutch. When I looked out of my window in the
morning, I had the satisfaction of seeing four of the young
ferrets, covered with blood, dragging a hen (who I had flattered
myself was about to hatch a brood of young pheasants) across
the yard which was between the henhouse and where these ferrets
were kept; the remainder of them were assisting the old one in
slaughtering some white rabbits. Their eagerness to escape
again, and renew their bloody attacks, showed the excited state
the little wretches were in, from this their first essay in killiijg.

In the same way the wild animals of the tribe must be wofully
destructive when opportunity is afforded them. Sitting opposite
a rabbit-hole, I one day saw a tiny weasel bring out four young
rabbits one after the other, and carry, or rather drag them away
one by one towards her own abode in a cairn of loose stones ;

102 WILD SPORTS CF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xm.

and, a few days ago, I saw one bring three young landrails in as
many minutes out of a field of high wheat. In fact, as long as
she can find an animal to kill, so long will a weasel hunt, whether
in want of food or not. I have frequently seen a weasel, small
as he is, kill a full-grown rabbit. The latter is sometimes so
frightened at the persevering ferocity of his little enemy, that it
lies down and cries out before the weasel has come up. Occa-
sionally these animals join in a company of six or eight, and
hunt down rabbit or hare, giving tongue and tracking their un-
fortunate victim lite a pack of beagles.

There is no doubt that in some degree they repay the damage
done to game, by the number of rats and mice which they destroy
'(the latter being their favourite food). The weasel will take up
its abode in a stack-yard, living on the mice and small birds that
it catches for some time, and the farmer looks on it as a useful
ally ; till, some night, the mice begin to grow scarce, and then
the chickens suffer. Eggs, fresh and rotten, are favourite dain-
ties with the weasel.

I once witnessed a very curious feat of this active little animal.
I saw a weasel hunting and prying about a stubble field in which
were several corn-buntings flying about, and every now and then
alighting to sing on the straggling thistle that rose above the
stubble. Presently the little fellow disappeared at the foot of a
thistle, and I imagined he had gone into a hole. I waited, how-
ever, to see what would happen, as, from the way he had been
hunting about, he evidently had some mischief in his head. Soon
a corn-bunting alighted on the very thistle near which the weasel
had disappeared, and which was the highest in the field. The
next moment I saw something spring up as quick as lightning,
and disappear again along with the bird. I then thought it time
to interfere, and found that the weasel had caught and killed the
bunting, having, evidently guided by his instinct or observation,
waited concealed at the foot of the plant where he had expected
the bird to alight. A friend of mine who was a great naturalist,
assured me, that, tracking a weasel in snow on the hill-side, he
found where the animal had evidently sprung upon a grouse ;
and, on carrying on his observation, he had convinced himself
that the bird had flown away with the quadruped, and had fallen
to the ground about thirty yards off, where he found it with its

CHAP, xiii.] STOATS— WEASELS. 103

throat cut ; and the tracks of the weasel again appeared, as if he
had come down with the bird, and having sucked its blood, had
gone on it> way, looking for a new victim.

The stoat is also very common here, and equally destructive
and sanguinivorous — if I may use such a word. Being larger,
too, he is more mischievous to game and poultry, and not so
useful in killing mice. I often see the stoat hunting in the
middle of an open field : its activity is so great that few dogs can
catch it. When pursued, it dives into any rat's or mole's hole that
lies in its way. I find that a sure mode of driving all animals of
this kind out of a hole, is to smoke tobacco into it. They appear
quite unable to stand the smell, and bolt out immediately in the
face of dog or man, rather than put up with it. Tobacco-smoke
will also bring a ferret out of a rabbit-hole, when everything
else fails to do so. In winter the stoat changes its colour to the
purest white, with the exception of the tip of the tail, which
always remains black. The animal is then very beautiful, with
its shining black eyes and white body. The fur is very like that
of the ermine, but is quite useless, owing to the peculiar odour
of the animal, which can never be got rid of. It is worthy of
note that the stoat does not emit this odour excepting when
hunted or wounded. When I have shot one, killing it on the
spot, before he has seen me, no smell is to be perceived. The
same thing I have also observed when it has been caught in a
large iron trap, which has killed it instantaneously, before there
has been time for fear or struggling. When, however, I have had
some chace after a stoat before shooting it, or have caught one
olive in a trap, the stench of the little animal is insupportable, — -
and .sticks to the skin, in spite of every attempt to get rid of it.

The attachment of the stoat and weasel to their young is very
great. I chased a weasel into a hollow tree : she was carrying
some animal in her mouth, and though I was on the very point
of catching her before she got to her refuge, she would not drop
it. I fancied that it was a newly-born rabbit that site was
carrying off. I applied smoke to the hole, and out came the
weasel again, still carrying the same burden. She ran towards
a stone wall, but was met by a terrier halfway, who killed her,
catching her with the greater facility in consequence of her ob-
stinacy in carrying away what I still thought was some prey.

104 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xm.

On picking it up, however, I found that it was a young weasel,
unable to run, which its mother was endeavouring to carry to a
place of safety, her former hole in an adjoining field having been
ploughed over. I cannot express my regret at the fate of this
poor creature, when I saw that her death was caused wholly by
her maternal affection. Notwithstanding the havoc which these
animals make among my rabbits, nothing would have induced
me to molest her, had I known what she was carrying.

The track of the stoat is very like that of a young rabbit, and
may be easily mistaken for it. They travel over an amazing
extent of ground in their nocturnal rambles, as their marks in
the snow can testify. The edges of rivers and brooks seem their
favourite hunting-places. By some means or other they manage
to catch eels. I tracked a stoat from the edge of a ditch to its
own hole, at the distance of several hundred yards. He had
been carrying some heavy body, as I could plainly see by the
marks in the snow ; and this, on digging out the hole, I found
to be an eel about nine inches long. No bait is better for all
kinds of the weasel tribe than fish, which they seem to have a
great liking for, and evidently feed upon whenever they inhabit
a neighbourhood where they can procure them.

The polecat is now comparatively rare in this country, in con-
sequence of the number of gamekeepers and vermin-trappers :
they still, however, frequent the banks of the river, where they
take shelter among the loose stones and rocks. There is no dif-
ference in appearance between the polecat and the brown ferret,
who also partakes very frequently of the shyness of his wild
relative, being much more apt to become cross-tempered and
ready to return to a state of nature than the tamer white ferret.
The polecat is extremely destructive — nothing comes amiss to it.
I found in the hole of a she polecat, besides her young ones,
three kittens that had been drowned at the distance of at least
a quarter of a mile. Besides these, her larder contained the re-
mains of hares, rabbits, and of an infinity of birds and several eels.

There was a wood-pigeon that had young ones nearly full-
grown in an ivy-covered tree close to the window of my dressing-
room. One morning I saw the old birds flying about in distress,
but I could see no hawk or bird of prey about. Presently down
fell one of the young birds, and in a moment afterwards the

CHAP. MIL] POLECATS— MARTENS. 105

other young one also fell to the ground, both bleeding at the
throat. I immediately loaded my gun, and had the satisfaction
of shooting a large polecat, who came climbing down the tree
and was just preparing to carry away one of the young pigeons.

Like the stoat, the polecat has a beautiful fur, rendered use-
less by the strong odour of the animal. Notwithstanding the
quantity of game and other creatures killed by the polecat, he
does not appear to be very quick on the ground, and must owe
his success in hunting more to perseverance and cunning than
to activity. Like the stoat and weasel, this animal is easily
caught in box-traps, and is attracted in an extraordinary manner
by the smell of musk, which they appear quite unable to resist.

In trapping all these small beasts with iron traps the bait
should be suspended at some little height above the trap, to
oblige them to jump up, and by so doing there is a better chance
that, notwithstanding their light weight, the trap will be sprung.

Formerly I frequently mistook the track of the marten-cat for
that of a hare, when seen in the snow. Its way of placing its
feet, and of moving by a succession of leaps, is quite similar to
that of the more harmless animal, which so often serves it for
food. The general abode of the marten is in woods and rocky
cairns. He is a very beautiful and graceful animal, with a fine
fur, quite devoid of all smell, but owing to its great agility it
must be one of the most destructive of the tribe. When hunt-
ing, their movements are quick and full of elegance, the effect of
which is much heightened by their brilliant black eyes and rich
brown fur, contrasted with the orange-coloured mark on their
throat and breast. The marten, when disturbed by dogs, climbs
a tree with the agility of a squirrel, and leaps from branch to
branch, and from tree to tree. I used frequently to shoot them
with my rifle on the tall pine-trees in Sutherlandshire. In this
part of the country they are now seldom seen. This animal is
not wholly carnivorous, being very fond of some fruits — the
strawberry and raspberry, for instance. I found in my garden in
Inverness-shire that some animal came nightly to the raspberry-
bushes ; the track appeared like that of a rabbit or hare, but as I
also saw that the animal climbed the bushes, I knew it could be
neither of these. Out of curiosity, I set a trap for the marauder ;
the next morning, on going to look at it very early, I could see

lOfi WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xm.

nothing on the spot where I had put my trap but a heap of
leaves, some dry and some green ; I was just going to move them
with my hand, when I luckily discerned a pair of bright eyes
peering sharply out of the leaves, and discovered that I had
caught a large marten, who, finding that he could not escape,
had collected all the leaves within his reach, and had quite con-
cealed himself under them. The moment he found that he was
discovered, he attacked me most courageously, as the marten
always does, fighting to the last. I had other opportunities of
satisfying myself that this animal is a great fruit-eater, feeding
much on the wild raspberries, and even blackberries that grow
in the woods. Though generally inhabiting cairns of stones, the
marten sometimes takes possession of some large bird's nest, and
relining it, there brings up her young, who are remarkably
pretty little creatures. I endeavoured once to rear and tame a
litter of young martens which I found in an old crow's nest,
and I believe I should have succeeded had not a terrier got at
them in my absence, and revenged himself on them for the
numerous bites he had felt from martens and polecats in his
different encounters with them. I have more frequently seen
this animal abroad during the day time than any of the other
weasels.

I remember starting one amongst the long heather in the very
midst of a pack of dogs of a Highland fox-hunter: though all
the dogs, greyhounds, fox-hounds, and terriers, were immediately
in full pursuit, the nimble little fellow escaped them all, jump-
ing over one dog, under another, through the legs of a third,
and finally getting off into a rocky cairn, whence he could not be
ejected. "It's the evil speerit hersell," said the old man, as,
aiming a blow at the marten, he nearly broke the back of one
of his best lurchers. Nor did he get over his annoyance at
seeing his dogs so completely baffled, till after many a Gaelic
curse at the beast and many a pinch of snuff. The marten-cat
is accused by the shepherds of destroying a great many sheep.
His manner of attack is said to be by seizing the unfortunate
sheep by the nose, which he eats away, till the animal is either
destroyed on the spot or dies a lingering death. I have been
repeatedly told this by different Highland shepherds and others,
and believe it to be a true accusation. They kill numbers of

. xm.] PINE-MARTEN— BEECH-MAKTEN. 107

lambs, and when they take to poultry-killing, enter the henhouse
fearlessly, committing immense havoc ; in fact seldom leaving a
single fowl alive— having the same propensity as the ferret for
killing many more victims than he can consume.

The eagle is said to prey frequently on the marten-cat, but I
never happened to witness an encounter between them ; my tame
eagle, however, always seemed to prefer them to any other food.
I have no doubt that the eagle on its native mountain pounces on
any living creature that it can conquer, and therefore must fre-
quently kill both marten and wild cat, both which animals fre-
quent the rocks and high ground where this bird hunts.

From the strength and suppleness of the marten, he cannot
fall a very easy prey to any eagle of this country, and probably
when pounced upon he does not die without a severe battle.

There are said to be two kinds of martens here, the pine-
marten and the beech-marten ; the former having a yellow mark
on the breast, and the latter a white one. I do not, however,
believe that they are of a distinct species, but consider the variety
of shade in the colour of the breast to be occasioned by difference
of age, or to be merely accidental — having frequently killed
them in the same woods with every intermediate shade, from
yellow to white on their breasts ; the animals being perfectly
alike in every other particular. The oldest looking martens had
generally a whiter mark than the others, but this rule did not
apply to all.

108 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP xiv.

CHAPTER XIV.

Anecdotes and Instinct of Dogs— Anecdotes of Retriever— Shepherds' Dogs
— Sagacity — Dogs and Monkey — Bulldog — Anecdotes of Shooting a
Stag — Treatment of Dogs.

So much has been written, and so many anecdotes told, of the
cleverness and instinct of dogs, that I am almost afraid to add
anything more on the subject, lest I should be thought tedious.
Nevertheless I cannot refrain from relating one or two incidents
illustrating the instinct, almost amounting to reason, that some
of my canine acquaintances have evinced, and which have fallen
under my own notice. Different dogs are differently endowed in
this respect, but much also depends on their education, manner
of living, &c. The dog that lives with his master constantly,
sleeping before his fire, instead of in the kennel, and hearing and
seeing all that passes, learns, if at all quick-witted, to under-
stand not only the meaning of what he sees going on, but also,
frequently in the most wonderful manner, all that is talked of.
I have a favourite retriever, a black water-spaniel, who for many
years has lived in the house, and been constantly with me ; he
understands and notices everything that is said, if it at all relates
to himself or to the sporting plans for the day : if at breakfast-
time I say, without addressing the dog himself, " Rover must
stop at home to-day, I cannot take him out," he never attempts
to follow me ; if, on the contrary, I say, however quietly, " I
shall take Rover with me to-day," the moment that breakfast is
over he is all on the qui tnve, following me wherever I go, evi-
dently aware that he is to be allowed to accompany me. When
left at home, he sits on the step of the front door, looking out
for my return, occasionally howling and barking in an ill-
tempered kind of voice ; his great delight is going with me when
I hunt the woods for roe and deer. I had some covers about
five miles from the house, where we were accustomed to look
for roe : we frequently made our plans over night while the dog

CHAP, xiv. j SAGACITY OF A RETRIEVKR. 109

•was in the room. One day, for some reason, I did not take
him : in consequence of this, invariably when he heard us at night
forming our plan to beat the woods, Rover started alone very
early in the morning, and met us up there. He always went
to the cottage where we assembled, and sitting on a hillock
in front of it, which commanded a view of the road by which
we came, waited for us ; when he saw us coming, he met us
with a peculiar kind of grin on his face, expressing, as well as
words could, his half doubt of being well received, in conse-
quence of his having come without permission : the moment he
saw that I was not angry with him, he threw off all his affectation
of shyness, and barked and jumped upon me with the most grate-
ful delight.

As he was very clever at finding deer, I often sent him with
the beaters or hounds to assist, and he always plainly asked me on
starting, whether he was to go with me to the pass, or to accom-
pany the men. In the latter case, though a very exclusive dog
in his company at other times, he would go with any one of the
beaters, although a stranger to him, whom I told him to accom-
pany, and he would look to that one man for orders as long as he
was with him. I never lost a wounded roe when he was out,
for once on the track he would stick to it, the whole day if
necessary, not fatiguing himself uselessly, but quietly and de-
terminedly following it up. If the roe fell and he found it, he
would return to me, and then lead me up to the animal, what-
ever the distance might be. With red-deer he was also most
useful. The first time that he saw me kill a deer he was very
much surprised ; I was walking alone with him through some
woods in Ross-shire, looking for woodcocks ; I had killed two or
three, when I saw such recent signs of deer, that I drew the shot
from one barrel, and replaced it with ball. I then continued my
walk. Before I had gone far, a fine barren hind sprung out of
a thicket, and as she crossed a small hollow, going directly away
from me, I fired at her, breaking her backbone with the bullet ;
of course she dropped immediately, and Rover, who was a short
distance behind me, rushed forward in the direction of the shot,
expecting to have to pick up a woodcock ; but on coming up to
the hind, who was struggling on the ground, he ran round her
•with a look of astonishment, and then came back to me with an

110 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xiv..

expression in his face plainly saying, " What have you done now?
• — you have shot a cow or something." But on my explaining
to him that the hind was fair game, he ran up to her and seized
her by the throat like a bulldog. Ever afterwards he was pe-
culiarly fond of deer-hunting, and became a great adept, and of
great use. When I sent him to assist two or three hounds to
start a roe — as soon as the hounds were on the scent, Rover
always came back to me and waited at the pass : I could enume-
rate endless anecdotes of his clever feats in this way.

Though a most aristocratic dog in his usual habits, when stay-
ing with me in England once, he struck up an acquaintance with
a ratcatcher and his curs, and used to assist in their business
when he thought that nothing else was to be done, entering into
their way of going on, watching motionless at the rats' holes
when the ferrets were in, and as the ratcatcher told me, he was
the best dog of them all, and always to be depended on for showing
if a rat was in a hole, corn-stack, or elsewhere ; never giving a
false alarm, or failing to give a true one. The moment, however,
that he saw me, he instantly cut his humble friends, and denied
all acquaintance with them in the most comical manner.

The shepherds' dogs in the mountainous districts often show
the most wonderful instinct in assisting their masters, who, with-
out their aid, would have but little command over a large flock
of wild black-faced sheep. It is a most interesting sight to see
a clever dog turn a large flock of these sheep in whichever
direction his master wishes, taking advantage of the ground, and
making a wide sweep to get round the sheep without frightening
them, till he gets beyond them, and then rushing barking from
flank to flank of the flock, and bringing them all up in close array
to the desired spot. When, too, the shepherd wishes to catch a
particular sheep out of the flock, I have seen him point it out
to the dog, who would instantly distinguish it from the rest, and
follow it up till he caught it. Often I have seen the sheep rush
into the middle of the flock, but the dog, though he must neces-
sarily have lost sight of it amongst the rest, would immediately
single it out again, and never leave the pursuit till he had the
sheep prostrate, but unhurt, under his feet. I have been with a
shepherd when he has consigned a certain part of his flock to a dog
to be driven home, the man accompanying me farther on to the

CHAP, xiv.] HIGHLAND SHEPHERDS' DOGS. Ill

hill. On our return we invariably found that he had either
given up his charge to the shepherd's wife or some other respon-
sible person, or had driven them, unassisted, into the fold, lying
down himself at the narrow entrance to keep them from getting
out till his master came home. At other times I have seen a
dog keeping watch on the hill on a flock of sheep, allowing
them to feed all day, but always keeping sight of them, and
bringing them home at a proper hour in the evejiing. In fact
it is difficult to say what a shepherd's dog would not do to assist
his master, who would be quite helpless without him in a High-
land district.

Generally speaking these Highland sheepdogs do not show
much aptness in learning to do anything not connected in some
way or other with sheep or cattle. They seem to have been
brought into the world for this express purpose, and for no
other.

They watch their master's small crop of oats or potatoes with
great fidelity and keenness, keeping off all intruders in the shape
of sheep, cattle, or horses. A shepherd once, to prove the
quickness of his dog, who was lying before the fire in the house
where we were talking, said to me, in the middle of a sentence
concerning something else — "I'm thinking, Sir, the cow is in
the potatoes." Though he purposely laid no stress on these
words, and said them in a quiet unconcerned tone of voice, the
dog, who appeared to be asleep, immediately jumped up, and
leaping through the open window, scrambled up the turf roof of
the house, from which he could see the potato-field. lie then
(not seeing the cow there) ran and looked into the byre where
she was, and finding that all was right, came back to the house.
After a short time the shepherd said the same words again, and
the dog repeated his look-out ; but on the false alarm being a
tJiird tinte given, the dog got up, and wagging his tail, looked
his master in the face with so comical an expression of interro-
gation, that we could not help laughing aloud at him, on which,
with a slight growl, he laid himself down in his warm corner,
with an offended air, and as if determined not to be made a fool
of again.

Occasionally a poaching shepherd teaches his dog to be of
gnat service in assisting him to kill game. I remember one of

112 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xiv.

these men, who was in the habit of wiring hares, and though
the keepers knew of his malpractices, they were for some time
unable to catch him in the act, in consequence of his always
placing his three dogs as videttes in different directions, to warn
him of the approach of any person. A herd-boy at the farm
near my house puts his dog to a curious use. A great part of
his flock are sent to pasture on the carse-ground across the river,
and when the boy does not want to go across to count them and
see that they are all right, deterred from doing so by the water
being flooded, or from any other reason, he sends his dog to
swim across and collect the sheep on the opposite bank, where
he can see them all distinctly. Though there are other sheep
on the carse belonging to different people, the dog only brings
his own flock. After they are counted and pronounced to be all
right by the boy, the dog swims back again to his master.

Were I to relate the numberless anecdotes of dogs that have
been told me, I could fill a volume.

I am often amused by observing the difference of temper and
disposition which is shown by my own dogs — as great a differ-
ence, indeed, as would be perceived among the same number of
human beings.

Having for many years been a great collector of living pets,
there is always a vast number of these hangers-on about the
house — some useful, some ornamental, and some neither the one
nor the other.

Opposite one window of the room I am in at present are a
monkey and five dogs basking in the sun, a bloodhound, a Skye
terrier, a setter, a Russian poodle, and a young Newfoundland
bitch, who is being educated as a retriever; they all live in great
friendship with the monkey, who is now in the most absurd
manner searching the poodle's coat for fleas, lifting up curl by
curl, and examining the roots of the hair. Occasionally, if she
thinks that she has pulled the hair, or lifted one of his legs rather
too roughly, she looks the dog in the face with an inquiring ex-
pression to see if he is angry. The dog, however, snems rather
to enjoy the operation, and showing no symptoms of displeasure,
the monkey continues his search, and when she sees a flea catches
it in the most active manner, looks at it for a moment, and then
eats it with great relish. Having exhausted the game on the

CHAP, xiv.] SKYE TERRIERS. 113

poodle, she jumps on the back of the bloodhound bitch, and
having looked into her face to see how she will bear it, begins a
new search, but finding nothing, goes off for a game at romps
with the Newfoundland dog. While the bloodhound bitch, hear-
ing the voice of one of the children, whom she has taken a par-
ticular fancy to, walks off to the nursery, the setter lies dozing
and dreaming of grouse ; while the little terrier sits with ears
pricked up, listening to any distant sounds of dog or man that
she may hear ; occasionally she trots off on three legs to look at
the back door of the house, for fear any rat-hunt or fun of that
sort may take place without her being invited. Why do High-
land terriers so often nm on three legs? particularly when
bent on any mischief? Is it to keep one in reserve in case of
emergencies ? I never had a Highland terrier who did not hop
along constantly on three legs, keeping one of the hind legs up
as if to rest it.

The Skye terrier has a great deal of quiet intelligence, learn-
ing to watcli his master's looks, and understand his meaning in a
wonderful manner. Without the determined blind courage of
the English bull terrier, this kind of dog shows great intrepidity
in attacking vermin of all kinds, though often his courage is
accompanied by a kind of shyness and reserve ; but when once
roused by being bit or scratched in its attacks on vermin, the
Skye terrier fights to the last, and shows a great deal of cunning
and generalship, as well as courage. Unless well entered, when
young, however, they are very apt to be noisy, and yelp and
bark more than fight. The terriers which I have had of this
kind show some curious habits, unlike most other dogs. I have
observed that when young they frequently make a kind of scat
under a bush or hedge, where they will sit for hours together,
crouched like a wild animal. Unlike other dogs too, they will
eat (though not driven by hunger) almost any thing that is given
them, such as raw eggs, the bones and meat of wild-ducks, or
wood-pigeons, and other birds, that every other kind of dog,
however hungry, rejects with disgust. In fact, in many par-
ticulars, their habits resemble those of wild animals ; they always
are excellent swimmers, taking the water quietly and fearlessly
when very young. In tracking wounded deer I have occasionally
seen a Skye terrier of very great use, leading his master quietly,

I

114 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xiv.

and with great precision, up to the place where the deer had
dropped, or had concealed himself; appearing too to be acting
more for the benefit of his master, and to show the game, than
for his own amusement. I have no doubt that a clever Skye
terrier would in many cases get the sporlsman a second shot at
a wounded deer with more certainty than almost any other kind
of dog. Indeed, for this kind of work, a quiet though slow dog-
often is of more use than the best deer-hound. I at one time
had an English bulldog, who accompanied me constantly in
deer-stalking ; he learned to crouch and creep up to the deer
with me, never showing himself, and seemingly to understand
perfectly what I wished him to do. When necessary I could
leave him for hours together, lying alone on the hill, when he
would never stir till called by me. If a deer was wounded, he
would follow the track with untiring perseverance, distinguishing
the scent of the wounded animal, and singling it out from the
rest, never making a mistake in this respect ; he would also
follow the stag till he brought him to bay, when, with great
address in avoiding the horns, he would rush in and seize him
either by the throat or the ear, holding on till I came up, or, as
he once did, strangling the animal, and then coming back to
show me where he had left it.

In driving some woods one day in Ross-shire, a fine stag broke
into a wide opening ; two or three sportsmen were stationed at
some distance above me ; as the deer passed, I saw the light puff
of smoke, and heard the crack of their rifles as they fired. At
every shot the poor animal doubled with the most extraordinary
bounds ; he tried to turn back to the cover from which he had
been driven, but the shouts of the beaters deterred him, and
after stopping for a moment to deliberate, he came back fully
determined to cross the opening, in order to gain the shelter of
some large woods beyond it. lie was galloping across it, when
crack went another rifle, the ball striking with a splash into a
small pool of water close to him, this turned him towards me. and
down he came in my direction as hard as he could gallop ; he
appeared to be coming directly at me: just as he was about a
hundred yards from me, a shout from the beaters, who were com-
ing in view, turned him again, and he passed me, going venire a
terre, with his head up and his horns back over his shoulders,

CHAP, xiv.] A HUNTING BULLDOG. 115

giving me a good broadside shot; I fired, and he reeled, turning
half roundf Bang went my other barrel, and the stag rolled
over like a rabbit, with a force and crash that seemed as if it
would have broken every bone in his body. Up he got again,
and went off, apparently as sound as ever, into the large wood,
passing close to a sportsman who was loading ; when in the wood,
we saw him halt for a moment on a hillock and take a good
steady look at us all, who were lost in astonishment at his escape
after having been so fairly upset. He then went off at a steady
swinging gallop, and we heard him long after he was out of view
crushing through the dry branches of the young fir-trees. " Bring
the dog," was the cry, and a very large animal, something be-
tween a mastiff and a St. Bernard, was brought ; the dog went
ott' for a little while, barking and making a great noise, but after
rushing up against half a dozen trees, and tumbling over amongst
the hidden stones, he came back limping and unwilling to renew
(he hunt. I had left my bulldog with a servant at a point of
the wood some distance off, and I proposed sending for him ;
one of the sportsmen, who had never seen him engaged in this
kind of duty, sarcastically said, " What, that dog who followed
us to-day, as we rode up ? He can be no use ; he looks more fit to
kill cats or pin a bull." Our host, however, who was better
acquainted with his merits, thought otherwise ; and when the
bulldog came wagging his tail and jumping up on me, I took
him to the track and sent him upon it ; down went his nose and
away he went as hard as he could go, and quite silently. The
wood was so close and thick that we could not keep him in sight,
so I proposed that we should commence our next beat, as the
dog would find me wherever I was, and the strangers did not
seem much to expect any success in getting the wounded stag.
During the following beat we saw the dog for a moment or two
pass an opening, and the next instant two deer came out from
the thicket into which he had gone. '• lie is on the wronar scent,
after all," said the shooter, who stood next to me. " Wait, and
we will see," was my answer.

We had finished this beat and were consulting what to do,
when the dog appeared in the middle of us, appearing very well
satisfied with himself though covered with blood, and with an
ugly tear in his skin all along one side. " Ah ! " said some one,

i 2

116 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CUAP. xiv.

" he lias got beaten off by the deer." Looking- at him, I saw
that most of the blood was not his own, the wounct not being
at all deep ; I also knew that once having had hold of the deer,
he would not have let go as long as he had life in him. " Where
is he, old boy ? take us to him," said I ; the dog perfectly under-
standing me, looked up in my face, and set off slowly with a
whine of delight. He led us through a great extent of wood,
stopping every now and then that we might keep up with him ;
at last he came to the foot of a rock where the stag was lying
quite dead with his throat torn open, and marks of a goodly
struggle all round the place ; a fine deer he was too, arid much
praise did the dog get for his courage and skill : I believe I
could have sold him on the spot at any price which I had chosen
to ask, but the dog and I were too old friends to part, having
passed many years together, both in London, where he lived with
my horses and used to run with my cab, occasionally taking a
passing fight with a cat ; and also in the country, where he had
also accompanied me in many a long and solitary ramble over
mountain and valley.

In choosing a young dog for a retriever, it is a great point to
fix upon one whose ancestors have been in the same line of busi-
ness. Skill and inclination to become a good retriever are
hereditary, and one come of good parents scarcely requires any
breaking, taking to it naturally as soon as he can run about. It
is almost impossible to make some dogs useful in this way, no
teaching will do it unless there be a natural inclination— a first-
rate retriever nascitur nonjit. You may break almost any dog
to carry a rabbit or bird, but it is a different thing entirely to
retrieve satisfactorily, or to be uniformly correct in distinguishing
and sticking to the scent of the animal which is wounded.

In the same way pointing is hereditary in pointers and setters,
and puppies of a good breed, and of a well educated ancestry,
take to pointing at game as naturally as to eating tiieir food, —
and not only do they, of their own accord, point steadily, but
also back each other, quarter their ground regularly, and in fact
instinctively follow the example of their high bred and well
brought up ancestors. For my own part, I think it quite a
superfluous trouble crossing a good breed of pointers with fox-
hound, or any other kind of dog, by way of adding speed and

CHAP, xiv.] DOMESTICATED ANIMALS. 117

strewth, — you lose more than you gain, by giving at the same
time hard-headedness and obstinacy. It is much better, if you
fancy your breed of pointers or setters to be growing small or
degenerate, to cross them with some different family of pointers
or setters of stronger or faster make, of which you will be sure
to find plenty with very little trouble. It is a great point
in all dogs to allow them to be as much at liberty as possible ;
no animal kept shut up in a kennel or place of confinement
can have the same use of his senses as one who is allowed to
be at large to gain opportunities of exerting his powers of obser
ration and increase his knowledge in the ways of the world.
Dogs who are allowed to be always loose are very seldom
mischievous and troublesome, it is only those who are kept
too long shut up and in solitude that rush into mischief the
moment they are at liberty ; of course it is necessary to keep
dogs confined to a certain extent, but my rule is to imprison them
as little as possible. Mine, therefore, seldom are troublesome,
but live at peace and friendship with numerous other animals
about the house and grounds, altliough many of those animals
are their natural enemies and objects of chace : dogs, Shetland
ponies, cats, tame rabbits, wild ducks, sheldrakes, pigeons, &c.,
all associate together and feet! out of the same hand ; and the
only one of my pets whose inclination to slaughter I cannot
subdue, is a peregrine falcon, who never loses an opportunity of
killing any duck or hen that may venture within his reach. Even
tlie wild partridges and wood-pigeons, who frequently feed with
the poultry, are left unmolested by the dogs. The terrier, who
is constantly at warfare with cats and rabbits in a state of
nature, leaves those about the house in perfect peace ; while the
wildest of all wild fowl, the common mallards and sheldrakes,
eat corn from the hand of the " hen-wife."

Though naturally all men are carnivorous, and therefore
animals of prey, and inclined by nature to hunt and destroy
other creatures, ami although I share in this our natural in-
stinct to a great extent, I have far more pleasure in seeing these
different animals enjoying themselves about me, and in observing
their different habits, than I have in hunting down and destroying
them.

118 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CJIAP. xv.

CHAPTER XV.

Increase of Wood-Pigeons and other Birds — Service to the Farmer of these
Birds— Tame Wood-Pigeons : Food of— The Turtle-Dove—Blue Rock-
Pigeons—Caves where they breed — Shooting at the Rocks near Cromarty.

OWING to the decrease of vermin, that is, of all the carnivorous
birds and beasts of the country, there is a proportionate increase
in the numbers of the different living creatures on which they
preyed. I do not here allude to game only, but to all the other
fercB naturce of the district. Wood -pigeons, blackbirds, thrushes,
and all the smaller birds increase yearly in consequence of the
destruction of their natural enemies. The wood-pigeon in par-
ticular has multiplied to a great extent. The farmers complain
constantly to me of the mischief done by these birds, whom I
cannot defend by giving them the credit of atoning for their
consumption of corn by an equal or greater consumption of
grubs and other noxious insects, as they feed wholly on seeds
and vegetables. An agricultural friend of mine near this place,
who had yielded with a tolerably good grace to my arguments in
favour of the rook, pointed out to me the other day (March 6th)
an immense flock of wood-pigeons busily at work on a field of
young clover, which had been under barley the last season.
" There," he said, " you constantly say that every bird does
more good than harm ; what good are those birds doing to my
young clover?" On this, in furtherance of my favourite axiom,
that every wild animal is of some service to us, I determined to
shoot some of the wood-pigeons, that I might see what they
actually were feeding on ; for I did not at all fall into my
friend's idea that they were grazing on his clover. By watching
in their line of flight from the field to the woods, and sending a
man round to drive them off the clover, I managed to kill eight
of the birds as they flew over my head. I took them to his
house, and we opened their crops to see what they contained.
Every pigeon's crop was as full as it could possibly be of the

CHAP, xv.] WOOD-PIGEONS. 119

seeds of two of the worst weeds in the country, the wild mustard
and the ragweed, which they had found remaining on the surface
of the ground, these plants ripening and dropping their seeds
before the corn is cut. Now no amount of humun labour and
search could have collected on the same ground, at that time of
the vear, as much of these seeds as was consumed by each of
these five or six hundred wood-pigeons daily, for two or three
weeks together. Indeed, during the whole of the summer and
spring, and a considerable part of the winter, all pigeons must
feed entirely on the seeds of different M'ild plants, as no grain is
to be obtained by these soft-billed birds excepting immediately
after the sowing-time, and when the corn is nearly ripe, or for a
siiort time after it is cut. Certainly I can enter into the feelings
of a farmer who sees a flock of hundreds of these birds alighting
on a field of standing wheat or devouring the newly-sown oats.
Seeing them so employed must for the moment make him forget
the utility they are of at other times. For my own part I never
shoot at a wood-pigeon near my house, nor do I ever kill one
without a feeling of regret, so much do I like to hear their note
in the spring and summer mornings. The first decisive symptom
of the approach of spring and fine weather is the cooing of the
wood-pigeon. Where not molested, they are very fond of build-
ing their nest in the immediate vicinity of a house. Shy as they
are at all other times of the year, no bird sits closer on her eggs
or breeds nearer to the abode of man than the wood-pigeon.
There are always several nests close to my windows, and fre-
quently immediately over some walk, where the birds sit in con-
scious security, within five or six feet of the passer-by; and there
are generally a pair or two that feed with the chickens, knowing
the call of the woman who takes care o£ the poultry as well as
the tame birds do.

I have frequently attempted to tame young wood-pigeons,
taking them at a very early age from the nest. They generally
become tolerably familiar till the first moult ; but as soon as
they acquire strength of plumage and wing, they have invariably
left me, except in one instance which occurred two years ago.
I put some wood-pigeon's eggs under a tame pigeon of my chil-
dren's, taking away the eggs on which she was sitting at the
time. Only one of the young birds grew up, and it became

1?0 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xv.

perfectly tame. It, remained with its foster parents, flying in
and out of tlieir house, and coming with them to be fed at the
windows. After it had grown up, and the cares of a new nest
made the old birds drive it out of their company, the wood-pigeon
became still tamer, always coming at breakfast-time or whenever
lie was called to the window-sill, where he would remain as long
as he was noticed, cooing and strutting up and down as if to
challenge attention to his beautiful plumage.

However, like all pets, this poor bird came to an untimely end,
being struck down and killed by a hen-harrier. I never on any
other occasion saw a wood-pigeon remain perfectly tame, if left
at liberty ; and if they are entirely confined, they seldom acquire
their full beauty of feather. The bird seems to have a natural
shyness and wildness which prevent its ever becoming domesti-
cated like the common blue rock -pigeon.

It is very difficult to approach wood -pigeons when feeding in
the fields. They keep in the most open and exposed places, and
allow no enemy to come near them. It is amusing to watch a
large flock of these birds while searching the ground for grain.
They walk in a compact body, and in order that all may fare
alike, the hindmost rank every now and then fly over the heads
of their companions to the front, where they keep the best place
for a minute or two, till those now in the rear take their place in
the same manner. They keep up this kind of fair play during
the whole time of feeding. Almost every kind of seed is eaten
by them, and the farmers accuse them of destroying their turnips
in severe snow and frost. They feed also on fruit of all kinds,
both the wild berries, such as mountain-ash, ivy, &c., and also
upon almost all garden fruits that are not too large to be swal-
lowed. Numbers of them come every evening to my cherry-
trees, where they fearlessly swallow as many cherries as they can
hold, although the gardener may be at work close at hand.
Strawberries also are occasionally laid waste by them ; and in
the winter and early spring they devour the young cabbage and
lettuce-plants. Where acorns are plentiful, the wood-pigeons
seem to prefer them to anything else ; and the quantity they
manage to stow away in their crop is perfectly astonishing.

There are many months of the year, however, during which
they are compelled, nolens volens, to feed wholly on the seeds of

CHAP, xv.] TURTLE-DOVES.

wild plants, thereby saving the farmers an infinity of trouble in
weeding and cleaning their lands. The wood-pigeons breed here
in great numbers, the large fir-woods and ivy-covered banks of
the river affording them plenty of shelter. Their greatest enemy
in the breeding-season is the hooded crow, who is constantly
searching for their eggs, and from their white colour, and the
simplicity of the nest, he can distinguish them at a great distance
off. The sparrowhawk, too, frequently carries off the young
birds, when nearly ready to fly, taking them out of the nest. It
is a curious fact, but one I have very often observed, that this
hawk, though I have seen him in the vicinity of the wood-pigeon's
nest, and have no doubt that he has known of the young birds in
it, never carries them off till they have attained to a good size,
watching their daily growth till he thinks them fit to be killed.

In game-preserves wood -pigeons are certainly of some use,
both in affording to vermin a more conspicuous and more favourite
food than even partridge or pheasant, and in taking the attention
of the larger hawks from the game. But he also does good
service in giving notice of the approach of any danger, loudly
flapping his wings as he flies off the trees on the first alarm.
And at night no bird is so watchful. I have frequently attempted
to approach the trees where the wood-pigeons were roosting ; but
even in the darkest nights these birds would take the alarm,
affording in this respect a great contrast to the pheasant. The
poor wood-pigeon has no defence against its enemies excepting
its watchful and never-sleeping timidity, not being able to do
battle against even the smallest of its numerous persecutors.

Though the turtle-dove never breeds here, and is supposed
never to visit this part of the country, I have twice seen a pair
about my house, both times towards the fcnd of autumn. Last
year a pair remained for about three weeks here, from the middle
of October to the beginning of November, when they disap-
peared ; probably returning southwards, not being nearly so
hardy a bird as the wood -pigeon. Besides the wood-pigeon, we
have considerable numbers of the little blue rock-pigeon, breeding
along the caves and rocks of the coast, and feeding inland in
large flocks. On the opposite coast of Ross-shire and Cromarty,
very urrat numbers are found during the whole year. The caves
there are much more extensive, and the rocks less easy of access,

122 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xv.

than they are along our coast by Burghead, Gordonston, &c. ;
the rock-pigeons therefore make those rocks their head-quarters.

Being at Cromarty early in last June, I made an excursion
along the rocks, for the double purpose of seeing the coast,
which is peculiarly bold and magnificent on the Ross-shire side
of the Cromarty Ferry, and also of shooting some pigeons and
other birds which bred in the caves and cliffs.

Having hired a boat and crew5 we started from Cromarty at
the first of the ebb on a bright calm day, with the little wind
that there was coming from the west. If the slightest east wind
comes on, the roll of the sea from the German Ocean is so heavy
on these rocks that it is impossible to approach them. This is
also the case for some days after an east wind has been blowing,
as thl're still remains a considerable swell. On nearing the west
end of the rocks, which are several hundred feet high, we dis-
turbed a good many cormorants, who were resting on some points
of the cliff, and basking with open wings in the morning sun.
Some parts of the rocks were quite white with the dung of these
birds. In the ivy-covered recesses, far up, were every here and
there a pair of small hawks, and rabbits hopping about high over
our heads, along narrow paths on the face of the rock. I shot
a rabbit at a great height with a rifle, and he came tumbling
over and over, till he finally fell right into a hawk's nest, to the
great astonishment of the young birds. Innumerable jackdaws
breed in every crevice. As we rowed farther on, we came
opposite a large cave, which the boatmen told me was a great
place of resort for the pigeons. So, stopping our course, the
men shouted, and out came a large flock of these birds, flying
directly over our heads. I killed two or three, and the rest flew
on, winding round the angles and headlands of the coast with
inconceivable rapidity. Having picked up the birds, 1 landed
with great difficulty on the rocks, and making my way over the
slippery seaweed, got into the cave, which extended some dis-
tance under the cliffs. There were several pigeons' nests, though
none that I could get at ; but I shot a couple of young ones that
had left the nest. The reverberation that succeeded the report
of the gun in the arched cave nearly deafened me.

Soon afterwards we landed at another point ; and here, follow-
ing the example of one of my crew, I crept through a small

CHAP, xv.] ROCK-PIGEONS. 123

aperture on my hands and knees, which led into a large and
nearly tlark cave, said to be the abode of otters. Before 1 could
set fire to some dry fir-roots, which we brought with us, my dog
was barking furiously, some distance within the cave. We got
our light and went to examine what he had. By the tracks, he
had evidently cotne on an otter, who had made his escape into a
small hole which seemed to go into the very heart of the rocks,
and from which we had no chance of extracting him. This cave
was too damp for the birds, but was much marked with the foot-
steps of otters. Though the entry was so small, the cave itself
was both lofty and extensive.

As we floated along the coast, stopping at the mouths of several
oaves, and occasionally landing, we put up several large flocks of
pigeons, and here and there cormorants and other sea-birds. On
one shelf of the rocks, far up above the sea, was the nest of the
raven. It was once inhabited by a pair of eagles, but is now quietly
tenanted by the raven. These birds had flown ; but both young
and old were flying about the tops of the cliff, croaking and playing
fantastic antics, as if in great astonishment at our appearance ; for
I fancy that they have very few visitants here. I tried a shot at
one with a rifle-ball, but only splintered the rock at his feet.

Some of the caves were of great extent, and very full of pigeons,
old and young, several of which I killed. The birds were nearly
all blue ; here and there a sandy-coloured one, but no other
variety. Having made our way a considerable distance along the
coast, and the tide being now quite out, we landed on a green
spot of grass that stretched down between the rocks to the water's
edge. Above our heads, and in every direction, were heron-nests ;
some built in the clusters of ivy, and others on the bare shelves
of rocks. The young ones were full grown, but still in the nests,
standing upright and looking gravely at us. Though I thought
it a shame to make any of them orphans, I took the opportunity
of killing three fine old male herons, whose black feathers I
coveted much for my salmon-flies ; sitting quietly at the foot
of the rocks, I could distinctly see which birds were well supplied
with these feathers, as they flew in to feed their young over my
head. The feathers that are so useful in fly-dressing are the
black drooping feathers on the breast of the cock heron : neither
the young bird nor the hen bird has them. While resting my

124 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xv.

men here, I sent rifle-balls through three of the herons, each of
whom afforded me a goodly supply of feathers.

Looking with my glass to the opposite coast of the firth, I
could distinctly see the long range of sandhills between Nairn
and the Bay of Findhorn, and could distinguish many familiar
points and nooks. "While resting here, too, a large seal appeared
not above a hundred and fifty yards out at sea, watching us with
great attention, but would not come within sure range of my rifle.
As we returned homewards, the pigeons were in great numbers
flying in to the caves to feed their young. A pair of peregrine
falcons also passed along, on their way to a rock where they breed,
farther eastwards than we had been.

We saw too a flock of goats winding along the most inac-
cessible-looking parts of the cliff; and now and then the old
patriarchal-looking leader would stop to peer at us as we passed
below him, and wiien he saw that we had no hostile intention
towards his flock, he led them on again, stopping here and there
to nibble at the scanty herbage that was to be found in the clefts
of the rocks. In one place where we landed, my dog started an
old goat and a pair of kids, who dashed immediately at what
appeared to be a perpendicular face of rock, but on which they
contrived to keep their footing in a way that quite puzzled me.
The old goat at one time alighted on a point of the rock where
she had to stand with her four feet on a spot not bigger than my
hand, where she stood for a minute or two seemingly quite at a
loss which way to go, till her eye caught some (to me invisible)
projections of the stone, up which she bounded, looking anxiously
at her young, who, however, seemed quite capable of following
her footsteps wherever she chose to lead them. We caught sight
also of a badger, as he scuffled along a shelf of rock and hurried
into his hole.

As the evening advanced, the cormorants kept coming in to
their roosting-places in great numbers, and I shot several of
them. We saw a good many seals as we approached the stake-
nets near the ferry, but did not get any shots at them ; and at
one place two otters were playing about in the water near the
rocks, but they also took good care to disappear before we came
within reach of them ; and as I wished to get back to Cromarty
before it was late, I would not stop to wait for their reappear-

CHAP, xv.] ROCKS OF CROMARTY. 125

ance. I was much pleaded on the whole with my day's excur-
sion— the beautiful scenery of the rocks, with the harbour of
Cromarty, and the distant hills of Ross-shire and Inverness-shire,
forming altogether as magnificent and varied a view as I have
ever seen.

On an excursion along these same rocks I was once nearly
drowned. I had just killed a pigeon that had dropped in the
water in a recess between the rocks. We rowed in after it,
and just as I was leaning over the bow of the boat to pick it up,
a rolling swell of the sea lifted the boat nearly upright, grating
her keel on the edge of the rock. I was hoisted with the bow
of the boat into the air, and holding on looked round to see
what had happened, the day being perfectly calm ; the boatmen
were pale with fright as we appeared for a moment balanced
between life and death, the chances rather in favour of the
latter. The same wave, however, as it receded, took us twenty
or thirty yards out to sea, and the men immediately rowed as
hard as they could to get a good offing. The wave that had
so nearly upset us was the forerunner of a heavy swell and wind
from the east, which was coming on unobserved by us, for we
had been wholly intent on our sport. I never could understand
how our boat could have righted again after the position s-he
was in for a few moments. The face of the rocks was too per-
pendicular at the place to admit of our making good a landing
hat! we been upset. Once away from the rocks we were safe
enough, and rigging out a couple of strong lines with large
white flies, we caught as many fish of different kinds as we
could pull in during our way over to Cromarty. A large gull
made two swoops at one of the flies, and had not a fish fore-
stalled him, we should probably have hooked him also. I do
not know a day's sport more amusing than one along these rocks
on a fine summer day, what with the variety of birds and the
beauty and grandeur of the scenery, taking good care, however,
to avoid the rocks when there is the least wind or swell from the
east or north.

120 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xvi.

CHAPTER XVI.

Wild Ducks: Edible kinds of— Breeding-places of Mallards— Change of
Plumage — Shooting — Feeding-places — Half-bred Wild Ducks — Anas
glacialis— Anas clangula: Habits of— Teeth of Goosander— Cormorants
— Anecdotes.

A FEW years ago I used to see a great many scaup ducks in the
pools and burns near the coast, but now it is very seldom that
I meet with a single bird of this kind; the last which I killed
here was in the month of July. This is one of the few ducks
frequenting the shore which has not a rank or fishy flavour : out
of the numerous varieties of birds of the duck kind, I can
only enumerate four that are really good eating, namely, the
common mallard, the widgeon, the teal, and the scaup duck.
The best of these is the mallard : with us, they breed principally
about the most lonely lochs and pools in the hills ; sometimes
I have seen these birds during the breeding-season very far up
among the hills : a few hatch and rear their young about the
rough ground and mosses near the sea, but these get fewer and
fewer every year, in consequence of the increase of draining and
clearing which goes on in all the swamps arid wild grounds.

Some few breed in furze-bushes and quiet corners near the
mouth of the river, and may be seen in some rushy pool, accom-
panied by a brood of young ones. Though so wild a bird, they
sit close, allowing people to pass veiy near to them without
moving. When they leave their nest, the eggs are always care-
fully concealed, so that a careless observer would never suppose
that the heap of dried leaves and grass that he sees under a bush
covers twelve or thirteen duck's eggs.

Occasionally a wild duck fixes on a most unlikely place to
build her nest in ; for instance, on a cleft of a rock, where you
would rather expect to find a pigeon or jackdaw building, and I
once, when fishing in a quiet brook in England, saw a wild duck
fly out of an old pollard oak-tree. My curiosity being excited

CHAP. «vi.j MALLARDS. 127

by seeing the bird in so unusual a place, I examined the tree, and
found that she had a nest built of sticks and grass, containing
six eggs, placed at the junction of the branches and the mai;i
stem. I do not know how she would have managed to get her
young ones safely out of it when hatched, for on carefully mea-
suring the height, I found that the nest was exactly fifteen feet
from the ground.

As soon as hatched, the young ones take to the water, and it
is very amusing to see the activity and quickness which the little
fellows display in catching insects and Hies as they skim along
the surface of the water, led on by the parent biid, who takes
the greatest care of them, bustling about with all the hurry and
importance of a barn-yard hen. Presently she gives a low
\\arning quack, as a hawk or carrion crow passes in a suspicious
manner over them. One cry is enough, away all the little ones
dart into the rushes, screaming and fluttering, while the old bird,
with head Hat on the water and upturned eye, slowly follows them,
but not until she sees them all out of danger. After a short time,
if the enemy has disappeared, the old bird peers cautiously from
her covert, and if she makes up her mind that all is safe, she calls
forth her offspring again, to feed and sport in the open water.

The young birds do not fly till they are quite full grown.
I have observed that, as soon as ever the inner side of the wing
is fully clothed, they take to flying ; their bones, which before
this time were more like gristle than anything else, quickly
hardening, and giving the bird full power and use of its pinions.
The old bird then leads them fortli at night to the most distant
feeding-places, either to the grass meadows where they search
for snails or worms, or to the splashy swamps, where they dabble
about all night, collecting the different insects and young frogs that
abound in these places. As the corn ripens, they fly to the oat-
fn.'lds in the dusk of the evening, preferring this grain and peas
to any other. They are now in good order and easily shot, as
they come regularly to the same fields every night. As soon as
they have satisfied their hunger, they go to some favourite pool,
where they drink and wash themselves. After this, they repair,
before dawn, to their resting-place for the day, generally some
large piece of water, where they can float quietly out of reach
of all danger. In October, the drakes have acquired their

128 WILD SPOUTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. JCHAP. xvi.

splendid plumage, which they cast off' in the spring, at that
time, changing their gay feathers for a more sombre brown,
resembling the plumage of the female bird, but darker.
During the time that they are clothed in this grave dress, the
drakes keep in flocks together, and show themselves but little,
appearing to keep as much out of observation as possible.
During the actual time of their spring moulting, the drakes are
for some days so helpless that I have frequently seen a dog catch
them. The same thing occurs with the few wild geese that breed
in the north of Scotland. With regard to shooting wild ducks,
I am no advocate or follower of the punt and swivel system. I
can see little amusement in taking a long shot at the sound of
feeding water-fowl, killing and maiming you know not what ;
nor am I addicted to punting myself in a flat boat over half-
frozen mud, and waiting for hours together for the chance of a
sweeping shot. There may be great sport in this kind of pro-
ceeding, but I cannot discover it. I much prefer the more active
and independent amusement of taking my chance with a common
gun, meeting the birds on their way to and from their feeding
or resting places, and observing and taking note of their different
habits and ways of getting their living.

No rule can be laid down for wild-fowl shooting ; what suc-
ceeds in one place, fails in another. The best plan, in whatever
district the sportsman is located is to take note where the
birds feed, where they rest in the daytime, and where they take
shelter in heavy winds. By observing these different things, it is
always easy enough to procure a few wild ducks. On the coast,
the birds change their locality with the ebb and flow of the tide,
generally feeding with the ebb, and resting with the flow. I
believe that about the best wild-fowl shooting in the kingdom is
in the Cromarty Firth, where thousands of birds of every variety
pass the winter, feeding on the long sea-grass, and passing back-
wards and forwards constantly at every turn of the tide. I have
here often killed wild ducks by moonlight. It is an interesting
walk in the bright clear winter nights, to go round by the shore,
listening to the various calls of the birds, the constant quack
of the mallard, the shrill whistle of the widgeon, the low croaking
note of the teal, and the fine bugle voice of the wild swan, varied
every now and then by the loud whistling of a startled curlew,

CHAP, xvi.] WILD DUCKS. 129

or oyster-catcher. The mallard and teal are the only exclusively
night-feeding birds ; the others feed at any time of the night or
day, being dependent on the state of the tide to get at the banks
of grass and weed, or the sands where they find shell-fish. All
ducks are quite as wary in the bright moonlight as in the day
time, but at night are more likely to be found near the shore.
Between the sea and the land near my abode is a long stretch of
green embankment, which was made some years back in order to
reclaim from the sea a great extent of land, which then consisted
of swampy grass and herbage, overflowed at every high tide, but
which now repays the expense of erecting the embankments, by
affording as fine a district of corn-land as there is in the kingdom.
By keeping the landward side of this grass-wall, and looking
over it with great care, at different spots, I can frequently kill
several brace of ducks and widgeon in an evening ; though,
without a clever retriever, the winged birds must invariably
escape. Guided by their quacking, I have also often killed
wild ducks at springs and running streams in frosty nights. It
is perfectly ea>y to distinguish the birds as they swim about on a
cairn moonlight night, particularly if you can get the birds between
you and the moon. It is a great assistance in night shooting to
paste a piece of white paper along your gun-barrel, half-way down
from the muzzle. In the stillness of the night the birds are pecu-
liarly alive to sound, and the slightest noise sends them immediately
out of shot. Their sense of smelling being also very acute,
you must always keep to leeward of them. The mallard duck
is more wary than any other kind in these respects, rising imme-
diately with loud cries of warning, and putting all the other
birds within hearing on the alert. I have seen the wild swans
at night swim with a low cheeping note close by me; their white
colour, however, makes them more difficult to distinguish than
any other bird. It is quite easy to shoot ducks flying by moon-
light, as long as you can get them between you and the clear
sky. Practice, however, is required to enable the shooter to judge
of distance at night time.

I have frequently caught and brought home young wild ducks.
If confined in a yard, or elsewhere, for a week or two with tame
birds, they strike up a companionship which keeps them from
wandering when set at liberty. Some few years back I brought

130 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP, xvt

home three young wild ducks : two of them turned out to be
drakes. I sent away my tame drakes, and, in consequence, the
next season had a large family of half-bred and whole wild ducks,
as the tame and wild breed together quite freely. The wild ducks
which have been caught are the tamest of all ; throwing off all
their natural shyness, they follow their feeder, and will eat corn
out of the hand of any person with whom they are acquainted.
The half-bred birds are sometimes pinioned, as they are inclined
to fly away for the purpose of maki g their nests at a distance:
at other times they never attempt to leave the field in front of
the house. A pair or two always breed in the flower-garden.
They appear to have a great penchant for forming their nests in
certain flower-beds, and they are allowed to have their own way
in this respect, as their elegant and high-bred appearance inter-
ests even the gardener, enemy as he is to all intruders on his
favourite flowers.

These birds conceal their eggs with great care, and I have
often been amused at the trouble the poor duck is put to in
collecting dead leaves and straw to cover her eggs, when they
are laid in a well-kept flower-bed. I often have a handful of
straw laid on the grass at a convenient distance from the nest,
which the old bird soon carries off, and makes use of. The
drakes, though they take no portion of the nesting labours,
appear to keep a careful watch near at hand during the time the
duck is sitting. The half-bred birds have a peculiarity in
common with the wild duck — which is, that they always pair,
each drake taking charge of only one duck — not, as is the case
with the tame ducks, taking to himself half a dozen wives. The
young, too, when first hatched, have a great deal of the shyness
of wild ducks, showing itself in a propensity to run off and hide
in any hole or corner that is at hand. When in full plumage
my drakes also have the beautifully mottled feathers above the
wing which are so much used in fly-dressing. With regard to
the larder, the half-wild ducks are an improvement on both the
tame and wild, being superior to either in delicacy and flavour.
Their active and neat appearance, too, make them a much more
ornamental object (as they walk about in search of worms on the
lawn or field) than a waddling, corpulent barn-yard duck.

There is a very pretty and elegant little duck, which is common

CHAP, xvi.] LONG-TAILED DUCK— VELVET DUCK. 131

on our coast — the long-tailed duck, Anas glacialis. Its move-
ments and actions are peculiarly graceful and amusing, while its
musical cry is quite unlike that of any other bird, unless a slight
resemblance to the trumpeting of the wild swan may be traced
in it. Lying concealed on the shore, I have often watched these
birds, a* they swim along in small companies within twenty
yards of me ; the drake, with his gay plumage, playing quaint
antics round the more sad-coloured female — sometimes jerking
himself half out of the water, at others diving under her, and
coming up on the other side. Sometimes, by a common impulse,
they all set off swimming in a circle after each other with great
rapidity, and uttering their curious cry, which is peculiarly wild
and pleasing. When feeding, these birds dive constantly, remain-
ing under water for a considerable time. Turning up their tails,
they dip under with a curious kind of motion, one after the other,
till the whole flock is under water. They are not nearly so wild or
shy as many other kinds of wild-fowl, and are easily shot, though
if only winged it is almost impossible to catch them, even with the
best retriever, so quickly do they dive. They swim in with the
flowing tide, frequently following the course of the water to
some little distance from the mouth of the river. When I see
them in the heavy surf on the main shore, they seem quite at
their ease, floating high in the water, and diving into the midst
of the wildest waves. When put up, they seldom fly far, keeping
low, and suddenly dropping into the water again, where they
seem more at their ease than in the air. When I have shot one
of these birds, its mate (whether the duck or the drake is the
survivor) returns frequently to the spot, flying round and round,
and uttering a plaintive call.

On the open part of the coast they are often seen in company
with the velvet duck. The latter x'ery seldom comes into the
bay, but keeps without the bar, quite regardless of storm or wind.
It is a fine handsome bird, though of a rather heavy make.
When flying, they have very much the appearance of a black
cock, having the same white mark on the wing, and being black
in all other parts of their plumage. It is not difficult to ap-
proach these birds in a boat, but as they are not fit to eat, they
are not much sought after. They are excellent divers, and must
be shot dead, or they generally escape.

K2

132 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xvi.

The golden-eye, Anas clangula, and themorillon,are common
about the mouth of the river and burns. I have often heard it
argued that these two birds are merely the same species in dif-
ferent degrees of maturity ; but I do not consider that there is
the least doubt as to their being quite distinct. I have frequently
shot what I suppose to be the young golden-eye not arrived at
its full plumage ; but in these the white spot at the corner of the
mouth is more or less visible. The birds are larger than the
morillon, besides which the golden-eye, in whatever stage of
maturity it is found, always makes that peculiar noise with its
wings, when flying, which is not heard in the flight of the mo-
rillon, or of any other kind of duck. I remember too, once
watching a pair of morillons in a Highland loch, late in the
spring ; they had evidently paired, and were come to the age of
maturity, and ready for breeding.

The golden-eye dives well, remaining a considerable time
under water seeking its food, which consists of the small shellfish
which it finds at the bottom. The morillon frequents the same
places as the golden-eye, but always remains singly or in pairs,
whereas the latter birds frequently unite in small flocks, particu-
larly when they take to the inland lochs, which they do at the
commencement of the spring. The golden-eye is frequently
very fat and heavy, but is of a rank, coarse flavour.

The goosander and merganser fish constantly in the river :
they remain late in the spring and return early in the autumn.
Quick-sighted, they perceive an enemy at a great distance and
keep a watch on all his movements. As long as he remains in
full view and at a safe distance the birds do not move ; but the
moment the sportsman conceals himself, or approaches too near,
they rise and go out to sea. They are easily killed by sending
a person above them, and concealing oneself some way down the
course of the stream, as when put up, although they may at
first fly a short way up the water, they invariably turn down-
wards and repair to the open sea, following the windings of the
river during their whole flight. If winged, they instantly dive,
and rise at a considerable distance, keeping only their heads
above the water, and making for the sea as fast as they can.

They feed on small trout and eels, which they fish for at the
tails of the streams or in comparatively shallow water, unlike

CHAP, xvi.] TEETH OF BIRDS. 133

the cormorant, who, feeding on good-sized fish, is always seen
diving in the large deep pools, where they are more likely to
find trout big enough to satisfy their voracious appetite. The
throat of the cormorant stretches to a very great extent, and
their mouth opens wide enough to swallow a good-sized sea-
trout. I saw a cormorant a few days ago engaged with a large
white trout which he had caught in a quiet pool, and which he
seemed to have some difficulty in swallowing. The bird was
swimming with the fish across his bill, and endeavouring to get
it in the right position, that is, with the head downwards. At
last, by a dexterous jerk, he contrived to toss the trout up, and,
catching it in his open mouth, managed to gulp it down, though
apparently the fish was very much larger in circumference than
the throat of the bird. The expanding power of a heron's
throat is also wonderfully great, and I have seen it severely
tested when the bird was engaged in swallowing a flounder
something wider than my hand. As the flounder went down,
the bird's throat was stretched out into a fan-like shape, as he
strained, apparently half-choked, to swallow it. These fish-
eating birds having no crop, all they gulp down, however large
it may be, goes at once into their stomach, where it is quickly
digested. Like the heron, the cormorant swallows young water-
fowl, rats, or anything that comes in its way.

There is a peculiarity in the bills of most birds which live on
worms or fish : they are all more or less provided with a kind of
teeth, which, sloping inwards, admit easily of the ingress of
their prey, but make it impossible for anything to escape after it
has once entered. In the goosander and merganser this is par-
ticularly conspicuous, as their teeth are so placed that they hold
their slippery prey with the greatest facility. The common
wild duck has it also, though the teeth are not nearly so pro-
jecting or sharp; feeding as it does on worms and insects, it does
not require to be so strongly armed in this respect as those birds
that live on fish.

I wonder that it has never occurred to any one in this country
to follow the example of the Chinese in teaching the cormorant
to fish. The bold and voracious disposition of this bin! makes it
easy enough to tame, and many of our lochs and river- mouths
would be well adapted for a trial of its abilities in fishing; and

134 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xvi.

it would be an amusing variety in sporting to watch the bird as
he dived and pursued the fish in clear water. We might take a
hint from our brethren of the Celestial Empire with some ad-
vantage in this respect.

A curious anecdote of a brood of young wild ducks was told
me by my keeper to-day. He found in some very rough,
marshy ground, which was formerly a peat-moss, eight young
ducks nearly full-grown, prisoners, as it were, in one of the old
peat-holes. They had evidently tumbled in some time before,
and had managed to subsist on the insects, &c. that it contained
or that fell into it. From the manner in which they had under-
mined the banks of their watery prison, the birds must have been
in it for some weeks. The sides were perpendicular, but there
were small resting-places under the bank which prevented their
being drowned. The size of the place they were in was about
eight feet square, and in this small space they had not only grown
up, but thrived, being fully as large and heavy as any other
young ducks of the same age.

In shooting water-fowl I have often been struck by the fact
that as soon as ever life is extinct in a bird which falls in the
sea or river, the plumage begins to get wet and to be penetrated
by the water, although as long as the bird lives it remains dry
arid the wet runs off it. I can only account for this by sup-
posing that the bird, as long as life remains, keeps his feathers
in a position to throw off and prevent the water from entering
between them. This power is of course lost to the dead bird,
and the water penetrating through the outer part of the feathers
wets them all. This appears to be more likely than that the
feathers should be only kept dry by the oil supplied by the bird,
as the effect of this oil could not be so instantaneously lost as to
admit of wet as soon as the bird drops dead, while if the bird be
only wounded they remain dry.

CHAP, xvn.] SPRING BIRDS. 135

CHAPTER XVII.

Birds that come in Spring— The Pewit : Pugnacity ; Nests of; Cunning —
King-Dotterel — Redshank — Oyster-Catcher: Food; Swimming of;
Nest— Curlew— Redstart— Swallows, &c.

THE pewit is the first bird that visits us for the purpose of nidi-
fication. About the middle of February a solitary pewit appears
or perhaps a pair, and I hear them in the evening flying from
the shore in order to search for worms in the field. Towards
the end of the month, great flocks arrive and collect on the sands,
always, however, feeding inland ; it is altogether a nocturnal bird
as far as regards feeding: at any hour of the night, and
however dark it is, if I happen to pass through the grass-fields,
I hear the pewits rising near me. Excepting to feed, they
do not take much to the land till the end of March, when, if the
weather is mild, I see them all day long flying about in their
eccentric circles — generally in pairs ; immediately after they
appear in this manner, they commence laying their eggs, almost
always on the barest fields, where they scratch a small hole just
large enough to contain four eggs — the usual number laid by
all waders ; it is very difficult to distinguish these eggs from the
ground, their colour being a brownish-green mottled with dark
spots. I often see the hooded crows hunting the fields fre-
quented by the pewits, as regularly as a pointer, flying a few
yards above the ground, and searching for the eggs. The cun-
ning crow always selects the time when the old birds are away
on the shore ; as soon as he is perceived, however, the pewits all
combine in chasing him away : indeed, they attack fearlessly
any bird of prey that ventures near their breeding-ground ; and
I have often detected the locale of a stoat or weasel by the swoops
of these birds : also when they have laid their eggs they fight
most fiercely with any other bird of their own species which
happens to alight too near them. I saw a cock pewit one day
attack a wounded male bird which came near his nest ; the pug-

136 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CIIAP. xvn.

nacious little fellow ran up to the intruder, and taking advantage
of his weakness, jumped on him, trampling upon him and pecking
at his head, and then dragging him along the ground as fiercely
as a game-cock.

The hen pewit has a peculiar instinct in misleading people as
to the whereabouts of her nest ; as soon as any one appears in the
field where the nest is, the bird runs quietly and rapidly in a
stooping posture to some distance from it, and then rises with
loud cries and appearance of alarm, as if her nest was immediately
below the spot she rose from. When the young ones are hatched
too, the place to look for them is, not where the parent birds are
screaming and fluttering about, but at some little distance from
it ; as soon as you actually come to the spot where their young
are, the old birds alight on the ground a hundred yards or so
from you, watching your movements. If, however, you pick up
one of the young ones, both male and female immediately throw
off all disguise, and come wheeling and screaming round your
head, as if about to fly in your face. The young birds, when ap-
proached, squat flat and motionless on the ground, often amongst
the weeds and grass in a shallow pool or ditch, where, owing to
their colour, it is very difficult to distinguish them from the sur-
rounding objects.

Towards the end of March, the ring-dotterel, the redshank, the
curlew, the oyster-catcher, and some other birds of the same
kind begin to frequent their breeding-places. On those parts of
the sandhills which are covered with small pebbles, the ring-
dotterels take up their station, uttering their plaintive and not
unmusical whistle for hours together, sometimes flitting about
after each other with a flight resembling that of a swallow, and
sometimes running rapidly along the ground, every now and
then jerking up their wings till they meet above their back.
Both the bird and irs eggs are exactly similar in colour to the
ground on which they breed ; this is a provision of nature, to
preserve the eggs of birds that breed on the ground from the
prying eyes of their numerous enemies, and is observable in many
different kinds ; the colour of the young birds is equally favour-
able to their concealment.

The redshank does not breed on the stones or bare ground, but
iu some spot of rough grass ; their motions are very curious at

CHAP, xvn.] OYSTER-CATCHERS. 137

this time of year, as they run along with great swiftness, clap-
ping their wings together audibly above their heads, and flying
about round and round any intruder with rapid jerks, or hover-
ing in the air like a hawk, all the time tittering a loud and
peculiar whistle. They lead their young to the banks of any
pool or ditch at hand, and they conceal themselves in the holes
and corners close to the water's edge.

The oyster-catchers sit quietly in pairs the chief part of the
day on the banks or islands of shingle about the river or on the
shore, but resort in the evenings to the sands in large flocks. I
have often been puzzled to understand why, during the whole of
the breeding-season, the oyster-catchers remain in large flocks
along the coast, notwithstanding their duties of hatching and
rearing their young. When all the other birds are paired off,
they still every now and then collect in the same numbers as they
do in winter.

They lay very large eggs, of a greenish brown colour mottled
with black ; both these birds and pewits soon become tame and
familiar if kept in a garden or elsewhere, watching boldly for the
worms turned up by the gardener when digging. The oyster-
catcher's natural food appears to be shell-fish only ; I see them
digging up the cockles with their powerful bill, or detaching the
small mussels from the scarps, and swallowing them whole, when
not too large ; if, however, one of these birds finds a cockle too
large to swallow at once, he digs away at it with the hard point
of his bill till he opens it, and then eats the fish, leaving the shell.

It is a curious fact with regard to this bird, that if it drops
winged on the sea, it not only swims with great ease, but dives,
remaining under water for so long a time, and rising again at
such a distance, that I have known one escape out to seu in spite
of my retriever, and I have watched the bird swim gallantly
and with apparent ease across the bay, or to some bank at a con-
siderable distance off. The feet of the oyster-catcher seem par-
ticularly ill-adapted for swimming, as the toes are very short
and stiff in proportion to the size of the bird. Most of the
waders, when shot above the water and winged, will swim for a
short distance, but generally with difficulty; none of them, how-
ever, excepting this bird, attempt to dive.

When in captivity the oyster-catcher eats almost anything

138 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xvn.

that is offered to it. From its brilliant black and white plumage
and red bill, as well as from its utility in destroying slugs and
snails in the garden, where it searches for them with unceasing
activity, it is both ornamental and useful, and \vorthy of being
oftener kept for this purpose where a garden is surrounded by
walls ; it will, if taken young, remain with great contentment
with poultry without being confined. I have found its nest in
different localities, sometimes on the stones and sometimes on the
sand close to high-water mark — very often on the small islands
and points of land about the river, at a considerable distance
from the sea ; its favourite place here is on the carse land be-
tween the two branches of the Findhorn near the sea, where it
selects some little elevation of the ground just above the reach of
the tide, but where at spring-tides the nest must be very often
entirely surrounded by the water — I never knew either this or
any bird make the mistake of building within reach of the high
tides, though, from the great difference there is in the height of
the spring-tides, one might suppose that the birds would be often
led into such a scrape.

Unlike most birds of similar kind, the sandpiper builds a sub-
stantial, comfortable nest, in some tuft of grass near the river
side, well concealed by the surrounding herbage, instead of
leaving its eggs on the bare stones or sand. It is a lively little
bird, and is always associated in my mind with summer and
genial weather as it runs jerking along the water's edge, looking
for insects or flies, and uttering its clear pipe-like whistle. The
young of the sandpiper are neatly and elegantly mottled, and are
very difficult to be perceived. The eggs are brown and yellow,
nearly the colour of the withered grass and leaves with which
the bird forms its nest.

Towards the end of March the curlew begins to leave the
shore, taking to the higher hills, where it breeds, near the edge
of some loch or marsh. During the season of breeding, this
bird (though so shy and suspicious at all other times) flies boldly
round the head of any passer by, with a loud, screaming whistle.
The eggs are very large. When first hatched, the young have
none of the length of bill which is so distinguishing a feature in
the old bird. On the shore the curlews feed mostly on cockles
and other shell-fish, which they extract from the sand with ease,

CHAP, xvii.] SMALLER SPRING BIRDS. 139

and swallow whole, voiding the shells broken into small pieces.
During open weather they frequent the turnip and grass fields,
where they appear to be busily seeking for snails and worms.

There is no bird more difficult to get within shot of than the
curlew. Their sense of smelling is so acute that it is impossible
to get near them excepting by going against the wind, and they
keep too good a look-out to leeward to admit of this being always
done. I have frequently killed them when feeding in fields sur-
rounded by stone walls, by showing my hand or some small part
of my dress above the wall, when they have come wheeling round
to discover what the object was.

Besides the sea-birds that come into this country to breed,
such as sandpipers* pewits, terns, &c., there are some few of our
smaller birds that arrive in the spring to pass the summer here.
Amongst these I may name the redstart, the spotted flycatcher,
the whitethroat, the wheatear, &c.

The redstart is not very common : it breeds in several places,
however, up the Findhorn ; at Logie. for instance, where year J
after year it builds in an old ivy-covered wall. The young,
when able to fly, appear often in my garden, for a few weeks,
actively employed in doing good service, killing numbers of
insects ; and every spring a pair or two of flycatchers breed in
one of the fruit-trees on the wall, building, as it were, only half
a nest, the wall supplying the other half. They cover the nest
most carefully with cobwebs, to make it appear like a lump of
this kind of substance left on the wall ; indeed, I do not know
any nest more difficult to distinguish. It is amusing to see the
birds as they dash off from the top of the wall in pursuit of
some fly or insect, which they catch in the air and carry to their
young. The number of insects which they take to their nest in
the course of half an hour is perfectly astonishing.

Another bird that comes every spring to the same bush to
breed is the pretty little whitethroat. On the lawn close to
my house a pair conies to the same evergreen, at the foot of
which, on the ground, they build their nest, carrying to it an
immense quantity of feathers, wool, &c. The bird sits fearlessly,
and with full confidence that she will not be disturbed, although
the grass is mown close up to her abode ; and she is visited at all
hours by the children, who take a lively interest in her proceed-

140 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xvii.

ings. She appears quite acquainted with them all, sitting snugly
in her warmly feathered nest, with nothing visible but her bright
black eyes and sharp-pointed bill. As soon as her eggs are
hatched, she and her mate are in a great bustle, bringing food
to their very tiny offspring — flying backwards and forwards all
day with caterpillars and grubs.

Both this and the larger kind of whitethroat which visits us
have a lively and pleasing song. They frequently make their
nest on the ground in the orchard, amongst the long grass,
arching it over in the most cunning manner, and completely
concealing it. When they leave their eggs to feed, a leaf is laid
over the entrance of the nest to hide it ; in fact, nothing but
the eyes of children (who in nest-finding would beat Argus him-
self) could ever discover the abode of the little whitethroat. Before
they leave this country, these birds collect together, and are seen
searching the hedges for insects in considerable but scattered

O O

flocks. They frequently fly in at the open windows in pursuit of
flies, and chase them round the room quite fearlessly. The gar-
dener accuses them of destroying quantities of cherries, by
piercing them with their bills : they certainly do so, but 1 am
always inclined to suppose that it is only the diseased fruit that
they attack in this way, or that which has already been taken
possession of by small insects.

The wheatear does not arrive till the first week of April, when
they appear in considerable numbers on the sand-hills, flying in
and out of the rabbit-holes and broken banks, in concealed cor-
ners of which they hatch. Their eggs are peculiarly beautiful,
being of a pale blue delicately shaded with a darker colour at
one end. Though of such repute in the south of England, it is
not ever sought after here. As a boy, on the Wiltshire downs,
I used to be an adept at catching them in horsehair nooses, as
we used to consider them particularly good eating. The shep-
herds there, as well as on the South downs, make a considerable
addition to their income by catching wheatears and sending them
to the London and Brighton markets.

The swallows and swifts arrive also about the middle of April.
It is a curious tiling to observe how a pair of swallows season
after season build their nest in the same angle of a window,
or corner of a wall, coming immediately to the same spot, after

CHAP, xvii.] SMALLER SPRING BIRDS. 141

their long absence and weary flight, and either repairing their
old residence or building a new one.

Great numbers of sand-martins build in the banks of the
river, returning to the same places every year, and after clearing
out their holes, they carry in a great quantity of feathers and
dried grass, which they lay loosely at. the end of their subterra-
nean habitation.

The swifts appear always to take up their abode about the
highest buildings in the towns and villages, flying and screaming
like restless spirits round and round the church steeple for hours
together, sometimes dashing in at a small hole under the eaves
of the roof, or clinging with their hard and powerful claws to
the perpendicular walls ; at other times they seem to be occu-
pied the whole day in darting like arrows along the course of
the burn in pursuit of the small gnats, of which they catch great
numbers in their rapid flight. I have found in the throat of
both swift and martin a number of small flies, sticking together
in a lump as large as a marble, and though quite alive, unable
to escape. It is probably with these that they feed their young,
for the food of all swallows consisting of the smaller gnats and
flies, they cannot carry them singly to their nests, but must wait
till they have caught a good quantity.

We are visited too by that very curious little bird the tree-
creeper, Certhea familiaris, whose rapid manner of running
round the trunk of a tree in search of insects is most amusing.
Though not exactly a bird of passage, as it is seen at all seasons,
it appears occasionally to vanish from a district for some months,
and then to return, without reference to the time of year. I
found one of their nests built within an outbuilding, which the
bird entered by a small opening at the top of the door.

142 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xvin.

CHAPTER XVIII.

Sheldrake: Nest; Food — Teal: Breeding-places; Anecdotes — Landrail;
Arrival of — Cuckoo — Nightjar : Habits of — Quail — Grebe : Arrival ;
Account of Nest and Young — Baldcoot — Water-Hen — Water-Kail.

BESIDES the birds mentioned in the last chapter there are several
others which come here to breed, such as the sheldrake, the
corncrake, the cuckoo, &c.

I should certainly call the sheldrake the most beautiful bird
of the duck tribe that visits this country. His clear black and
white plumage, the beautiful bronze on the wing, and the bright
red bill, give it a particularly gay and at the same time neat
appearance. They arrive here in March or the end of February.
They float in large flocks in the sheltered creeks and bays, swim-
ming high in the water and making a great show. When the
tide recedes, they take to the sands in search of their food, which
consists of shell-fish, the sea-worms, &c. Their manner of
catching the latter is curious. When the sheldrake perceives
that he is above the hole of one of these insects, which he
knows by the worm-casts similar to those of a common earth-
worm, he begins patting the ground with his feet, dancing as it
were over the hole. This motion on the sands generally brings
the worm out of his abode. My tame sheldrakes, when they
come to ask for food, pat the ground in an impatient and rapid
manner, their natural instinct evidently suggesting this as the
usual way of procuring food. Though among the most wary of
birds when wild, their sharp eye detecting the least movement,
yet they become extremely fearless and bold when once domes-
ticated, and certainly no bird is more ornamental. They breed
freely in a tame state, if allowed a certain degree of liberty, and
I have no doubt would be quite as good eating as a common
duck when fed on corn and clean food. In their wild state they
have a rank fishy flavour, but so would any duck that lived on
the same food as they do. My tame birds eat anything, and

CHAP, xvin.] SHELDRAKE— TEAL. 143

will take their food out of my hand without the least hesitation.
They are pugnacious creatures, and the drakes are always the
masters of the poultry-yard, pursuing the other birds with a
peculiar croaking quack. The sheldrakes breed in old rabbit-
holes, laying their eggs several feet under ground. When I am
on the sandhills in May, early in the morning, I frequently see
their tracks in and out of the holes. It is curious to watch the
male bird standing and strutting in the sun on some hillock
waiting for the female, who is employed in her domestic duties
under ground. When she appears, the drake goes to her, and
after a short flirtation they fly away together to the sea-shore.
When the hen is sitting, she leaves the nest during the time of
low water, appearing to have an instinctive knowledge of when
that time arrives, as it is the part of the day in which she can
most quickly procure her food. This done, she returns to her
nest, and after wheeling several times over it to see that nothing
is amiss, she alights and walks to her hole. The sheldrake has
a quick, smart step, quite unlike the waddling gait of most
ducks. When hatched, the young take at once to the sea, and
never seem to leave it or the sand-banks till their plumage is
complete. I have occasionally found a large flock of young
birds nearly full grown on the sands, but never could manage to
catch one, as they run with great rapidity and dash into the sea
before I can get up to them.

The flight of the sheldrake is not so rapid or easy as that of
other ducks, rather resembling the heavy flapping of a goose
than the quick flight of a wild duck. I cannot understand why
this beautiful bird is not oftener kept on ornamental pieces of
water, as his fine plumage, his boldness, and familiarity render
him peculiarly interesting and amusing.

The teal can scarcely be called a winter bird with us, although
occasionally a pair or two appear ; but in the spring they come
in numbers to breed and rear their tiny young in the swamps
and lochs. Nothing can exceed the beauty and neatness of this
miniature duck. They fly with great swiftness, rising suddenly
into the air when disturbed, and dropping as quickly after a
short flight, much in the same manner as a snipe. In the spring
the drake has a peculiar whistle, at other times their note is a
low quack. A pair of teal, if undisturbed, will return year

144 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xvnr.

after year to the same pool for the purpose of breeding. Like
the wild duck, they sometimes hatch their young a considerable
distance from the \vater, and lead the young brood immediately
to it. I once, when riding in Ross-shire, saw an old teal with
eight newly-hatched young once cross the road. The youngsters
could not climb up the opposite bank, and young and old all
squatted flat down to allow me to pass. I got off my horse and
lifted all the little birds up and carried them a little distance
down the road to a ditch, for which I concluded they were
making, the old bird all the time fluttering about me and fre-
quently coming within reach of my riding-whip. The part of
the road where I first found them passed through thick fir-
wood with rank heather, and it was quite a puzzle to me how
such small animals, scarcely bigger than a half-grown mouse,
could have got along through it. The next day I saw them all
enjoying .themselves in a small pond at some little distance oft',
where a brood of teal appeared every year. In some of the
mountain lakes the teal breed in great numbers. When shoot-
ing in August I have seen a perfect cloud of these birds occa-
sionally rise from some grassy loch. The widgeon never breeds
with us, but leaves this country at the end of April.

We have great numbers of landrails here in their breeding-
season. I have for several years first heard them on the 1st of
May. Hoarse and discordant as their voice is, I always hear it
with pleasure, for it brings the idea of summer and fine weather
with it. Oftentimes have I opened my window during the fine
dewy nights of June to listen to these birds as they utter their
harsh cry in every direction, some close to the very window,
and answered by others at different distances. I like too to see
this bird, as at the earliest dawn she crosses a road followed by
her train of quaint-looking, long-legged young ones, all walking
in the same stooping position ; or to see them earlier in the year
lift up their snake-like heads above the young corn, and croak in
defiance of some other bird of the same kind, whose head appears
now and then at a short distance. At other times, one hears the
landrail's cry apparently almost under one's feet, in the thick
clover, and he seems to shake the very ground, making as much
noise as a bull. How strange it is that a bird with apparently so
soft and tender a throat can utter so hard and loud a cry, which

CHAP, xvin.] LANDRAIL- CUCKOO. 145

sounds as if it was produced by some brazen instrument. I
never could ascertain whether this cry is made by the male or
female bird, or by both in common : I am inclined to suppose the
latter is the case, as in endeavouring to make this out I have
watched carefully a small piece of grass and shot four landrails
in it in as many minutes, every bird in the act of croaking.
Two of them were larger and of a redder plumage than the
others, and were apparently cock birds : this inclines me to think
that the croaking cry is common to both sexes. Their manner
of leaving the country is a mystery. Having hatched their
young, they take to the high corn-fields, and we never see them
again, excepting by chance one comes across a brood at dawn of
day, hunting along a path or ditch side for snails,, worms, and
flies, which are their only food, this bird being entirely insec-
tivorous, never eating corn or seeds. By the time the corn is
cut they are all gone ; how they go, or whither, I know not, but
with the exception of a stray one or two I never see them in
the shooting-season, although the fields are literally alive with
them in the breeding-time. You can seldom flush a landrail
twice ; having alighted he runs off at a quick pace, and turning
and doubling round a dog, will not rise. I have caught them
more than once when they have pitched by chance in an open
wood, and run into a hole or elsewhere at the root of a tree ; they
sometimes hide their head, like the story of the ostrich, and allow
themselves to be lifted up. Unlike most other migrating birds,
the landrail is in good order on his first arrival, and being then
very fat and delicate in flavour, is very good eating. Their
nest is of a very artless description, a mere hollow scratched in
the middle of a grass field, in which they lay about eight eggs.
The young ones at first are quite black, curious-looking little
birds, with the same attitudes and manner of running as their
parents, stooping their heads and looking more like mice or rats
than a long-legged bird.

Besides those already mentioned, I can only call to mind two
other birds that visit us for the breeding-season — the cuckoo and
the nightjar.

The cuckoo, like the landrail, is connected in all my ideas with
spring and sunshine, though frequenting such a different descrip-
tion of country ; the landrail always inhabiting the most open

146 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xvm.

country, while the cuckoo frequents the wooded glades and banks
of the rivers and burns ; flitting from tree to tree, alighting
generally on some small branch close to the trunk, or chasing
each other, uttering their singular call. So much has been
written respecting their habit of laying their egg in the nest of
some other bird, that I can add nothing to what is already known.
In this country they seem to delight in the woods on the hill sides
by the edge of loch or river, where I constantly hear their note
of good omen. When the young ones are fledged, they remain
for a week or two about the gardens or houses, perching on the
railings, and darting off, like the flycatcher, in pursuit of passing
insects.

The nightjar is a summer resident hero, building its nest — or
rather laying its eggs, for nest it has pone — in some bare spot
of ground, near the edge of a wood, and seldom quite within it.
The eggs are of a peculiarly oval shape. The nightjar, during
the daytime, will lie flat and motionless for hours together on
some horizontal branch of a. tree near the ground, or on some
part of the ground itself which exactly resembles its own plumage
in colour. In this manner the bird will allow a person to ap-
proach nearly close to it before it moves, although watching
intently with its dark eye to see if it is observed. If it fancies
that you are looking at it, up it rises straight into the air, and
drops again perpendicularly in some quiet spot, with a flight
like that of an insect more than of a bird. With the shades of
evening comes its time of activity. With rapid and noiseless
flight the nightjar flits and wheels round and round as you take
your evening walk, catching the large moths and beetles that
you put into motion. Sometimes the bird alights in the path
near you, crouching close to the ground, or sits on a railing
or gate motionless, with its tail even with its head. Frequently,
too, these birds pitch on a house-top, and utter their singular
jarring noise, like the rapid revolving of a wheel or the rush of
water, and the house itself appears to be trembling, so powerful
is their note. It is a perfectly harmless, indeed a useful bird ;
and I would as soon wantonly shoot a swallow as a nightjar.
I admire its curiously-mottled plumage, and manner of feeding
and flying about in the summer and autumn evenings, which
make it more interesting when alive than it can possibly be when

CHAP, xviii.] NIGHTJAR— QUAIL-GREBE. 147

dead. Often, when I have been fishing late in the evening, has
the nightjar flitted round, or pitched on a rock or bank close to
me, as if inclined to take an interest in what I was at — confident,
too, of not being molested. Its retreat in the daytime is usually
in some lonely wild place. Though feeding wholly at night, J
do not think that it is annoyed by sunshine, as it frequently basks
in an open spot, appearing to derive enjoyment from the light
and glare which are shining full upon it ; unlike the owl, whose
perch in the daytime is in some dark and shady corner, where
the rays of the sun never penetrate.

The quail is sometimes killed here, but very rarely. I once
shot a couple on the Ross-shire side of the Moray firth, but
never happened to meet with one on this side, though I have
heard of their being killed, and also of their having been seen in
the spring time, as if they came occasionally to breed.

Another singular bird visits this country regularly in the
spring, the lesser grebe (in England commonly called the dab-
chick). It is difficult to understand how this bird makes out its
journey from the region, wherever it may be, where they pass
the winter. No bird is less adapted for a long flight, yet they
suddenly appear in some rushy loch. Generally a pair take pos-
session of some small pool, where they build their singular nest
and rear their young, till the returning autumn warns them that
it is time to return to some country less liable than this to have
its pools and lochs frozen. In a small rushy pond in Inverness-
sliire I had frequent opportunities of observing their domestic
economy, and the manner in which they build their nest and rear
their young. Thouffh there was no stream connecting this pool
with any other larger piece of water, a pair, and only a pair of
these little grebes came to it ever}' spring. After two or three
days spent in recruiting their strength and making love to each
other, the little birds set about making their nest in a tuft of
rushes, at a shallow part of the water, a few yards from the
shore. They first collected a considerable quantity of dead
rushes, which they found in plenty floating about the edges of
the water. Both male and female were busily employed in
building, swimming to and fro with the greatest activity. After
laying a good foundation of this material, they commenced diving
for the weeds which grew at the bottom of the water, bringing

148 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xvm.

up small bunches of it, and clambering up the sides of their
nest (the bottom of which was in the water), they made a layer
of this, hollowed out in the middle. They worked only in the
morning and very late in the evening. Their eggs were six in
number, and when first laid, quite white, and nearly oval.
During the time of sitting, whenever the old bird left her nest
she covered her eggs most carefully. The singular part of this
proceeding was, that she always dived for a quantity of green
weed, which grew at the bottom of the pond, and used this,
wet as it was, to cover her eggs. By the time that they had
been laid for a few days they became green and dirty-looking,
having quite the appearance of being addled — and no wonder,
as the nest was constantly wet from below, the water coming up
through the rushes and weeds of which it was composed ; and
she gave them a fresh wet covering every time that she left
them, arranging it around the eggs, so that the edges of the
nest gradually became higher and higher. The bird appeared
to be very frequently off during the daytime, remaining away
for hours together, playing about on the water with her mate.
After a fortnight of this kind of sitting, I one day saw her fol-
lowed by six little dabchicks, scarcely bigger than large beetles,
but as active and as much at home on the water as their parents.
A very windy day came on, and the young birds collected in a
group behind a floating rail, which being half grounded at an
angle of the pool, made a kind of breakwater for them. The
old birds swam out of this harbour when I came, but the little
ones crept close up to the railing, uttering a feeble squeak like a
young chicken. Huddled up in a group, they certainly were
the smallest and quaintest-looking little divers that I ever saw.
I have heard it argued that it was impossible that eggs could be
hatched in a situation constantly exposed to so much wet and
damp, but those of this kind of grebe are certainly an exception,
as they were continually wet below, and frequently covered with
wet green weed. I do not know why the bird should always
bring the covering from below the water, but she invariably did
so, and the pool being in a convenient place for my watching
them closely, I took some trouble to be sure that my observa-
tions were correct. It is a pretty, amusing little bird, and quite
harmless : I have always much pleasure in watching their lively

CHAP, xvm.] DABCHICK-COOT. 149

actions in the water. Where undisturbed, they soon become bold
and confident. These little fellows used to swim close to me,
and after looking up in my face with an arch cock of their tiny
head, turn up their round sterns and dip under the water.
They often remained so long under water, that the circles made
in the calm pool from their last dive were quite obliterated from
the surface before the saucy-looking little fellows would rise
again, often in exactly the same spot, when they would look at
me again, as if to be sure of who I was ; then, turning half over
in the water, they would scratch their neck with their curiously
formed foot, shake their apology of a wing, and dip under
again.

One day my dog jumped into the water for a swim, and the
motions of the birds were then very different. They dived
rapidly to the other end of the pool, where they rose, shoeing
only the very tip of their bill, which 1 could distinguish by the
small wave in the water made when it first came up. After
remaining in this position for a short time, they gradually lifted
up more and more of their head, till seeing that all danger was
over arid that the dog had left their pool, they rose entirely to
the surface, and shaking their feathers resumed their usual atti-
tudes, keeping, however, at a respectful distance and watching
the dog. After the young ones were hatched and full grown
they again disappeared, leaving us for the winter. How or where
they went it is difficult to imagine.

If the weather is tolerably open, the bald coot arrives here
early in the spring. It is very difficult to make this bird fly,
unless it happens to be surprised in the open part of the lake,
when it darts off immediately to the rushes, where, diving and
wading with great quickness, it remains so completely concealed
that neither dog nor man can put it up again. Its young ones
are like a ball of black down, but swim about and dive as
cleverly as their parents. They build a very large nest amongst
the rushes growing in the water, and sit very close. The coot
has an ornamental appearance on a sheet of water, from their
constant activity in swimming about, and their loud, wild cry
adds an interest to the solitude of the Highland lake.

The water-hen is another bird which deserves encouragement
and protection, as they repay it by becoming tame and familiar,

150 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xvm.

leaving the water to feed with the poultry, and walking about
all day on the grass, with an air of the greatest confidence and
sociability. I know nothing prettier than the young ones, as
they follow their parents in their active search for flies and
insects. When first hatched they are perfectly black, with a
small spot of bright red skin on the top of their beaks.

These birds remain with us all the winter, only changing their
location from the pools to the open ditches in severe frosts.

The water-rail I only see in the winter, and even then rarely.
I do not think that it is a regular visitor to us, for were it so,
notwithstanding its habits of concealment, my dogs would,
when looking through the wet places and ditches for snipes, cer-
tainly find it oftener than they do. I sometimes see it in frosty
weather, feeding at all hours of the day in a running stream or
ditch, busily searching amongst the weeds for its food.

CHAP, xix.] WILD GEESE. 151

CHAPTER XIX.

Wild Geese: Arrival of; Different kinds of Anecdotes of— Shooting Wild
Geese — Feeding-places— Wariness — Habits — Breeding-places — Black-
headed Gull — Birds that breed on the Kiver-banks.

ON the 2nd of March a flock of twelve wild geese passed
over my house, flying eastwards towards the Loch of Spynie :
these are the first birds of the kind I have seen this spring.
On the 6th I hear of the same flock being seen feeding on a
clover-field to the eastward, in the flat country between this place
and Loch Spynie. This flock of geese are said to have been
occasionally seen during the whole winter about the peat-mosses
beyond Brodie, there having been no severe frost or snow to
drive them southward.

The first wild geese that we see here are not the common grey
goose, but the white-fronted or laughing goose, Anas albifrons,
called by Buffon V Oye rieuse. This bird has a peculiarly harsh
and wild cry, whence its name. It differs in another respect
also from the common grey goose, in preferring clover and
green wheat to corn for its food. Indeed this bird appears to
me to be wholly graminiferous. Unlike the grey goose too, it
roosts, when undisturbed, in any grass-field where it may have
been feeding in the afternoon, instead of taking to the bay every
night for its sleeping-quarters. The laughing goose also never
appears here in large flocks, but in small companies of from eight
or nine to twenty birds.

Though very watchful at all times, they are more easily ap-
proached than the grey goose, and often feed on ground that
admits of stalking them. I see them occasionally feeding in
small swamps and patches of grass surrounded by high banks,
furze, or trees. The grey goose appears to select the most open
and extensive fields in the country to feed in, always avoiding
any bank or hedge that may conceal a foe.

On the 10th of March last year, when out rabbit-shooting in a

152 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xix.

small furze cover, I saw a flock of some fifteen or sixteen white-
fronted geese hovering over a small clover-field, not far from
where I was. My attendant, who has a most violent liking for
a " wild-goose-chace," immediately caught up the dogs, and made
me sit down to watch the birds, who presently pitched, as we
expected, on the clover-field. I was for immediately com-
mencing the campaign against them, but this he would not
admit of, and pointing out a part of the field sheltered by a bank
overgrown with furze, where the clover was greener than else-
where, he told me that in ten minutes the birds would be there.
Knowing his experience and cunning in these matters, I put
myself entirely under his orders, and waited patiently. The
geese, after sitting quietly for a few minutes, and surveying the
country around, began to plume their feathers, and this done,
commenced feeding in a straight line for the green spot of grass,
keeping, however, a constant watch in all directions. " They
will be in that hollow in a minute, Sir," said Simon ; " and
then, Sir, you must just run for it till you get behind the bank,
and then you can easily crawl to within thirty yards of where
they will pass." Accordingly, the moment they disappeared in
the hollow, I started literally venire a terre. One of the wary
birds, however, evidently not liking that the whole flock should
be in the hollow at once, ran back and took up her station on
the rising ground which they had just passed over, where she
stood with her neck erect and looking in all directions. I was
in full view of her, and at the moment was crossing a wet rushy
spot of ground ; nothing was left for it but to lie flat on the
ground, notwithstanding the humid nature of my locale; the bird
appeared rather puzzled by my appearance, and my grey clothes
not making much show in the rushy ground and withered herbage
which I was lying in, she contented herself with giving some
private signal to the rest, which brought them all at a quick run
up to her side, where they stood looking about them, undecided
whether to fly or not. I was about two hundred yards from the
birds ; we remained in this manner for, I dare say, five minutes,
the birds appearing on the point of taking wing during the whole
time : suddenly I heard a shout beyond the birds, and they in-
stantly rose in confusion and flew directly towards me. As soon
as they were over my head I stood up : the effect of my sudden

CHAP, xix.] SHOOTING WILD GEESE. 153

appearance was to make them break their line and fly straight
away from me in all directions, thus giving me wliat I wanted,
shots at them when flying away from me, in which case they are
easy to kill. My cartridges told with good effect, and I killed a
brace, one dropping perfectly dead and the other extending her
wings and gradually sinking, till she fell on the top of a furze-
busli three or four hundred yards off', where I found her lying
quite dead. It appeared that Simon, seeing that the birds had
observed me, ran round them, and then setting up a shout, had
luckily driven them nolens volens over my head. They were
the white-fronted goose, with pure white spots on their fore-
heads. About three weeks after this time, at the end of
March, large flights of grey geese appear here, feeding on the
fresh-sown oats, barley, and peas during the day, and passing the
night on the sands of the bay, whither they always repair soon
after sunset.

I had passed a great part of several days in endeavouring to
get at these wary birds, and had occasionally killed a stray one
or two, but some ill luck or error on my part (Simon would
never admit that his own tactics were wrong) had always pre-
vented my getting a good shot at the flocks. As for Simon, he
protested that " his heart was quite broken with the beasts."
One morning, however, I got up at daylight and went to the
shore ; a heavy mist was rolling over the bay, and I could see
nothing, but heard the wild and continued cry of hundreds of
geese answering each other, and apparently consulting as to what
direction they should seek their morning's repast in. Presently
I knew from their altered cry that the birds were on wing, and
were coming directly towaius where I was: I sat down, and very
soon a long line of geese came cackling and chattering within
fifteen yards of me, and I killed a brace with no trouble. In
the afternoon, while walking on the shore, I saw a large flock of
geese rise off the sea and fly inland, in a long undulating line,
evidently looking for a place to feed on. I watched them with
my glass, and saw the field in which they alighted, at the dis-
tance of at least two miles from me. I sent for Simon, and started
in pursuit. We came within two fields of the birds, and could
advance no nearer without risk of putting them up. On two
sides of the field " in which they were feeding," was a deep open

154 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xix.

drain ; and once in this we were nearly sure of a shot. Luckily
a farmer was ploughing in an adjoining field, and though at every
turn he approached the ditch of the oatfield where the geese were,
the birds, according to their usual custom, took no notice of him.
We joined the ploughman, and keeping behind the horses, slipped
unperceived by the geese into the ditch, which, by the by, had
in it about a foot of the coldest water that I ever felt. It was
deep enough, however, to conceal us entirely, and following Simon
I went about three hundred yards down the drain, till we came
to another which ran at right angles to the first ; we turned
along this ditch, which, not being cut so deep as the other, obliged
us to stoop in a manner that made my back ache most unmerci-
fully. Simon appeared to understand exactly what he was at,
and to have a perfect knowledge of the geography of all the drains
in the country. Putting on a nondescript kind of cap, made of
dirty canvass, exactly the colour of a ploughed field, he peered
cautiously through a bunch of rushes which grew on the edge of
the ditch ; then looking at me with a most satisfied grin, floundered
on again till he came to another ditch that crossed us at right
angles ; up this he went, and of course I had nothing to do but
to follow, though as I occasionally sank above my knees into
cold spring water, I began to wish all the wild geese were con-
signed to his black majesty : we went about a hundred yards up
this last drain, till we came to a part where a few rushes grew
on the banks ; looking through these we saw about fifty geese
coming straight towards us, feeding ; we got our guns cautiously
on the top of the bank and waited till the birds were within
twenty-five yards of us, they then began to turn to cross the
field back again. Some were within shot, however, and on our
giving a low whistle they ran together, preparatory to rising ;
this was our moment : only one of my barrels went off, the other
having got wet through, copper cap and every thing, during our
progress in the ditch. "We, however, bagged three birds, and
another flew wounded away, and at last fell close to the sea-
shore, where we afterwards found her. Having collected our
game, I was not sorry to walk off home in double-quick time to
put a little caloric into my limbs, as I felt perfectly benumbed
after wading for such a distance in a cold March wind.

On our way home we saw an immense flock of geese alight to

CHAP, xix.] FOX AND WILD GEESE. 155

feed on a small field of newly sown peas. Simon was delighted,
and promised me a good shot in the morning, if I left him at
the nearest farm-house to take his own steps towards ensuring
me the chance.

Accordingly the next morning, at daylight, I went with him
to the spot : the geese were still resting on the sands, not having
yet made their morning meal. In the very centre of the pea-
field Simon had constructed what he called an " ambush ;" this
was a kind of hut, or rather hole in the ground, just large enough
to contain one person, whose chin would be on a level with the
field. The ground was rather rough, and he had so disposed the
clods of earth that I was quite invisible till the geese came within
a yard or two of me. Into this hole he made me worm myself,
while he went to a hedge at some distance, for the chance of the
birds coming over his head after I had fired. The sun was not
yet up when I heard the cackle of the geese, and soon afterwards
the whole flock came soaring over my head ; round and round
they flew, getting lower every circle. I could several times
have fired at single birds as they flew close by me, and so well
concealed was I with clods of earth, dried grass, &c., that they
never suspected my presence in the midst of their breakfast-table.
Presently they all alighted at the farthest end of the field from me,
and commenced shovelling up the peas in the most wholesale
manner. Though the field was small, they managed to feed from
one end to the other without coming within sixty yards of me;
having got to the end of the field, they turned round, and this
time J saw that they would pass within shot. Suddenly they all
halted, and I saw that something had alarmed them ; I looked
cautiously out, and saw, in the direction in which their heads
were turned, a large fox sitting upright and looking wistfully at
the geese, but seeming quite aware that he had no chance of
getting at them. The morning sun, however, which was just
rising, and which, shining on his coat, made it appear perfectly
red, warned him that it was time to be off to the woods, and he
trotted quietly away, passing my ambuscade within forty yards,
but always keeping his head turned towards the geese, as if
unwilling to give up all hope of getting one of them. The
distant bark of a dog, however, again warned him, and he
quickened his pace and was soon out of sight. The geese seemed

156 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xix.

quite relieved at his departure, and recommenced feeding. I
cocked my gun and arranged my ambuscade, so as to be ready
for them when they came opposite to me ; presently one or two
stragglers passed within ten yards ; I pulled the dead grass in
front of my face, so that they could not see me, and waited for
the main flock, who soon came by, feeding hurriedly as they
passed ; when they were opposite to me, I threw down part of the
clods and grass that concealed me, and fired both barrels at the
thickest part of the flock : three fell dead, and two others
dropped before the flock had flown many hundred yards. Simon
ran from his hiding-place to secure them ; one was dead, the
other rose again, but was stopped by a charge from his gun.
Our five geese were no light load to carry home, as they had
been feeding on the corn for a fortnight or three weeks, and had
become very fat and heavy.

The common grey goose, after having fed for some time in the
fresh-sown corn-fields, is by no means a bad bird for the larder.
But before they can procure grain to feed on, their flesh is neither
so firm nor so well flavoured. In this country there are three
kinds of geese, all called by the common name of " wild geese,"
namely, the white-fronted goose, already mentioned ; the com-
mon grey-leg goose, Anas Anser ; and the bean-goose. The
latter kind differs from the grey goose in having a small black
mark at the end of their bill, about the size and colour of a
horse-bean. This bird, too, differs in being rather smaller and
more dark in its general colour than the grey goose. It is a
great libel to accuse a goose of being a silly bird. Even a tame
goose shows much instinct, and attachment ; and were its habits
more closely observed, the tame goose would be found to be by
no means wanting in general cleverness. Its watchfulness at
nighttime is, and always has been, proverbial ; and it certainly is
endowed with a strong organ of self-preservation. You may
drive over dog, cat, hen, or pig; but I defy you to drive over a
tame goose. As for wild geese, I know of no animal, biped or
quadruped, that is so difficult to deceive or approach. Their
senses of hearing, seeing, and smelling are all extremely acute ;
independently of which, they appear to act in so organized and
cautious a manner when feeding or roosting, as to defy all danger.
Many a time has my utmost caution been of no avail in attempt-

CHAP, xix.] WARINESS OF WILD GEESE. 157

ing to approach these birds ; either a careless step on a piece of
gravel, or an eddy of wind, however light, or letting them per-
ceive the smallest portion of my person, has rendered useless
whole hours of manoeuvring. When a flock of geese has fixed on
a field of new-sown grain to feed on, before alighting they make
numerous circling flights round and round it, and the least suspi-
cious object prevents their pitching. Supposing that all is right,
and they do alight, the whole flock for the space of a minute or
two remains motionless, with erect head and neck reconnoitring
the country round. They then, at a given signal from one of the
largest birds, disperse into open order, and commence feeding in
a tolerably regular line. They now appear to have made up
their minds that all is safe, and are contented with leaving one
sentry, who either stands on some elevated part of the field, or
walks slowly with the rest — never, however, venturing to pick up
a tingle grain of corn, his whole energies being employed in
watching. The flock feeds across the field ; not waddling, like
tame geese, but walking quickly, with a firm, active, light-infantry
step. They seldom venture near any ditch or hedge that might
conceal a foe. When the sentry thinks that he lias performed a
fair share of duty, he gives the nearest bird to him a sharp peck.
I have seen him sometimes pull out a handful of feathers, if the
first hint is not immediately attended to, at the same time uttering
a querulous kind of cry. This bird then takes up the watch,
with neck perfectly upright, and in due time makes some other
bird relieve guard. On the least appearance of an enemy, the
sentinel gives an alarm, and the whole flock invariably run up to
him, and for a moment or two stand still in a crowd, and then
take flight ; at first in a confused ma^s, but this is soon changed
into a beautiful wedge-like rank, which they keep till about to
alight again. Towards evening, I observe the geese coming from
the interior, in numerous small flocks, to the bay ; in calm
weather, flying at a great height ; and their peculiar cry is heard
some time before the birds are in sight. As soon as they are
above the sands, where every object is plainly visible, and no
enemy can well be concealed, flock after flock wheel rapidly
downwards, and alight at the edge of the water, where they
immediately begin splashing and washing themselves, keeping up
an almost incessant clamour. In the morning they again take

158 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xix.

to the fields. Those flocks that feed at a distance start before
sunrise ; but those that feed nearer to the bay do not leave their
roosting-place so soon. During stormy and misty weather, the
geese frequently fly quite low over the heads of the work-people
in the fields, but even then have a kind of instinctive dread of
any person in the garb of a sportsman. I have also frequently
got shots at wild geese, by finding out the pools where they drink
during the daytime. They generally alight at the distance of
two or three hundred yards from the pool ; and after watching
motionless for a few minutes, all start off' in a hurry to get their
drink. This done, they return to the open fields or the sea-
shore.

In some parts of Sutherland — for instance on Loch Shin, and
other lonely and unfrequented pieces of water — the wild goose
breeds on the small islands that dot these waters. If their eggs
are taken and hatched under tame geese, the young are easily
domesticated ; but, unless pinioned or confined, they always take
to flight with the first flock of wild geese that passes over the
place during the migrating-season. Even when unable to fly,
they evince a great desire to take wing at this season, and are
very restless for a few weeks in spring and autumn. In a lonely
and little-frequented spot on the banks of Loch Shin, where the
remains of walls and short green herbage point out the site of
some former shealing or residence of cattle- herds, long since
gone to ruin, I have frequently found the wild goose with her
brood feeding on the fine grass that grows on what was once the
dwelling of man. The young birds do not fly till after they are
full grown ; but are very active in the water, swimming and
diving with great quickness.

March is a month full of interest to the observer of the habits
of birds, particularly of those that are migratory. During the
last week of February and the first week in March thousands of
pewits appear here : first a few stragglers arrive, but in the
course of some days the shores of the bay are literally alive with
them.

The black-headed gulls also arrive in great numbers. Tin's
bird loses the black feathers on the head during the winter, and
at this season begins to resume them. I see the birds with their
heads of every degree of black and white just now ; in a fort-

CHAP, xix.] HERONRY ON THE FINDHORN. 159

night their black cowl is complete. In the evenings and at
nighttime thousands of these birds collect on the bay, and every
one of them appears to be chattering at once, so that the whole
flock together make a noise that drowns every other sound or
cry for a considerable distance round them.

March 6th. — I observe that the herons in the heronry on the
Findhorn are now busily employed in sitting on their eggs, the
heron being one of the first birds to commence breeding in this
country. A more curious and interesting sight than the Find-
horn heronry I do not know : from the top of the high rocks on
the east side of the river you look down into every nest, the
herons breeding on the opposite side of the river, which is here
very narrow. The cliffs and rocks are studded with splendid
pines and larch, and fringed with all the more lowly but not
less beautiful underwood which abounds in this country. Con-
spicuous amongst these are the bird-cherry and mountain-ash,
the holly and the wild rose; while the golden blossoms of furze
and broom enliven every crevice and corner in the rock. Oppo-
site to you is a wood of larch and oak, on the latter of which
trees are crowded a vast number of the nests of the heron.
The foliage and small branches of the oaks that they breed on
seem entirely destroyed, leaving nothing but the naked arms
and branches of the trees on which the nests are placed. The
same nests, slightly repaired, are used year after year. Looking
down at them from the high banks of the Altyre side of the
river, you can see directly into their nests, and can become ac-
quainted with the whole of their domestic economy. You can
plainly see the green eggs, and also the young herons, who fear-
lessly, and conscious of the security they are left in, are con-
stantly passing backwards and forwards and alighting on the
topmost branches of the larch or oak trees, whilst the still
younger birds sit bolt upright in the nest, snapping their beaks
together with a curious sound. Occasionally a grave-looking
heron is seen balancing himself by some incomprehensible feat
of gymnastics on the very topmost twig of a larch-tree, where
he swings about in an unsteady manner, quite unbecoming so
sage-looking a bird. Occasionally a thievish jackdaw dashes
out from the cliffs opposite the heronry and flies straight into
some unguarded nest, seizes one of the large green eggs, and flies

160 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xix.

back to his own side of the river, the rightful owner of the
eggs pursuing the active little robber with loud cries and the
most awkward attempts at catching him.

The heron is a noble and picturesque looking bird, as she sails
quietly through the air with outstretched wings and slow flight ;
but nothing is more ridiculous and undignified than her appear-
ance as she vainly chases the jackdaw or hooded crow who is
carrying off her egg, and darting rapidly round the angles and
corners of the rocks. Now and then every heron raises its head
and looks on the alert as the peregrine falcon, with rapid and
direct flight, passes their crowded dominion ; but intent on his
own nest, built on the rock some little way farther on, the hawk
takes no notice of his long-legged neighbours, who soon settle
down again into their attitudes of rest. The kestrel-hawk fre-
quents the same part of the river, and lives in amity with the
wood-pigeons that breed in every cluster of ivy which clings to
the rocks. Even that bold and fearless enemy of all the pigeon
race, the sparrowhawk, frequently has her nest within a few
yards of the wood-pigeon, and you see these birds (at all other
seasons such deadly enemies) passing each other in their way to
and fro from their respective nests in perfect peace and amity.
It has seemed to me that the sparrowhawk and wood-pigeon
during the breeding-season frequently enter into a mutual com-
pact against the crows and jackdaws, who are constantly on the
look-out for the eggs of all other birds. The hawk appears to
depend on the vigilance of the wood-pigeon to warn him of the
approach of these marauders ; and then the brave little warrior
sallies out, and is not satisfied till he has driven the crow to a
safe distance from the nests of himself and his more peaceable
ally. At least in no other way can I account for these two
birds so very frequently breeding not only in the same range of
rock, but within two or three yards of each other.

SANDHILLS OF MORAYSHIRE. 1«1

CHAPTER XX.

The Sandhills of Morayshire: Description of; Origin of— Foxes: De-
structivcness and Cunning of; Anecdote of — Hoe-hunting in the Sandhills
— Anecdote*.

BETWEEN the fertile plains of Moray and the shores of the Moray
Firth there lies one of the most peculiarly barren and strange
districts of country in Scotland, consisting of a stretch of sand-
hills, in most parts formed of pure and very fine yellowish sand,
without a blade of vegetation of any description, and constantly
shifting and changing their shape and appearance on the recur-
rence of continued dry winds. Looking from the hills more
inland, this range of sand, in the evening sun, has the appearance
of a golden boundary line to the beautiful picture of the firth.
"With the magnificent rocks of Cromarty, and the snow-capped
mountains of Ross-shire and Sutherland in the distance, I know
no more striking picture than the coup d'ceil of this landscape,
with the smiling plains and groves of Morayshire as a fore-
ground.

In other parts of these sandhills are tracts covered with a dry
and rough kind of bent ; the long roots of which, stretching along
the surface of the sand, and throwing out innumerable fibres and
holders, serve in some measure to prevent the drifting of the sand.
It is a matter of surprise how this bent can find enough sustenance
and moisture in the sand, which is always moving and always dry.
At the extremity, opposite Findhorn, is a peninsula, with a soli-
tary farm-house, and a tolerably- si ml arable farm, with tracts of
broom and furze around it. The furze-bushes are all eaten by the
rabbits into peculiar shapes, as the old yew and box trees in a
Dutch garden are cut into figures to humour the quaint fancies
of their heavy-sterned proprietors. The rabbits ought, by the by,
to be well clothed, as they nibble the furze into regular cushions
and ottomans, on which they sit and look out in the fine summer
evenings, without fear or dread of the sharpness of the thorns,

M

1G2 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xx.

which in this arid district appear to me sharper and more pene-
trating than anywhere else.

Westwards, towards Nairn, the sandhills are interrupted by
an extent of broken hillocks, covered with the deepest heather
that T ever met with, which conceals innumerable pits and holes,
many of the latter not above a foot in diameter, three or four feet
deep, and so completely concealed by the growth of moss and
heather as to form the most perfect traps for the unwary passer-
by. I never could find out what these holes were originally made
for, as they evidently are not the work of nature. A large part
of the ground is here well wooded ; the trees do not, however,
appear likely ever to come to a large size, well as they flourish
when young. This district of wood and heath is here and there in-
tersected by nearly impassable swamps, the abode of mallards and
teal, and occasionally of geese. In the wooded parts are plenty of
roe, who feed about the swamps, and in the warm weather lie like
hares on the hillocks, covered with long heath, and under the
stunted fir-trees in the midst of the wet places. Throughout the
whole tract of this wild ground there are great numbers of foxes,
who live undisturbed, and grow to a very great size ; feeding
during the season on young roe, wild ducks, and black game ;
and when these fail, they make great havoc amongst the game,
poultry, and rabbits in the adjoining country. I have frequently
started and shot a fox here out of the rough heather, when I have
been looking for wild ducks, or passing through the place on my
way to the sea-shore. Farther westward, the sandhills are
bounded by a large extent of marsh and water, terminating at
last in an extensive lake, dreary and cold-looking ; the resort of
wild fowl of every kind, from the swan to the teal; but said to
contain no fish excepting eels.

I never yet could get a good account of the origin of these sand-
hills ; I say origin, because they are evidently of a more recent
formation than any of the surrounding land. In several places,
where the sand is blown off, you see the remains of cultivated
ground, the land below the sand being laid out in regular furrows
and ridges, made by the plough ; and, from their regularity and
evenness, one would suppose that agriculture must have been well
advanced when these lands were in cultivation. Did the covering
that now conceals these fields consist wholly of sand, one would

CHAP, xx.] FOXES OF THE SANDHILLS. 163

agree with the popular story of their having been overwhelmed
with it by the wind ; but in some parts the ground is covered to
a good depth by shingle and water-worn stones of a size to pre-
clude the possibility of their having been brought there by the
action of the wind. In certain places, too, there are curious
reirularly formed pyramids of shingle, about sixteen feet high,
and of the same diameter at the base. These, and long banks of
shingle, having exactly the appearance of the sea-beach, make
me suppose that the destruction of what was once a fertile coun-
try was brought about by some sudden and unaccountable inroad
of the sea. Indeed, the appearance of the whole of this barren
district would lead one to the same conclusion. At any rate,
amongst the numerous traditions regarding the origin of the sand-
hills, I never heard one that quite satisfied my mind. Whatever
it once was, it is now a mere barren waste, or, as a friend of mine
named it, a kind of Arabia Infelix, inhabited only by wild animals ;
and it seems a wonder that even these have not long ago been
starved out of it. Whatever the rabbits and hares feed on, they
are larger there than in the more cultivated and fertile parts of
the country ; and the foxes are like wolves in size and strength.
Owing to the solitude and quietness of the place, I have seen the
foxe* at all hours of the day prowling about, or basking in the
sun, or sometimes coolly seated on the top of a sandhill watching
my movements. I have occasionally fallen in with their earth
or breeding-place. The quantity of remains of different animals,
which they have brought to these places to feed their young,
p'roves the fox to be a most universal depredator. Turkeys which
have been caught at several miles' distance, tame geese from the
farms, and wild geese from the sea-shore ; fowls, ducks, pheasants,
and game of every kind, including old roe that have been wounded,
and young roe too weak to resist tlieir attacks, all appear to form
part of tin's wily robber's larder. He also takes home to his
young any fish that he finds on the shore, or that he can
catch in the shallow pools of the streams during the nighttime
Iso animal is cunning enough to escape the fox ; wild duck or
wood-pigeon (the most wary of all birds) full to his share.
Patient and cunning, the fox finds out the pool where the mallard
and his mate resort to in the evenings, and lying in wait to the
leeward of the place, in some tuft of rushes, catches the bird

M 2

164 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xx.

before it can take wing-. One night, seven of my domesticated
wild ducks were taken from the poultry-yard, close to the house.
After some search, we found some of the birds concealed in dif-
ferent places in the adjoining fields, where the fox had buried
them, not having time to carry them all to his earth that night.
He fell a victim to his greediness, however, being caught in a
trap a few nights afterwards.

A fox, after he has lost one of his feet in a trap, is still able to
get his own living, and to keep himself in as good plight as if he
had his whole complement of legs effective. One, which had left
a foot in a trap, and escaped on the other three, lived for two
years afterwards about the same ground. We knew his track in
the sand by the impression of his stump. This winter, while
shooting in the sandhills, we saw a fox sneak quietly into a small
thicket of trees. I immediately placed the two sportsmen who
were with me at different points of the thicket, and then took my
retriever on the track. The dog, who, from his former battles
with fox and otter, is very eager in his enmity against all animals
of the kind, almost immediately started the fox, and, after a short
chace, turned him out within shot of a very sure gun. The con-
sequence was the instant death of Mr. Reynard. On examining,
he turned out to be the very fox whose foot had been nail«d up
two years before. He was an immense old dog-fox, in perfect con-
dition, although he had only three legs to hunt on. The fox is
a constant attendant on the rabbit-trapper, robbing him of most
of the rabbits that are caught in his traps or snares. He some-
times, however, pays dearly, by getting caught in the wires ; ami
although he generally breaks the snare and escapes, does not do
so without most severe punishment. I shot a fox this season who
had the remains of a rabbit-wire round his hind leg, which was
cut to the bone by his struggles to escape.

When living in Ross-shire, I went one morning in July before
daybreak, to endeavour to shoot a stag, who had been conr.-
plained of very much by an adjoining farmer, as having done
great damage to his crops. Just after it was daylight, I saw a
large fox come very quietly along the edge of the plantation in
which I was concealed ; he looked with great care over the turf-
wall into the field, and seemed to long very much to get hold
of some hares that were feeding in it — but apparently knew that

CHAP. xx.J CUNNING OF FOXES. 165

he had no chance of catching one by dint of running ; after
considering a short time, he seemed to have formed his plans,
arid having examined the different gups in the wall by which the
hares might be supposed to go in and out, he fixed upon the one
that seemed the most frequented, and laid himself down close to
it in an attitude like a cat watching a mouse-hole. Cunning
as lie was, he was too intent on his own hunting to be aware
that I was within twenty yards of him with a loaded rifle, and
able to watch every movement he made ; I was much amazed to
see the fellow so completely outwitted, and kept my rifle ready
to shoot him if he found me out and attempted to escape. In
the mean time I watched all his plans : he first with great silence
and care scraped a small hollow in the ground, throwing up the
sand as a kind of screen between his hiding-place and the hares'
meuse — every now and then, however, he stopped to listen, and
sometimes to take a most cautions peep into the field ; when he
had done this, he laid himself down in a convenient posture for
springing upon his prey, and remained perfectly motionless, with
the exception of an occasional reconnoitre of the feeding hares.
"When the sun began to rise, they came one by one from the
field to the cover of the plantation ; three had already come in
without passing by his ambush, one of them came within twenty
yards of him, but he made no movement beyond crouching still
more flatly to the ground — presently two came directly towards
him ; though he did not venture to look up, I saw by an invo-
luntary motion of his ears, that those quick organs had already
warned him of their approach ; the two hares came through the
gap together, and the fox springing with the quickness of light-
ning caught one and killed her immediately ; he then lifted up
his booty and was carrying it off' like a retriever, when my rifle-
ball stopped his course by passing through his backbone, and I
went up and despatched him. After seeing this I never won-
dered again as to how a fox could make prey of animals much
quicker than himself, and apparently quite as cunning.

One day tin's winter, we attempted to beat the thickets and
rough ground in the sandhill district for foxes. Having ap-
pointed a place of meeting, I went with a friend and four couple
of beagles well entered to fox and roe, to meet the owner of
part of the ground and an adjoining proprietor. We were only

166 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xx.

four guns. Having placed the other three in passes along the edge
of the swamps, through which the roe and foxes would have to
make their way on going from one wood to the other, I went
into the thickets with the keepers and hounds. We had hardly
entered when up got a fine buck, and the beagles were immediately
laid on, and away they went ; I ran to a small height from which
I had a good view of the country — away went the buck at a rattling
pace, and the gallant little pack hard on his track, making the
woods echo with their enlivening cry. The buck first took a
line into the roughest part of the ground, expecting no doubt to
throw off the dogs at once, as he probably had often done with
sheep-dogs or curs that had chased him ; but finding that his
persevering little enemies were not to be so outwitted, after
standing still for a short time to deliberate, he turned back and
went straight for the swamp where the guns were, but seeing
the hat of one of the gentlemen posted there, and not liking to
cross the water directly in his face, he turned along the edge of
it, half inclined to go back. But just at this instant the little
pack came full cry out of the wood — their deep notes sounding
in full chorus as they came upon the open ground ; they were
rather at a loss for a moment or two, and I ran up to put them
on the scent. The buck, who had been watching us as he went
quietly along, was decided as to his course by seeing this, and
the moment the dogs' cry gave notice that they had found the
scent again, he dashed into the water at a place where there was
no pass — it was not above a hundred yards in width, and ex-
cepting two or three yards in the middle where he had to
swim, not deeper than a few inches. The beagles came full
cry on his track, and just viewed him as he was cantering up a
steep ascent on the other side of the water ; they at once dashed
in, and, encouraged by a view holloa, swam through the water
and took up the scent immediately — away they went, till
we lost all sound of them ; presently we heard their notes
borne down on the wind from a great distance — the sound
came nearer and nearer, and soon the buck appeared on the
top of the brae, near the water's edge, directly above two of the
guns, who had got together tired of waiting, and were discussing
the price of railway-sleepers, &c. The deer stood watching
them for some minutes, till the hounds came within fifty yards

CHAP, xx.] ROE-HUNTING IN THE SANDHILLS. \W

of him in the thicket behind him ; the gentlemen, hearing the
dogs, ran to their respective posts, and the roe came down the
brae, passed between them unobserved, and crossed the water
again ; the dogs full cry and all together immediately behind
them. Hark away ! Hark away ! was the cry, and away they
did go, in a straight line towards the sea-shore. The buck
(whom I constantly saw) appeared quite bewildered and was
evidently getting distressed ; after a twenty minutes' burst along
the shore arid the open part of the cover, he turned back and
passed me within a hundred yards at a slow canter — the hounds
had got well warmed to their work, and never lost the scent for
a moment. The buck, after a great many turns and windings,
was fairly driven to the swamp again, which he crossed this time
quite slowly, stopping in the water every now and then, as if to
cool himself; but the dogs did not leave him much time, and
were soon at the edge of the water. The buck crouched down
in the middle of a small heath-covered island in the water, which
was here of a considerable width : the hounds, however, went
right across the water, and began trying for the scent along the
opposite edge. I had seen the roe stop where he was, and ran
down to call the hounds back, but before I could do so, one of
the pack, a very excellent young bitch, whom I had got from the
New Forest in Hampshire, gave a cast and got the wind of the
roe, giving a quiet cheep, sufficient however to warn the rest of
the pack, who all joined her ; she trotted through the water
straight up to the island, and very soon the whole of them in
full cry were at the roe's heels, and driving him directly in the
face of one of the guns, who finished the hunt with a cartridge,
killing him not twenty yards ahead of the dogs. When the roe
was opened afterwards, the whole cartridge, wire and all, was
found embedded in his heart, a proof of the great efficacy of tin's
kind of charge, and the superiority of its strength over that of
loose shot.

After resting the dogs and talking over the chace, I left my
friends at their passes again, and went back to draw the cover
for another roe. The dogs were very soon in full cry again, and
as luck would have it, out of four roe that had started they had
got on the track of a fine buck ; this roe was run for some time
in as good style as the last, and after he had narrowly escaped

168 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP, xx

being shot two or three times, I shot him dead about fifty yards
before the hounds. During the run I saw two foxes start ; one
of them waded quietly through the swamp towards my English
friend, who, however, did not shoot at him, because he was afraid,
he said, of losing a chance at the roe ; but I rather suspect, that
having been bred a fox-hunter in his own country, he had a kind
of holy horror against killing a fox in any but the orthodox
manner which he had been accustomed to.

After having opened one of the bucks and rewarded the beagles
with the entrails, liver, &c., we repaired to a cottage at hand,
where our host for the day had provided a capital luncheon.

Frequently when passing these swamps and rugged ground, I
have seen roe start up from the rough heather, or feeding, knee
deep in the water, on the rank weeds and herbage. The best
part of this ground for wild-fowl is gradually getting drained,
and what was (a few years since) a dreary waste of marsh and
swamp, has now become a range of smiling corn-land. I shall
not easily forget my old keeper's explanation, on his first seeing
one of his favourite spots for stalking wild-fowl turned into an
oat-field. We had walked far, with little success, but he had
depended on our finding the ducks in a particular spot, not being
aware that it liad been drained since his last visit to it. Having
taken a long and sonorous pinch of snufF, according to his usual
custom when in any dilemma, he turned to me, muttering,
" Well, well, the whole country is spoilt with their improve-
ments, as they ca' them. It will no be fit fora Christian man to
live in much longer." He thought that oats and wheat were a
bad exchange for his favourite ducks and geese.

CHAP, xxi.] DEATH OF MY FIRST STAG. 1G9

CHAPTER XXI.

Death of my first Stag.

WHERE is the man who does not remember and look back with
feelings of energy and delight to the day, the hour, and the wild
scene, when he killed unaided his first stag? Of course, I refer
onlv to those who have the same love of wild sport, and the same
enjoyment in the romantic solitude and scenery of the mountain
and glen that I have myself: shooting tame partridges and hares
from the back of a well-trained shooting-pony in a stubble-field,
does not, in my eyes, constitute a sportsman ; though there is a
certain interest attached even to this kind of pursuit, arising
more from observing the cleverness and instinct of the dogs
employed, than in killing the birds. But far different is the
enjoyment derived from stalking the red deer in his native
mountain, where evenr energy of the sportsman must be called
into active use, before he can command success.

Well do I remember the mountain side where I shot my first
stag, and though many years have since passed by, 1 could now,
were I to pass through that wild and lovely glen, lay my hand
on the very rock under which he fell.

Though a good rifle-shot, indeed few were much better,
there seemed a charm against my killing a deer. On two occa-
sions, eagerness and fear of missing shook my hand when I ought
to have killed a fine stag. The second that I ever shot at, came
in my way in a very singular manner.

I had been looking during the chief pait of the day for deer,
and had. according to appointment, met an attendant with my
gun and pointers at a particular spring in the hills, meaning to
shoot my way home. This spring was situated in the midst of a
small green spot, like an oasis in the desert, surrounded on all
sides by a long stretch of broken black ground. The well itself
was in a little round hollow, surrounded by hi^li banks.

170 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xxi.

I was resting here, having met my gillie, and was consoling
myself for my want of success by smoking a cigar, when, at the
same moment, a kind of shadow came across me, and the pointers
who were coupled at rny feet pricked up their ears and growled,
with their eyes fixed on some object behind me. My keeper,
who had been out with me all day, was stretched on his back,
in a half slumber, and the gillie was kneeling down taking a long
draught at the cool well, with the enjoyment of one who had had
a long toiling walk on a hot August day. Turning my head lazily
to see what had roused the dogs, and had cast its shadow across me,
instead of a shepherd, as I expected — could 1 believe my eyes ! —
there stood a magnificent stag, with the fine shaped horns
peculiar to those of the Sutherland forests. He was standing
on the bank immediately behind me, and not above fifty yards
off, looking with astonishment at the group before him, who
had taken possession of the very spot where he had intended to
slake his thirst. The deer seemed too much astonished to move,
and for a moment I was in the same dilemma. The rifle was on
the ground just behind the slumbering Donald. I was afraid
the deer would be off out of sight, if I got up to take it, or if
I called loud enough to awake Donald. So I was driven to
the necessity of giving him a pretty severe kick, which had the
effect of making him turn on his side, and open his eyes with
a grunt. " The rifle, Donald, the rifle," I whispered, holding
out my hand. Scarcely knowing what he was at, he instinc-
tively stretched out his hand to feel for it, and held it out to
me. All this takes some time to describe, but did not occupy
a quarter of a minute. At the same instant that I got the rifle,
the gillie lifted up his head from the water, and half turning,
saw the stag, and also saw that I was about to shoot at him.
With a presence of mind worthy of being better seconded, he
did not raise himself from his knees, but remained motionless
with his eyes fixed on the deer. As I said before, I had never
killed a deer, and my hand shook, and my heart beat. I fired
however with, as I thought, a good aim at his shoulder. The
deer at the instant turned round. After firing my shot, we all
(including Donald, who by this time comprehended what was
going on) ran to the top of the bank to see what had happened,
as the deer disappeared the instant I fired. I had, I believe,

CHAP, xxi.] DEATH OF MY FIRST STAG. 171

missed him altogether, though he looked as large as an ox,
and \ve saw him going at a steady gallop over the wide flat.
Donald had out the glass immediately, and took a steady sight
at him, but having watched the noble animal, as he galloped
up the opposite slope and stood for two or three minutes on the
summit, looking back intently at us, he shut up the telescope
with a jerk that threatened to break every glass in it, and giving
a grunt, vastly expressive of disgust, returned to the well,
where he took a long draught. His only remark at the time
was, " There 's no the like of that stag in the country ; weel do
I mind seeing him last year when shooting ptarmigan up yonder,
and not a bullet had I. The deil 's in the rifle, that she did na
kill him ; and he'll cross the river before he stops." It required
some time and some whisky also, to restore Donald to his usual
equanimity.

This was on a Saturday. On the Monday following at a very
early hour Donald appeared, and after his morning salute of
"It's a fine day, Sir," he added, " There will be some deer
about the west shoulder of the hill above Alt-na-cahr. When-
ever the wind is in the airt it now is, they feed about the burn
there." We agreed to walk across to that part of the ground,
and were soon en route. Bran galloped round us, baying
joyously, as if he expected we should have good luck. We had
not gone half a mile from the house, when we met one of the
prettiest girls in the country, tripping along the narrow path,
humming a Gaelic air, and looking bright and fresh as the
morning. " How are you all at home, Nanny, and how is your
father getting on? does he see any deer on the hill?" said I ; her
father was a shepherd not far from the house, and she was then
going down on some errand to my sen-ants. " We are all no*
that bad, thank you, Sir. except mother, who still has the trouble
on her. Father says that he saw some hinds and a fine sing
yesterday as he crossed the hill to the kirk ; they were feeding on
the top of Alt-na-cahr, and did na mind him a bit."

Donald looked at me, with a look full of importance, at this
confirmation of his prophecy. " Deed, Sir, that's a bonny lass,
and as gude as she is bonny. It 's just gude luck our meeting
her ; if we had met that auld witch, her mother, not a brast would
we have seen the dav." I have heard of Donald turning home

172 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xxi.

again, if he met an old woman when starting on any deer-stalk-
ing excursion. The young pretty girl, however, was a good
omen in his eyes. We passed through the woods, seeing here
and there a roebuck standing gazing at us as we crossed some
grassy glade where he was feeding. On the rocks near the top
of the woods, Donald took me to look at a trap he had set, and
in it we found a beautiful marten cat, which we killed, and hid
amongst the stones — another good omen in Donald's eyes.

On we went, taking a careful survey of the ground here and
there. At a loch whose Gaelic name I do not remember, we
saw a vast number of wild ducks, and at the further extremity of
it a hind and calf feeding. We waited here for some time, and I
amused myself with watching the two deer as they fed, unconscious
of our neighbourhood, and from time to time drank at the burn
which supplied the loch. We then passed over a long dreary
tract of brown and broken ground, till we came to the picturesque-
looking place where we expected to find the deer — a high
conical hill, rising out of rather flat ground, which gave it an
appearance of being of a greater height than it really was. We
took a most careful survey of the slope on which Donald expected
to see the deer. Below was an extensive level piece of heather
with a burn running through it in an endless variety of windings,
and fringed with green rushes and grass, which formed a strong
contrast to the dark-coloured moor through which it made its
way, till it emptied itself into a long narrow loch, beyond which
rose Bar Cletbrich and some more of the highest mountains in
Scotland. In vain we looked and looked, and Donald at last
.sliut up his telescope in despair : u They are no' here the day,"
was his remark. '• But what is that, Donald ?" said I, pointing
to some bluish-looking object I saw at some distance from us
rising out of the heather. The glass was turned towards it, and
after having been kept motionless for some time, he pronounced
it to be the head and neck of a hind. I took the glass, and
while I was looking at it, I saw a fine stag rise suddenly from
some small hollow near her, stretch himself, and lie down again.
Presently six more hinds, and a two-year old stag got up, and
after walking about for a few minutes, they, one by one, lay
down again, but every one seemed to take up a position com-
manding a vie\v of the whole country. We crept back a few

CHAP, xxi.] DEATH OF MY FIliST STAG. 173

paces, and then getting into the course of the burn, got within
three hundred yards of the deer, but by no means whatever
could we get nearer. The stag was a splendid fellow, with ten
points, and regular and fine-shaped horns. ]>ran winded them,
and watched us most earnestly, as if to ask why we did not try
to get at them. The sensible dog, however, kept quite quiet, as
if aware of the importance of not being seen or heard. Donald
asked me what o'clock it was ; I told him that it was just two.
44 Well, well, Sir, we must just wait here till three o'clock, when
the deer will get up to feed, and most likely the brutes will
travel towards the burn. The Lord save us, but yon 's a muckle
beast." Trusting to his experience, I waited patiently, employ-
ing myself in attempting to dry my hose by wringing them, and
placing them in the sun. Donald took snuff and watched the
deer, and Bran laid his head on his paws as if asleep, but his
sharp eye, and ear pricked up on the slightest movement, showed
that he was ready for action at a moment's warning. As nearly
as possible at three o'clock they did get up to feed : first the
hinds rose and cropped a few mouthfuls of the coarse grass near
them ; looking at and waiting for their lord and master, who,
however, seemed lazily inclined and would not move ; the voung
stag fed steadily on towards us.

Frequently the hinds stopped and turned back to their leader,
who remained quite motionless, excepting that now and then he
scratched a fly off his flank with his horn or turned his head
towards the hill side when a grouse crowed or a plover whistled.
The young stag was feeding quietly within a hundred and fifty
yards of us, and we had to lie flat on the ground now and then
to escape his observation. The evening air already began to
feel chill, when suddenly the object of our pursuit jumped up,
stretched himself, and began feeding. Not liking the pasture
close to him, he trotted at once down into the flat ground right
away from us. Donald uttered a Gaelic oath, and I fear I added
an English one. The stag that had been feeding so near us
stood still for a minute to watch the others, who were all now
several hundred yards away, grazing steadily. I aimed at him,
but just as I was about to fire he turned away, leaving nothing
but his haunch in view, and went after the rest. Donald ap-
plauded me for not shooting at him, but told me that our case

174 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xxi.

was hopeless, and that we had better make our way home and
attempt no more, as they were feeding in so open a place that it
was impossible to get at them : even Bran yawned and rose, as
if he too had given up all hope. " I will have one try, Donald ;
so hold the dog." " You need na fash yoursel, Sir ; they are
clean out of all hope and reason." I determined to make an
effort before it became dusk ; so leaving Donald, I set off down
the burn, looking for some hollow place that might favour my
getting up to them, but I could find none : at last it struck me
that I might by chance get up within a long shot by keeping a
small hillock, which was in the middle of the plain, between me
and the deer. The hillock was not two feet high, and all de-
pended on the animals keeping together and not outflanking me.
On I went, not on my hands and knees, but crawling like a
snake, and never rising even to my knee. I could see their
hind-quarters as they walked away, feeding, however, most
eagerly, and when they looked up I lay still flatter on the
ground with my face buried in the heather. They appeared,
however, not to suspect danger in the open plain, but often
looked anxiously towards the burn or the rocky side of the
mountain. One old long-legged hind kept me in a constant
state of alarm, as she frequently looked in my direction, turning
her ears as if to catch some suspicious sound. As for the stag,
he never looked about him once, leaving that to the hinds. I
at last got within about a hundred yards of the whole of them :
as they fed in a group turned away from me, I could not get a
shot at anything but their hind-quarters, and 1 did not wish to
shoot unless I could get a fair broadside towa;;!s me. While
waiting for an opportunity, still flat on the ground, a grouse
cock walked out of the heather close to me, and strutted on
with head erect and his bright eye fixed on me till he came to a
little hillock, where he stopped and began to utter a note of
alarm. Instantly every deer left off eating. I saw that no time
was to be lost and raised myself on my elbow, and with cocked
rifle waited for the hinds to move, that I might get at the stag,
who was in the midst of them. The hinds soon saw me and
began to trot away, but their leader seemed determined to see
what the danger was, and before he started turned round to look
towards the spot where the grouse was, giving me a good slant-

CHAP. XXT.] DEATH OF MY FIRST STAG. 175

ing shot at his shoulder. I immediately touched the trigger,
feeling at the same time sure of my aim. The ball went true
and down he fell. I began reloading, but before I had half
done the stag was up again and making play after the hinds,
who were galloping up a gentle slope of the hill. The poor
beast was evidently moving with the greatest difficulty and pain ;
sometimes coining to his knees, and then recovering himself with
a strong effort, he still managed to keep not far behind them.
I sat down in utter despair : looking round too for Donald and
Bran I could see nothing of them. Between anxiety and vex-
ation I did not know what to do. All at once I saw the hinds
dash away in different directions, and the next moment my gal-
lant Bran appeared in the midst of them. I shouted with joy.
On came the dog, taking no notice of the hinds, but making
straight for the stag, who stood still for one instant, and then
rushed with apparently full vigour down the hill. Down they
came towards the burn, the dog not five yards behind the stag,
but unable to reach his shoulder (the place where he always
struck his game). In a few moments deer and hound went
headlong and seemingly both together into the burn. Donald
appeared running like a lunatic : with good judgment he had,
when I left him, gone to cut off the deer in case I wounded one
and it took up the hill. As good luck would have it, the hinds
had led off the stag right up to where Donald and Bran were,
notwithstanding his inclination to go the other way. I ran to
see what had become of them in the burn, expecting to find the
stag at bay. When I got there, however, it was all over. The
deer had probably tumbled from weakness, and Bran had got his
fangs well into the throat of the poor brute before he could rise
again. The gallant dog, when I was up with him, lay down
panting with his fore-paws on the deer, and wagging his tail
seemed to congratulate me on my victory, and to expect to be
caressed for his share in it. A fine stag he was, in perfect
order, witli noble antlers. Donald added to my satisfaction by
applauding my manner of getting up to him, adding that he
never would have thought it possible to kill a stag on such bare
and flat ground. Little did I feel the fatigue of our three
hours' walk, two of them in the dark and hard rain. \Ve did
not go home, but went to a shepherd's house, whose in habitants

176 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CIIAI>. xxi.

were at evening prayer when we arrived : we did not interrupt
them, but afterwards the wife prepared us a capital supper of
eggs and fresh trout, which we devoured with vast relish before
the bright peat-fire, our wet clothes steaming all the time like a
boiler. Such was the death of my first stag.

CHAP, xxii.] THE FINDHORN RIVER. 177

CHAPTER XXII.

The Findhorn River— Excursion to Source— Deer-stalking— Shepherds —
Hind and Calf— Heavy Rain— Floods— Walk to Lodge— Fine Morning —
Highland Sheep— Banks of River — Cottages.

I 00 not know a stream that more completely realizes all one's
ideas of the beauty of Highland scenery than the Findhorn,
taking it from the spot where it is no more than a small rivulet,
bubbling and sparkling along a narrow gorge in the far-off re-
cesses of the Monaghliahd mountains, down to the Bay of Find-
horn, where its accumulated waters are poured into the Moray
Firth. From source to mouth, this river is full of beauty and
interest.

On a bright August day, the 6th of the month, I joined a friend
in a deer-stalking expedition, near the source of the Findhorn,
in the Monaghliahd. We went from near Inverness to our
quarters. For the greatest part of our way our road was over
a flat though elevated range of drear)' moor, more interesting to
the eye of a grouse-shooter than to any one else. When within
a few miles of the end of our journey, the Findhorn came in
sight, |>assing like a silver stripe, edged with bright green,
through the brown mountains, and sparkling brightly in the
evening sun. The sides of the hills immediately overhanging
the river are clothed with patches of weeping-birch and juniper,
with here and there a black hut perched on a green knoll, dotted
with groves of the rugged and ancient-looking birch-trees. About
these solitary abodes, too, were small patches of oats and potatoes.
The mavis with its joyous note, and the blackbird's occasional
full and rich song, greeted us as we passed through these wooded
tracts. Sometimes a wood-pigeon would crash through the
branches close to us as we wound round some corner of the
wood.

Having arrived at our destination, we made ounelves as com-
fortable as we could, und retired to rest.

K

178 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xxn.

In the morning we started in different directions. I, accom-
panied by a shepherd, went westward towards the sources of the
river. I cannot say that I had much hope of finding deer, as the
whole line of my march was full of sheep ; and red-deer will very
seldom remain quiet when this is the case, either from a dislike
to the sheep themselves, or from knowing that where there are
sheep there are also shepherds and shepherds' dogs. With black
cattle, on the contrary, deer live in tolerable amity ; and I have
frequently seen cattle and deer feeding together in the same
glen.

I went some miles westward, keeping up the course of the
river, or rather parallel to it, sometimes along its very edge, and
at other times at some distance from the water. The highest
building on the river, if building it can be termed, is a small
shealing, or summer residence of the shepherds, called, I believe,
Dahlvaik. Seeing some smoke coming from this hut, we went
to it. When at some few hundred yards off, we were greeted
with a most noisy salute from some half-dozen sheep-dogs, who
seemed bent on eating up my bloodhound. But having tried her
patience to the uttermost, till she rolled over two or three of them
rather roughly (not condescending, however, to use her teeth),
the colleys retreated to the door of the shealing, where they re-
doubled, if possible, their noise, keeping up a concert of howling
and barking enough to startle every deer in the country. My
companion, whose knowledge of the English tongue was not very
deep, told me that the owners of the dogs would be some " lads
from Strath Errick," who were to hold a conference with him
about some sheep.

A black-headed, unshaven Highlander having- come out, and
kicked the dogs into some kind of quiet, we entered the hut, and
found two more " lads " in it, one stretched out on a very rough
bench, and the other busy stirring up some oatmeal and hot water
for their breakfast. The smoke for a few moments prevented my
making out what or who were in the place. 1 held a short (very
short) conversation with the three shepherds, they understanding
not one word of English, and I understanding very few of Gaelic.
But, by the help of the man who accompanied me, I found out
that a stag or two were still in the glen, besides a few hinds.
The meal and water having been mixed sufficiently, it was

CHAP, xxii.] HIGHLAND SHEPHERDS. 179

emptied out into a large earthen dish, and placed smoking on the
lid of a chest. Each man then produced from some recess of his
plaid a long wooden spoon ; whilst my companion assisted in the
ceremony by fetching some water from the river in a bottle.
They all three, then, having doffed their bonnets, and raising
their hands, muttered over a long Gaelic grace. Then, without
saying a word, set to with good will at the scalding mess before
them, each attacking the corner of the dish nearest him, shovelling
immense spoonfuls down their throats ; and when more than
usually scalded — their throats must have been as fire-proof as
that of the Fire King himself — taking a mouthful of the water in
the bottle, which was passed from one to the other for that pur-
pose. Having eaten a most extraordinary quantity of the pottage,
each man wiped his spoon on the sleeve of his coat, and again
said a grace. The small remainder was then mixed with more
water and given to the dogs, who had been patiently waiting for
their share. After they had licked the dish clean, it was put
away into the meal-chest, the key of which was then concealed
in a hole of the turf wall. I divided most of my cigars with the
men to smoke in their pipes, and handed round my whisky-flask,
reserving a small modicum for my own use during the day.

From this place to its source the river is very narrow, and
confined between steep and rocky hills that come down to the
edge of the water ; varied here and there by less abrupt ascents,
covered with spreading juniper-bushes and green herbage. On
one of these bright spots we saw a hind and her calf, the former
standing to watch us as we passed up the opposite side of the
river, while her young one was playing about her like a lamb.
They did not seem to care much for our coming there ; ami
having watched us for some time, and seeing that we had no evil
intention towards them, the hind recommenced feeding, only
occasionally stopping to see that we did not turn. The ring-
ouzel, that near cousin of the blackbird, frequently flitted acro.vs
the glen, am1, perching on a juniper-bush, saluted us with its wild
and sweet song.

The morning was bright, and the river sparkled and danced
over its stony bed ; while every little pool was dimpled by the
rising of the trout, who jumped without dread of hook and line
at the small black gnats tliat were playing about the surface of

K 2

180 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. CHAP. xxn.

the water. A solitary heron was standing on a stone in the
middle of the stream, seemingly quite regardless of us. But
while I was looking at his shadowy figure, which was perfectly
reflected in the water beneath him, the bird suddenly flew off
with a cry of alarm, occasioned by the appearance of a peregrine
falcon, who passed with even and rapid flight at no great height
along the course of the river, without taking the least notice of
the heron.

Beautiful in its grand and wild solitude is the glen where the
Findhorn takes its rise ; seldom does the foot of man pass by it.
It is too remote even for the sportsman ; and the grouse cock
crows in peace, and struts without fear of pointer or gun, when
he comes down from the hill-slopes at noonday to sip the clear
waters of the springs that give birth to this beautiful river. The
red-deer fearlessly quenches his thirst in them, as he passes from
the hills of Killen to the pine-woods in Strathspey. Seldom is
he annoyed by the presence of mankind, unless a chance shepherd
or poacher from Badenoch happens to wander in that direction.
Having rested for a short time, and satisfied my curiosity respect-
ing the source of the river, we struck off over some very dreary
slopes of high ground on the north-east, interspersed with green
stripes, through which small burns make their way to swell the
main stream of the river. Not a deer did we see, but great
quantities of grouse, who, when flushed, flew to short distances,
and alighting on some hillock, crowed as it were in defiance.
A cold chill that passed over me made me turn and look down
the course of the stream, and the first thing that I saw was a
dense shower or cloud of rain working its way up the valley,
and gradually spreading over the face of the country, shutting
out hill after hill from our view as it crept towards us. In the
other direction all was blue and bright. " We must turn home,
or we shall never get across the streams and burns," was my
ejaculation to the shepherd. " 'Deed, ay, Sir," was his answer ;
and, tightening our plaids, we turned our faces towards the east.
As the rain approached, the ring-ouzel sang more loudly, as if to
take leave of the sunshine ; and the grouse flew to the dry and
bare heights, where they crowed incessantly.

The rain gradually came on, accompanied by a cold cutting
wind. I never saw such rain in my life ; it was a perfect deluge ;

CHAP, xxii.] HEAVY RAIN— FLOODS. 181

and in five minutes I was as wet as if I liad been swimming
through the river. We saw the burns we had to cross in our way
home tumbling in foaming torrents down the hill-sides. In the
morning we had stepped across them without wetting our feet.
The first one that we came to I looked at with wonder. Instead
of a mere thread of crystal water, creeping rather than flowing
through the stones which filled its bed, we had to wade through
a roaring torrent, which was carrying in its course pieces of turf,
heather, and even large stones. We crossed with some difficulty,
holding by each other's collars. Two or three burns we passed
in this manner, the rain still continuing, and if possible increasing.
I looked round at my companion, and was only prevented from
laughing at his limp and rueful countenance by thinking that he
probably had just as much cause for merriment in my appearance.
The poor hound was perfectly miserable, as she followed me with
the rain running in streams down her long ears.

After some time we came opposite the shealing where we had
been with the shepherds in the morning. And here my com-
panion said that he must leave me, having particular business
with the other men, who had come on purpose to meet him there.
He warned me to be very careful in crossing the burns, as, if 1
once lost my footing in any of them, I should probably never get
up again.

Off I tramped through the sodden ground. I managed the
first burn pretty well. But the next one was wider, and, if pos-
sible, more rapid. 1 had no stick to sound its depth, but saw
that it was too strong to venture into ; so I turned up its course,
hoping it would get narrower and shallower higher up. Its banks
were steep and rocky, and covered in some parts with hazel and
birch. On a withered branch of one of the latter was a large
buzzard, sitting mournfully in the rain, and uttering its shrill,
wild cry, a kind of note between a whistle arid a scream. The
bird wit so tamely, that in a pet I determined to try if I could
not stop his ominous-sounding voice with a rifle-ball. But, after
taking a most deliberate aim at him, the copper cap snapped.
I tried another with equally bad success. So I had to continue
my way, leaving the bird where he was. I could find no place
in the burn that was fordable for some distance; and I said to
myself, " If I had but a stick to sound the water with !" The

132 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xxn.

next moment almost I saw one about six feet in length standing
upright in the ground. I could scarcely believe my eyes. The
stick must have been left by mere chance by some shepherd. It
came most opportunely for me, however. The first place I tried
in the water with it (a spot where I thought I could wade), it
went in to the depth of at least five feet. This would never do ;
so on I went up the hill, splashing through the wet bog and heather.
At last I came to a place in the burn, where, by leaping from
one stone to the other, at no small risk to myself, I managed to
get across. My poor hound had to swim, and was very nearly
carried off by the stream. Instead of turning down again towards
the river, I still kept the high ground, remembering that I had
to pass through two or three other burns, one of them, at least,
much larger than any I had already crossed. I had now to make
my way over a long flat, covered with coarse grass, and full of
holes of water and rotten bog. I never walked a more weary
mile in my life, sinking, as I did, up to my knees at nearly every
step. When in the middle of this, I saw three hinds and a calf
walk deliberately along a ridge not three hundred yards from me.
I had to lead the hound for some distance, as she lost all her
fatigue on coming on their scent, which she did as we passed
their track. I made no attempt on them, knowing the useless
state of my rifle. We kept on, and at last got across all the
burns excepting the largest, which was still between me and my
cry clothes and dinner. I had now got quite high up in the
barren hill, leaving every thing but rock and heather far below
me, the birch-woods not extending above half a mile from the
river. I came here to another long flat piece of ground ; and
having to make many windings and turnings to cross different
small streams, I suddenly discovered that I had entirely lost my
points of the compass. So, sitting down, I tried to make out
which way the wind blew, as my only guide. This soon set me
right ; and after another hour or two of weary walking, I found
myself on the hill-top almost immediately overhanging the
Lodge, the smoke from whose chimneys was a most welcome
sight. On getting to it, I found the river raging and pouring
down through its narrow banks in a manner that no one who has
not seen a Highland river in full flood can imagine, carrying
with it every kind of debris that its course could produce.

CHAP, xxii.] HIGHLAND SHEEP. 183

At eleven o'clock at night, when looking at it by the light of
a brilliant northern moon (every cloud having long disappeared),
we found that the water had already begun to subside, though it
still roared on with great fury. On the opposite rocks we could
see many a mountain burn as they glanced in the moonlight.
Every bird and animal was at rest, excepting a couple of owls
answering each other with loud booting?, which were plainly
beard above the noise of the waters.

The friend I was with being obliged to go home the next
day, I determined also to wend my way to the low country, and
to follow the river till I reached my own house.

We started on horseback very early. Nothing could exceed
the beauty of the morning, and everything, animate and inani-
mate, seemed to smile rejoicingly. The Findhorn had returned
to its usual size, and danced merrily in the sunshine. The
streams on the opposite cliffs were again like silver threads, and
the sheep were winding along tlie narrow paths on the face of
the rocks, the animals looking to us as if they were walking,
like flies, on the very face of the perpendicular cliffs. We saw
a flock of some thirty or so making their way in single file along
these paths : while we watched them they came to a place where
their road was broken up by the yesterday's torrents. We could
not understand what they would do. The path was evidently
too narrow to turn ; and, as well as we could see with our glasses,
to proceed was impossible. However, after a short halt the leader
sprang over the obstacle, whatever it was, and alighted safely on
the opposite side. The least false step would have sent him
down many hundred feet. However, they all got over in ssifety,
and having filed away for some little distance slowly along the
face of the precipice, they came to a small green shelf, appa-
rently only a few yards square, the object of all their risk and
labour. As fast as they got on this they dispersed, and com-
menced feeding quickly about it. We did not wait to see them
return, as we had a long day's journey before us. Behind the
house the bill seemed alive with grouse, crowing in the morning
sun. My hound came out baying joyously to see me, and we
started on our day's journey. Our road took us through birch-
woods, fragrant from the yesterday's rain, and in which the
birds sang right merrily. As we descended the river we passed

184 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xxn.

the plantations at Dalmigaire and considerable tracts of corn-
ground — the corn in this high country being still perfectly green.
Here and there was a small farm-house on a green mound, with
a peat-stack larger than the house itself. As we passed these, a
bare-headed and bare-legged urchin would look at us round a
corner of the building, and then running in, would bring out the
rest of the household to stare at us. If we entered one of the
houses, we were always greeted with hospitable smiles, and the
good wife, wiping a chair with her apron, would produce a bowl
of excellent milk (such milk as you only can get in the High-
lands) and a plate of cheese and oat-cake, the latter apparently
consisting of chopped straw, and seasoned with gravel, though
made palatable by the kind welcome with which it was given.
Frequently, too, a bottle of whisky would be produced, and a
glass of it urged on us, or we were pressed to stop to take an egg
or something warm. At Freeburn we parted — my friend to go
by coach to Inverness, and I to keep my course down the river,
which is surrounded by dreary grey hills. As I got on, how-
ever, the banks grew more rocky and picturesque, enlivened here
and there by the usual green patches of corn, and the small farm-
houses, with their large peat-stack, but diminutive corn-stack.
Near Freeburn I talked to an old Highlander, who was flogging
the water with a primitive-looking rod and line and a coarse-
looking fly, catching, however, a goodly number of -trout. He
was the first angler I had as yet passed, with the exception of a
kilted boy, belonging to the shepherd at our place of rest, who
was already out when we left home, catching trout for his own
breakfast and that of a young peregrine falcon which he had
caught in the rocks opposite the house, and was keeping wholly
on a fish diet — and a more beautiful and finer bird I never saw,
although she had fed for many weeks on nothing but small trout,
a food not so congenial to her as rabbits and pigeons and the
other products of the low country. I bought the hawk of him,
and have kept her ever since. Below Freeburn I had to wade
the river, in order to avoid a very difficult and somewliat dan-
gerous pass on the rocks. Frequently I met with fresh tracks
of the otter. In some places, where the water fell over rocks of
any height, so as to prevent the animal from keeping the bed of
the river, there were regularly hard beaten paths by which they

CHAP, xxii.] THE MONAGHLIAHD MOUNTAINS. 185

passed in going from one pool to the other. The water-ouzel,
too, enlivened the scene by its curious rapid flight and shrill cry,
as it flew from one shallow to another, or passed back over my
head to return to its favourite resting-stone from which I had
disturbed it.

The kestrel seems to abound in the rocks through which the
river runs, as I saw this bird very frequently either sitting on
some projecting angle of stone or hovering high above me.

The country here appears as good for grouse, as the hills near
the sources would be for red-deer, were they free from sheep. I
do not know a district in Scotland that would make a better
fleer-forest than that immediately round and to the westward of
Coignafern, where the Monaghliahd mountains afford every
variety of ground suited to these animals, with most excellent
feeding for them along the burns and straths which intersect the
high grounds in every direction, and the most perfect solitude.
It is almost a pity that the Mac Intosh does not turn this district
into a forest.

186 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xxni.

CHAPTER XXIII.

Findhoni River — Bridge of Dulsie — Beauty of Scenery — Falls of River —
Old Salmon-fisher — Anglers — Heronry — Distant View — Sudden Rise of
River — Mouth of River.

NOTHING can exceed the beauty of the river and the sur-
rounding scenery when it suddenly leaves the open and barren
ground and plunges at once into the wild and extensive woods
of Dunearn and Fairness. The woods at Dunearn are particu-
larly picturesque, in consequence of the fir-trees (at least those
near the river) having been left rather farther apart than is
usual, and no tree adds more to the beauty of scenery than the
Scotch fir, when it has room to spread out into its natural shape.
The purple heather, too, in these woods forms a rich and soft
groundwork to the picture. What spot in the world can excel
in beauty the landscape comprising the old Bridge of Dulsie,
spanning with its lofty arch the deep black pool, shut in by grey
and fantastic rocks, surmounted with the greenest of grass
swards, with clumps of the ancient weeping-birches with their
gnarled and twisted steins, backed again by the dark pine-trees ?
The river here forms a succession of very black and deep pools,
connected with each other by foaming and whirling falls and
currents, up which in the fine pure evenings you may see the
salmon making curious leaps. I shall never forget the impres-
sion this scenery made on me when I first saw it. The bridge of
the Dulsie, the dark-coloured river, and the lovely woodlands,
as I viewed them while stretched on the short green sward above
the rocks, formed a picture which will never be effaced from
my memory. I cannot conceive a more striking coup d'ail, nor
one more worthy of the pencil of an artist. On these rocks are
small flocks of long-horned, half-wild goats, whose appearance,
with their shaggy hair and long venerable beards, adds much to
the wildness of the scene.

The blackcock and the roebuck now succeed the grouse and

CHAP, xxui.] SCENERY OF THE PINDHORN. 187

red-deer. The former is frequently to be seen either sitting on
the trunk of a fallen birch-tree or feeding on the juniper-berries,
while the beautiful roebuck (the most perfect in its symmetry of
all deer) is seen either grazing on some grassy spot at the water's
edge, or wading through a shallow part of the river, looking
round when half way through as timid and coy as a bathing
nymph. When disturbed by the appearance of a passer by, lie
bounds lightly and easily up the steep bank of the river, and
after standing on the summit for a moment or two to make out
the extent of the danger, plunges into the dark solitudes of the
forest.

On the left side of the river, as it proceeds towards the sea, is
a succession of most beautiful banks and heights, fringed with
the elegant fern and crowned with juniper, which grows to a
very great size, twisting its branches and fantastic roots in the
quaintest forms and shape's imaginable over the surface of the
rocks. The lovely weeping-birch is everywhere, and about
Coidmony are groves of magnificent beech and other forest-
trees. On the opposite side are the wooded hills and heights of
Kelugas, a spot combining every description of beauty. The
Findhorn here receives the tributary waters of the Dure, a burn,
or rather river, not much inferior in size and beauty to the main
river. Hemmed in by the same kind of birch-grown banks and
precipitous rocks, every angle of the Findhorn river presents a
new view and new beauty, and at last one cannot restrain the
exclamation of "Surely there is no other river in the world so
beautiful." At Logic the view of the course of the river, and
the distance seen lur up the glen till it is gradually lost in a suc-
cession of purple mountains, is worth u halt of some time to
enjoy. The steep banks opposite Logie, clothed with every
variety of wood, ure lovely, and give a new variety to the scene
as we enter on the forests of Darnaway and Altyre. The wood-
pigeon coos and breeds in every nook and corner of the woods,
and towards evening the groves seem alive with the song of
blackbirds and thrushes, varied now by the crow of the cock
pheasant, a>< he suns himself in all his glittering beauty on the
dry and sheltered banks of the river.

Still for many miles is the river shut in by extensive woods
and overhung by splendid fir, larch, tad other trees, while the

188 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xxm.

nearly perpendicular rocks are clothed with the birch and the
ladylike bird-cherry, the holly and bright-berried mountain-ash
growing out of every niche and cleft, and clinging by their
serpent-like roots to the bare face of the rock ; while in the
dark, damp recesses of the stone grow several most lovely
varieties of pale-green ferns and other plants. In the more
sunny places you meet with the wild strawberry and purple fox-
glove, the latter shooting up in graceful pyramids of flower.
C Between Logie and Sluie are some of the highest rocks on the
\ river, and from several hundred feet above it you can look
( straight down into the deep pools and foaming eddies below you.
"At a particular gorge, where the river rushes through a passage
of very few feet in width, you will invariably see an old salmon-
fisher perched on a point of rock, with his eye intent on the
rushing cataract below him, and armed with a staff of some six-
teen feet in length ending in a sharp hook, with which he
strikes the salmon as they stop for a moment to rest in some
eddy of the boiling torrent before taking their final leap up the
fall. Watch for a few moments, and you will see the old man
make a peculiar plunge and jerk with his long clip into the
rushing water, and then hoisting it into the air he displays a
struggling salmon impaled on the end of the staff, glancing like
a piece of silver as it endeavours to escape. Perhaps it tumbles
off the hook, and dropping into the water, floats wounded away,
to fall a prey to the otter or fox in some shallow below. If,
however, the fish is securely hooked, there ensues a struggle be-
tween it and the old man, who, by a twist of his stick, turns
himself and the fish towards the dry rock, and having shaken
the salmon off the hook, and despatched it with a blow from a
short cudgel which he keeps for the purpose, covers it carefully
up with wet grass, and lowering the peak of his cap over his
eyes, resumes his somewhat ticklish seat on the rock to wait for
the next fish. On some days, when the water is of the right
height, and the fish are numerous and inclined to run up the
river, the old man catches a considerable number; though the
capture of every fish is only attained by a struggle of life and
death between man and salmon, for the least slip would send the
former into the river, whence he could never come out alive.
I never see him catch one without feeling fully convinced that

«* V

CHAP, xxm.] FINDHORN HERONRY. 189

he will follow the example of his predecessor in the place, who
was washed away one fine day from the rock, and not found for
some days, when his body was taken out of the river several
miles below. " In these pools (every one of which has a name)
you will see some sportsman angling, not like the sans-culottc
shepherd's boy at Coignafern, with his hazel-wand and line
made by himself, but here you have a well-equipped and well-
accoutred follower of the gentle craft in waterproof overalls,
and armed with London rod and Dublin fly, tempting the
salmon from their element with a bright but indefinable mixture
of feathers, pigs'-wool, and gold thread ; while his attendant,
stretched at his ease, wonders at the labour his master under-
takes, and watches quietly the salmon as he rises from some dark
abyss of the water, poises himself fora moment steadily opposite
the glittering hook, makes a dash rapid as thought at it, and
then swims slowly back to his ambuscade in the depth of the
water, not aware, till he feels the jerk of the line, that he is
carrying with him, not a painted dragon-fly, but a carefully
prepared and strong weapon of death, which he will only get
quit of with his life. The nets are at work too, sweeping a
deep and quiet pool, but seldom with much success, owing to
the inequalities of the bottom of the river. Making a wide
turn here, the river passes by an object of great interest, the
Findhorn heronry, a collection of these birds quite unique in
their way. They have taken possession of a number of old
trees growing on the Darnaway side of the river, and here, year
after year, they repair their old nests and bring up their young,
not frightened away by the frequenters of a walk which passes
immediately under their nests. Numbers of the old birds may
be seen sitting motionless on the dead branches, or perched on
the very topmost twig of a larch or birch-tree.

Sometimes the peregrine, on his way to Sluie, passes quickly
through the midst of the community, while a constant chattering
is kept up by the numberless jackdaws who breed in holes of the
rock on the Altyre side, and keep flying in and out from far
below the spot where you are standing. Far as you can see,
and indeed still farther, are stretched the forests of Darnaway
and Altyre. Following the river, or rather keeping the top of
the bank above it, a new and most striking view meets your eye.

190 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xxm.

Looking down the course of the water, you suddenly see beyond
the woodland a wide extent of corn-land, interspersed with
groves of timber and houses ; beyond this the golden line of the
sand-hills of Culbin, dividing the plains of Morayshire from
the Moray Firth, while beyond the line of blue sea-water are
the splendid and lofty rocks on each side of the entrance of the
Bay of Cromarty, backed by a succession of various-shaped peaks
of the Sutherland and Caithness, the Ross-shire and the Inver-
ness shire mountains. Opposite you is the massive and square
mountain of Ben Nevis : to the west, on a clear day, you can
see far into the peaked and sugar-loaf shaped mountains of
Strath Glass and Glen Strathfaerer, cutting the horizon with
their curious outlines. The inland mountains of Sutherland on
a clear day are also visible, and Ben Morven, in Caithness, in
its solitary grandeur, always forms a conspicuous object ; while
the Moray Firth gradually widening till it joins the German
Ocean, and dotted here and there with the white sails of the
passing ships, completes the scene. It is worth all the trouble
of a voyage from London to see this view alone. Far and wide
may you travel without finding such another combination of all
that is lovely and grand in landscape scenery — wood and water,
mountain and cultivated ground, all in their most beautiful
forms, combine together to render it pre-eminent. The river
has a wider and more open current as you leave the woods, and
is little confined by cliff and rock. Many a destructive inroad
has it made into the fertile plain below, carrying off sheep and
cattle, corn and timber, to be deposited on the sand-banks near
Findhorn harbour. Calm and peaceful as it looks when at, its
ordinary height, the angler, on a bright summer's evening, is
sometimes startled by a sound like the rushing of a coining
wind, yet wind there is none, and he continues his sport.
Presently he is surprised to see the water near which he has been
standing suddenly sweep against his feet ; he looks up the stream
and sees the river coming down in a perpendicular wall of water,
or like a wave of the sea, with a roaring noise, and carrying
with it trees with their branches and roots entire, large lumps of
unbroken bank, and every kind of mountain debris. Some
mountain storm of rain has suddenly filled its bed. Sometimes
on the occasion of these rapid speats I have had to gather up

CHAP, xxni.] SPEATS OF THE FINDHORN. 191

my tackle and run for my life, which was in no small risk till I
gained some bank or rock above the height of the flood. When
this rush of water comes down between the rocks where the
river has not room to spread, the danger is doubly great, owing
to the irresistible force acquired by the pent-up water. The
flood, when occasioned by a summer storm, soon subsides, and
the next day no trace is left of it excepting the dark coffee-
coloured hue of the water. Passing the lime-quarries of Copt-
hall, the river flows through a fertile country and under a beau-
tiful suspension bridge, which was built after the great floods of
1829, when it was found that a bridge on no other construction
would be large enough to admit of the floating masses of timber
nnd the immense body of water during heavy floods. The net-
fishing is in active operation from this point down to the sea,
and the number of salmon and grilse sometimes caught is asto-
nishing. Instead of rock and cliff, the river is banked in by
heaps of shingle, which are constantly changing their shape and
size. There seems to be a constant succession of stones swept
down by the river : what in one season is a deep pool, is, after
the winter floods, a bank of shingle. An endless supply seems
to be washed off the mountains and rocks through which the
river passes, and these stones, by the time they have been rolled
down to the lower part of the river, are as rounded and water-
worn in their appearance as the shingle on the sea-shore.

192 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xxiv.

CHAPTER XXIV.

Migration of Birds in October — Wild Swans: Pursuit of; Manner of
getting a Shot; Two killed— Habits of Wild Swan.

October 1st. — THERE is no month more interesting, or productive
of more amusement, both to the naturalist and the sportsman, than
this — many new birds now appear, on their route from their more
northern breeding-places, wending their weary way to the south-
ern shores of the kingdom, where vast numbers fall victims to
the guns which are brought to bear upon them — some for plea-
sure and some for profit.

Most migratory birds take advantage of the moonlight to help
them on their journey ; for example, woodcocks, snipes, field-
fares, &c., generally arrive in this country during the lightest
nights in October and November. The water-fowl seem more
independent of the moon, and to be chiefly guided in their arrival
by the weather.

October 6t/i. — To-day we saw in the bay as many as fifty or
sixty wild swans, evidently just arrived ; we went home for swan-
shot, Eley's cartridges, and other munitions of war, but by the
time we had got all in readiness to open a campaign on the fleet
of snow-white birds, they all took flight. After sailing two or
three times round the bay, and after an amazing deal of trum-
peting and noise, they divided into separate parties, and flew
off, some to the east, and some to the west, towards their differ-
ent winter-quarters.

October 1th. — My old garde-chasse insisted on my starting
early this morning, nolens volens, to certain lochs six or seven
miles off, in order, as he termed it, to take our " satisfaction " of
the swans. I must say that it was a matter of very small satis-
faction to me, the tramping off in a sleety, rainy morning,
through a most forlorn and hopeless-looking country, for the
chance, and that a bad one, of killing a wild swan or two. How-
ever, after a weary walk, we arrived at these desolate-looking

CHAP, xxiv.] WILD SWANS AND WIDGEONS. J93

lochs : they consist of three pieces of water, the largest about
three miles in length and one in width ; the other two, which
communicate with the largest, are much smaller and narrower,
indeed scarcely two gunshots in width ; for miles around them,
the country is flat, and intersected with a mixture of swamp and
sandy hillocks. In one direction the sea is only half a mile from
the lochs, and in calm winter weather the wild fowl pass the
day-time on the salt water, coming inland in the evenings to
feed. As soon as we were within sight of the lochs we saw the
swans on one of the smaller pieces of water, some standing high
and dry on the grassy islands, trimming their feathers after their
long journey, and others feeding on the grass and weeds at the
bottom of the loch, which in some parts was shallow enough to
allow of their pulling up the plants which they feed on as they
swam about, while numbers of wild ducks of different kinds, par-
ticularly widgeons, swarmed round them and often snatched the
pieces of grass from the swans as soon as they had brought them
to the surface, to the great annoyance of the noble birds, who
endeavoured in vain to drive away these more active little depre-
dators, who seemed determined to profit by their labours. Our
next step was to drive the swans away from the loch they were
on ; it seemed a curious way of getting- a shot, but as the old man
seemed confident of the success of his plan, I very submissively
acted according to his orders. As soon as we moved them, they
all made straight for the sea. " This wo'n't do," was my remark.
" Yes, it will, though ; they '11 no stop there long to-day with this
preat wind, but will all be back before the clock chaps two."
" Faith, I should like to see any building that could contain a
rlock, and where we might take shelter," was my inward cogita-
tion. The old man, however, having delivered this prophecy,
;;et to work making a small ambuscade by the edge of the loch
which the birds had just left, and pointed it out to me as my
place of refuge from one o'clock to the hour when the birds
would arrive.

In the mean time we moved about in order to keep ourselves
warm, as a more wintry day never disgraced the month of
October. In less than half an hour we heard the signal cries of
the swans, and soon saw them in a long undulating line fly over
the low saiid-hills which divided the sea from the largest loch,

o

194 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xxiv.

where they all alighted. My commander for the time being1,
then explained to me, that the water in this loch was every
where too deep for the swans to reach the bottom even with
their long necks, in order to pull up the weeds on which they
fed, and that at their feeding-time, that is about two o'clock,
they would, without doubt, fly over to the smaller lochs, and
probably to the same one from which we had originally disturbed
them. I was accordingly placed in my ambuscade, leaving the
keeper at some distance, to help me as opportunity offered — a
cold comfortless time of it we (i. e. my retriever and myself)
had. About two o'clock, however, I heard the swans rise from
the upper loch, and in a few moments they all passed high over
my head, and after taking a short survey of our loch (luckily
without seeing me), they alighted at the end of it farthest from the
place where I was ensconced, and quite out of shot, and they seemed
more inclined to move away from me than come towards me.
It was very curious to watch these wild birds as they swam
about, quite unconscious of danger and looking like so many
domestic fowls. Now came the able generalship of my keeper,
who seeing that they were inclined to feed at the other end of
the loch, began to drive them towards me, at the same time
taking great care not to alarm them enough to make them take
flight. This he did by appearing at a long distance off, and
moving about without approaching the birds, but as if he was
pulling grass or engaged in some other piece of labour. When
the birds first saw him, they all collected in a cluster, and
giving a general low cry of alarm, appeared ready to take flight :
this was the ticklish moment, but soon outwitted by his ma-
noeuvres, they dispersed again and busied themselves in feeding.
I observed that frequently all their heads were under the water
at once, excepting one — but invariably one bird kept his head
and neck perfectly erect, and carefully watched on every side to
prevent their being taken by surprise ; when he wanted to feed,
he touched any passer-by, who immediately relieved him in his
guard, and he in his turn called on some other swan to take his
place as sentinel.

After waiting some little time, and closely watching the birds
in all their graceful movements, sometimes having a swan within
half a shot of me, but never getting two or three together, I

CHAP, xxiv.] SHOOTING WILD SWANS. 195

thought of some of my assistant's instruction which he had
given me en route in the morning, and I imitated, as well as I
could, the bark of a dog : immediately all the swans collected in
a body, and looked round to see where the sound came from. I
was not above forty yards from them, so gently raising myself
on my elbow, I pulled the trigger, aiming at a forest of necks.
To my dismay, the gun did not go off, the wet or something else
having spoilt the cap. The birds were slow in rising, so without
pulling the other trigger, I put on another cap, and standing
up, fired right and left at two of the largest swans as they rose
from the loch. The cartridge told well on one, who fell dead
into the water; the other flew off after the rest of the flock,
but presently turned back, and after making two or three grace-
ful sweeps over the body of his companion, fell headlong, per-
fectly dead, almost upon her body. The rest of the birds, after
flying a sort distance away, also returned, and flew for a minute
or two in a confused flock over the two dead swans, uttering
their bugle-like and harmonious cries, but finding that they were
not joined by their companions, presently fell into their usual
single rank, and went undulating off towards the sea, where I
heard them for a long time trumpeting and calling.

Handsome as he is, the wild swan is certainly not so graceful
on the water as a tame one. He 1ms not the same proud and
elegant arcli of the neck, nor does he put up his wings while
swimming, like two snow-white sails. On the land a wild swan
when winged makes such good way, that if he gets much start it
requires good running to overtake him.

Their feathers are so strong and they have so much down
beneath the breast-feathers, that when coming towards you over
your head, no shot makes the least impression unless you aim at
their head and neck.

If such constant warfare was not declared against these (now
only occasional) visitors to this country, as well as against many
others, our lakes and woods would have many more permanent
winter and summer occupants than they have. I have no doubt
that many birds who now only pass a few months here, would
domicile themselves entirely if left in peace ; and swans, instead
of returning to the deserts and swamps of Russia, Siberia, or
Norway, would occasionally at least remain here to breed, and by

o2

196 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xxiv.

degrees become perfectly domiciled during the whole year in some
of the large marshes and lakes of Scotland or Ireland, where
prpper food and feeding-places could always be found by them. At
present they visit us generally about the middle of October. On
their first arrival in Findhorn Bay they are sometimes in immense
flocks. Last year I saw a flock of between two and three hun-
dred resting on the sands. After remaining quiet till towards
evening, they broke off into different smaller companies, of from
twenty to three or four birds in each, and dispersed in different
directions, all of them, however, inclining southwards.

They probably return year after year to the same district of
country, taking with them either their own broods of the season
or any others that are inclined to join them. In the large flock
that I mentioned having seen last year, I could not distinguish
a single young bird. The cygnets of the wild swan, like those
of the tame one, are during the first season of a greyish white,
and are easily distinguished amongst the dazzling white plumage
of the old birds. When swans frequent any loch near the sea,
or any chain of fresh water lakes, if they are disturbed and fly
either to the sea or to some adjoining piece of water, they keep
always about the same line. When once you have taken notice
of the exact line of their flight, it is easy to get shots by sending
a person to put them up when seen feeding, having previously
concealed yourself in the direction of their course.

It is useless shooting at them when coming towards you, and
the best chance of killing them is either to allow them to pass
before you fire, or, just as they are over your head, by jumping
up and showing yourself, you may make them turn off to the
right and left, in this way affording a fair chance to your shot,
which easily penetrates them when flying straight away.

When in the water, a wild swan is not easy to kill, unless hit
in the head or neck, as they swim very flat and low, and their
feathers sit so close that shot will scarcely penetrate unless you
can fire from above the birds.

I once winged a wild swan, who fell into a large and deep
loch. The rest of the birds flew away towards another piece of
water about a mile off. I had no retriever with me, but profiting
by the advice of my keeper, instead of attempting to get at the
bird in any way, I took a circuit, keeping myself concealed,

CHAP, xxiv.] WOUNDED WILD SWANS. 197

towards the line of flight taken by the rest of the flock. The
winged bird, after swimming about uneasily for a short time,
seeing no enemy at hand, and finding that her companions did
not return, went to the edge of the water, and having taken
a careful survey of the country around, scrambled out, and com-
menced a journey after them on terra firnui. I allowed her to
walk to some distance from the loch, and then running up, cut her
off from returning to it. As soon as she saw me she made over
a hillock in their line of flight ; I ran up, and not seeing her,
tracked her a little way in the sand, and presently found her
lying stretched out flat on the ground amongst some long grass,
endeavouring to hide herself. When she found that I had dis-
covered her she again made off, but was soon caught.

I mention this for the benefit of any one who may be in the
predicament of having winged a swan on a lake, as this bird, if
left alone and not seeing an enemy, will invariably make for the
bank, and most probably leave the water to follow in the track
of her companions if they have gone to any adjoining water.

Though, as I have said, not so graceful in the water as their
tame relatives, nothing can be more splendid than the flight of a
flock of wild swans, as they pass over your head with their trans-
parently white pinions, and uttering their far-sounding and
musical trumpeting, which is often heard before the birds come
into sight.

I never ate a wild swan, but am told that their flesh, though
dark coloured, has not the least rank taste, like that of some
water- fowl, but, on the contrary, is very palatable, and worthy
of being cooked. From their food, which consists wholly of
flavourless grasses, I can easily suppose that they may be as
good, if not better eating than the mallard or any other kind of
wild duck, who all, more or less, feed on rank weeds, as well as
on worms and a variety of other unclean food.

198 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xxr.

CHAPTER XXV.

The Water-Ouzel : Nest ; Singular Habits ; Food ; Song of — Kingfisher :
Rare Visits of; Manner of Fishing — Terns: Quickness in Fishing;
Nests of.

FOR several years a pair of those singular little birds the water-
ouzel have built their nest and reared their young on a buttress of a
bridge, across what is called the Black burn, near Dalvey. This
year I am sorry to see, that owing to some repairs in the bridge,
the birds have not returned to their former abode. The nest, when
looked at from above, had exactly the appearance of a confused
heap of rubbish, drifted by some flood to the place where it was
built, and attached to the bridge just where (he buttress joins tha
perpendicular part of the masonry. The old birds evidently took
some trouble to deceive the eye of those who passed along the
bridge, by giving the nest the look of a chance collection of
material. I do not know, among our common birds, so amusing
and interesting a little fellow as the water-ouzel, whether seen
during the time of incubation, or during the winter months, when
he generally betakes himself to some burn near the sea, less
likely to be frozen over than those more inland. In the burn
near this place there are certain stones, each of which is always
occupied by one particular water-ouzel : there he sits all day,
with his snow-white breast turned towards you, jerking his
apology for a tail, and occasionally darting off for a hundred
yards or so, with a quick, rapid, but straight-forward flight ; then
down he plumps into the water, remains under for perhaps a
minute or two ; and then flies back to his usual station. At other
times the water-ouzel walks deliberately off his stone down into
the water, and, despite of Mr. Waterton's strong opinion of the
impossibility of the feat, he walks and runs about on the gravel
at the bottom of the water, scratching with his feet among the
small stones, and picking away at all the small insects and aiii-

CHAP, xxv.] WATER-OUZELS-KINGFISHER. 199

malcula which he can dislodge. On two or three occasions, I
have witnessed this act of the water-ouzel, and have most dis-
tinctly seen the bird walking and feeding in this manner under
the pellucid waters of a Highland burn. It is in this way that
the water-ouzel is supposed to commit great havoc in the spawn-
ing beds of salmon and trout, uncovering the ova, and leaving
what it does not eat open to the attacks of eels and other fish, or
liable to be washed away by the current ; and, notwithstanding
my regard for this little bird, I am afraid I must admit that he
is guilty of no small destruction amongst the spawn.

The water-ouzel has another very peculiar habit, which I have
never heard mentioned. In the coldest days of winter I have
seen him alight on a quiet pool, and with out-stretched wings
recline for a few moments on the water, uttering a most sweet
and merry song — then rising into the air, he wheels round and
round for a minute or two, repeating his song as he flies back
to some accustomed stone. His notes are so pleasing, that he
fully deserves a place in the list of our song-birds ; though I
never found but one other person, besides myself, who would own
to having heard the water-ouzel sing. In the early spring, too,
he courts his mate with the same harmony, and pursues her from
bank to bank singing as loudly as he can — often have I stopped
to listen to him as he flew to and fro along the burn, apparently
full of business and importance — then pitching on a stone, he
would look at me with such confidence, that, notwithstanding
the bad name he has acquired witli the fishermen, I never could
make up my mind to shoot him. He frequents the rocky burns
far up the mountains, building in the crevices of the rocks, and
rearing his young in peace and security, amidst the most wild
and magnificent scenery.

The nest is large, and built, like a wren's, with a roof— the
eggs are a transparent white.

The people here have an idea that the water-ouzel preys on
small fish, but this is an erroneous idea ; the bird is not adapted
in any way either for catching fish or for swallowing them.

During a severe frost last year, I watched for some time a
common kingfisher, who, by some strange chance, and quite
against its usual habits, had strayed into this northern latitude.
He first caught my eye while darting like a living emerald along

200 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xxv.

the course of a small unfrozen stream between my house and the
river ; he then suddenly alighted on a post, and remained a short
time motionless in the peculiar strange attitude of his kind, as if
intent on gazing at the sky. All at once a new idea comes into
his head, and he follows the course of the ditch, hovering here
and there like a hawk, at the height of a yard or so above the
water : suddenly down he drops into it, disappears for a mo-
ment, and then rises into the air with a trout of about two inches
long in his bill ; this he carries quickly to the post where he had
been resting before, and having beat it in an angry and vehement
manner against the wood for a minute, he swallows it whole. I
tried to get at him, coveting the bright blue feathers on his back,
which are extremely useful in fly-dressing, but before I was
within shot, he darted away, crossed the river, and sitting on a
rail on the opposite side, seemed to wait as if expecting me to
wade after him ; this, however, I did not think it worth while
doing, as the water was full of floating ice, — so I left the king-
fisher where he was, and never saw him again. Their visits to
this country are very rare, I only have seen one other, and he
was sitting on the bow of my boat watching the water below
him for a passing trout small enough to be swallowed.

The kingfisher, the terns, and the solan geese are the only birds
that fish in this way, hovering like a hawk in the air and drop-
ping into the water to catch any passing fish that their sharp
eyesight can detect. The rapidity with which a bird must move,
to catch a fish in this manner, is one of the most extraordinary
things that I know. A tern, for instance, is flying at about
twenty yards high — suddenly he sees some small fish (generally a
sand-eel, one of the most active little animals in the world), —
down drops the bird, and before the slippery little fish (that
glances about in the water like a silver arrow) can get out of
reach, he is caught in the bill of the tern, and in a moment after-
wards is either swallowed whole, or journeying rapidly through
quite a new element to feed the young of his captor. Often in
the summer have I watched flocks of terns fishing in this manner
at a short distance from the shore, and never did I see one
emerge after his plunge into the water without a sand-eel.
When I have shot at the bird as he flew away with his prey, I
have picked up the sand-eel, and there are always the marks of

CHAP, xxv.] TERNS-CROWS. 201

bis bill in one place, just behind the head, where it seems to be
invariably caught.

The terns which breed in the islands on a loch in the woods
of Altyre, fully five miles in a straight line from where they
fish, fly up to their young with every sand-eel they catch. I
have seen them fly backwards and forwards in this way for hours
together, apparently bringing the whole of their food from the
sea, notwithstanding the distance ; their light body and long
swallow-like wings make this long flight to and fro less fa-
tiguing to the tern than it would be to almost any other bird.

Great numbers of terns breed every year on the sandhills.
Their eggs, three in number, are laid in a small hole scraped
amongst the shingle, or on the bare sand. Generally, however,
they choose a place abounding in small stones ; and their eggs
being very nearly of the same colour as the pebbles, it is very
difficult to distinguish them. The nests being frequently at so
considerable a distance from the water, it has often been a matter
of surprise to me how the young birds can live till they have
strength to journey to the sea-shore. I never yet could find any
of the newly-hatched terns near the nests, and am of opinion that
the old birds in some way or other carry off their young, as soon
as they are out of the egg, to some place more congenial to so
essentially a water-bird than the arid ground on which they are
hatched. During fine weather the terns never sit on their eggs
in the daytime, but, uttering unceasing cries, hover and fly about
over the spot where their nests are. All day long have I seen
them hovering in this manner, with a flight more like that of a
butterfly than of a bird. If a man approaches their eggs, they
dash about his head with a loud angry clamour; and all the
other terns, who have eggs, for miles around, on hearing the cry
of alarm, fly to see what it is all about, and having satisfied their
curiosity, return to the neighbourhood of their own domicile,
ready to attack any intruder. If a crow in search of eggs happens
to wander near the terns' building-places, she is immediately at-
tacked by the whole community, every bin! joining in the chace,
and striking furiously at their common enemy, who is glad to
make off as quickly as she can. The terns, having pursued her
to some distance, return seemingly well satisfied with their feat
of arms. I have also detected the fox by the rapid swoops of

202 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xxv.

the terns as they dash at him if he happens to pass near their
nests.

There is one kind of tern that breeds on the sandhills, which
is peculiarly beautiful, the lesser tern, or Terna minuta. This
little bird, scarcely bigger than a swift, and of a pale blue in the
upper part of her plumage, is of the most satin-like and dazzling
whiteness in all the lower portions. It is a most delicate-looking
creature, but has a stronger and more rapid flight than the larger
kinds, and when he joins in their clamorous attacks on any
enemy, utters a louder and shriller cry than one could expect to
hear from so small a body. Its eggs are similar in colour to
those of the common tern, but much smaller.

The roseate tern also visits us. I do not know that I have
ever found the eggs of this kind, but I have distinguished the
bird by its pale bluish coloured breast, as it hovered over my head
amongst the other terns.

A favourite position of the tern is on the stakes of the salmon-
fishers' nets. Frequently every stake has a tern on it, where, if
unmolested, they sit quietly watching the operations of the fisher-
men. Indeed, they are rather a tame and familiar bird, not
much afraid of man, and seeming to trust (and, as far as I a-m
concerned^ not in vain) to their beauty and harmlessness as a
safeguard against the wandering sportsman. Excepting when
wanting a specimen for any particular purpose, I make a rule
never to molest any bird that is of no use when dead, and which,
like the tern, is both an interesting and beautiful object when
living.

These birds make but a short sojourn with us, arriving in
April in great numbers, and collecting in flocks on the sands of
the bay for a few days. They then betake themselves to their
breeding-places, and, having reared their young, leave us before
the beginning of winter.

CHAP, xxvi.] THE MUCKLE HART OF BENMORE. 203

CHAPTER XXVI.

The Muckle Hart of Benmore.

Sunday. — THIS evening, Malcolm, the shepherd of the shealing
at the foot of Benmore, returning from church, reported his
having crossed in the hill a track of a hart of extraordinary size;
and he guessed it must be " the muckle stag of Benmore." This
was an animal seldom seen, but which had long been the talk
and marvel of the shepherds for its wonderful size and cunning.
They love the marvellous, and in their report " the muckle
stag " bore a charmed life ; he was unapproachable and invul-
nerable. I had heard of him too, and, having got the necessary
information, resolved to try to break the charm, though it should
cost me a day or two.

Monday. — This morning at sunrise, I with my rifle, Donald
carrying my double-barrel, and Bran, took our way up the glen
to the shealing at the foot of Benmore. Donald had no heart
for this expedition. He is not addicted to superfluous conver-
sation, but I heard him mutter something of a "feckless errand
— as good deer nearer hame." Bran had already been the victor
in many a bloody tussle with hart and fox. We held for the
most part up the glen, but turning and crossing to seek every
likely corrie and burn on both sides. I shot a wild cat, stealing
home to its cairn in the early morning; and we several times
in the day came on deer, but they were hinds with their calves,
and I was bent on higher game. As night fell, we turned down
to the shealing rather disheartened ; but the shepherd cheered
me by assuring me the hart was still in that district, and de-
scribing his track, which he said was like that of a good -sized
heifer. Our spirits were quite restored by a meal of fresh-caught
trout, oat-cake and milk, with a modicum of whisky, which cer-
tainly was of unusual flavour and potency.

Tuesday. — "We were off again by daybreak. I will pass by
several minor adventures, but one cannot be omitted. Malcolm

204 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xxvi.

went with us to show us where he had last seen the track. As
we crossed a long reach of black and broken ground, the first
ascent from the valley, two golden eagles rose out of a hollow at
some distance. Their flight was lazy and heavy, as if gorged
with food, and on examining the place we found the carcass of
a sheep half eaten, one of Malcolm's flock. He vowed ven-
geance ; and, merely pointing out to us our route, returned for
a spade to dig a place of hiding near enough the carcass to
enable him to have a shot at the eagles if they should return.
We held on our way, and the greater part of the day without
any luck to cheer us, my resolution " not to be beat " being,
however, a good deal strengthened by the occasional grumbling
of Donald. Towards the afternoon, when we had tired ourselves
with looking with our glasses at every corrie in that side of the
hill, at length, in crossing a bare and boggy piece of ground,
Donald suddenly stopped, with a Gaelic exclamation, and pointed
— and there, to be sure, was a full fresh foot-print, the largest
mark of a deer either of us had ever seen. There was no more
grumbling. Both of us were instantly as much on the alert as
when we started on our adventure. We traced the track as long
as the ground would allow. Where we lost it, it seemed to point
down the little burn, which soon lost itself to our view in a gorge
of bare rocks. We proceeded now very cautiously, and taking
up our station on a concealed ledge of one of the rocks, began
to search the valley below with our telescopes. It was a large
flat, strewed with huge slabs of stone, and surrounded on all
sides but one with dark rocks. At the farther end were two
black lochs, connected by a sluggish stream ; beside the larger
loch a bit of coarse grass and rushes, where we could distinguish
a brood of wild ducks swimming in and out. It was difficult
ground to see a deer in, if lying ; and I had almost given up
seeking, when Donald's glass became motionless, and he gave a
sort of grunt as he changed his posture, but without taking the
glass from his eye. " Ugh ! I 'm thinking yon 's him, sir : I 'm
seeing his horns." I was at first incredulous. What he showed

O

me close to the long grass I have mentioned looked for all the
world like some withered sticks ; but the doubt was short.
While we gazed the stag rose and commenced feeding ; and at
last I saw the great hart of Benmore ! He was a long way off,

CUAP. xxvi.] THE MUCKLE HART OF BENMORE. 205

perhaps a mile and a half, but in excellent ground for getting at
him. Our plan was soon arranged. I was to stalk him with
the rifle, while Donald, with my gun and Bran, was to get
round, out of sight, to the pass by which the deer was likely to
leave the valley. My task was apparently very easy. After
getting down behind the rock I had scarcely to stoop my head,
but to walk up within shot, so favourable was the ground and
the wind. I walked cautiously, however, and slowly, to give
Donald time to reach the pass. I was now within three hundred
yards of him, when, as I leant against a slab of stone, all hid
below my eyes, I saw him give a sudden start, stop feeding, and
look round suspiciously. What a noble beast ! what a stretch
of antler ! with a mane like a lion ! He stood for a minute or
two, snuffing every breath. I could not guess the cause of his
alarm ; it was not myself; the light wind blew fair down from
him upon me ; and I knew Donald would give him no inkling
of his whereabouts. He presently began to move, and came at
a slow trot directly towards me. My pulse beat high. Another
hundred yards forward and he is mine ! But it was not so to be.
He took the top of a steep bank which commanded my position,
saw me in an instant, and was off, at the speed of twenty miles
an hour, to a pass wide from that where Donald was hid. While
clattering up the hill, scattering the loose stones behind him,
two other stags joined him, who had evidently been put up by
Donald, and had given the alarm to my quarry. It was then
that his great size was conspicuous. I could see with my glass
they were full-grown stags, and with good heads, but they looked
like fallow-deer as they followed him up the crag. I sat down,
disappointed for the moment, and Donald soon joined me, much
crestfallen, and cursing the stag in a curious variety of Gaelic
oaths. Still it was something to have seen " the muckle stag,"
and nil dffjtf rand urn was my motto. We had a long and weary
walk to Malcolm's shealing ; and I was glad to get to my heather
bed, after arranging that I should occupy the hiding-place Mal-
colm had prepared near the dead sheep next morning.

Wednesday. — We were up an hour before daylight; and in
a very dark morning I sallied out with Malcolm to take my sta-
tion for a shot at the eagles. Many a stumble and slip I made
during our walk, but at last I was left alone fairly ensconced in

206 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xxvi.

the hiding-place, which gave me hardly room to stand, sit, or lie.
My position was not very comfortable, and the air was nipping
cold just before the break of day. It was still scarcely grey
dawn when a bird, with a slow, flapping flight, passed the open-
ing of my hut, and lighted out of sight, but near, for I heard
him strike the ground ; and my heart beat faster. What was
my disappointment when his low crowing croak announced the
raven ! and presently he came in sight, hopping and walking
suspiciously round the sheep ; till, supposing the coast clear,
and little wotting of the double-barrel, he hopped upon the car-
cass, and began with his square cut-and-thrust beak to dig at
the meat. Another raven soon joined him, and then two more ;
who, after a kind of parley, quite intelligible, though in an un-
known tongue, were admitted to their share of the banquet. I
was watching their voracious meal with some interest, when
suddenly they set up a croak of alarm, stopped feeding, and all
turned their knowing-looking eyes in one direction. At that
moment I heard a sharp scream, but very distant. The black
party heard it too ; and instantly darted off, alighting again at a
little distance. Next moment a rushing noise, and a large body
passed close to me ; and the monarch of the clouds lighted at
once on the sheep, with his broad breast not fifteen yards from
me. He quietly folded up his wings ; and, throwing back his
magnificent head, looked round at the ravens, as if wondering at
their impudence in approaching his breakfast- table. They kept
a respectful silence, and hopped a little farther off. The royal
bird then turned his head in my direction, attracted by the alte-
ration in the appearance of the ground which he had just no-
ticed in the dim morning light. His bright eye that instant
caught mine as it glanced along the barrel. He rose ; as he
did so I drew the trigger, and he fell quite dead half a dozen
yards from the sheep. I followed Malcolm's directions, who had
predicted that one eagle would be followed by a second, and re-
mained quiet, in hopes that his mate was not within hearing of
my shot. The morning was brightening, and I had not waited
many minutes when I saw the other eagle skimming low over
the brow of the hill towards me. She did not alight at once.
Her eye caught the change in the ground or the dead body of
her mate, and she wheeled up into the air. I thought her lost

CHAP, xxvi.] THE MUCKLE HART OF BENMORfc 207

to me, when presently I heard her wings brush close over my
head ; and then she went wheeling round and round above the
dead bird, and turning her head downwards to make out what
had happened. At times she stooped so low that I could see the
sparkle of her eye and hear her low complaining cry. I watched
the time when she turned up her wing towards me, and fired,
and dropped her actually on the body of the other. I now
rushed out. The last bird immediately rose to her feet, and
stood gazing at me with a reproachful, half-threatening look.
She would have done battle, but death was busy with her ; and,
as I was loading in haste, she reeled and fell perfectly dead.
Eager as I had been to do the deed, I could not look on the
royal birds without a pang. But such regrets were now too late.
Passing over the shepherd's rejoicing, and my incredible break-
fast, I must return to our great adventure. Our line of march
to-day was over ground so high that we came repeatedly into the
midst of ptarmigan. On the very summit, Bran had a rencontre
with an old mountain fox, toothless, yet very fat, whom he made
to bite the dust. We struck at one place the tracks of the three
deer, but of the animals themselves we saw nothing. We kept
exploring corrie after corrie till night fell ; and as it was in vain
to think of returning to the shealing, which yet was the nearest
roof, we were content to find a sort of niche in the rock, tolerably
screened from all winds ; and having almost filled it with long
heather, flower upwards, we wrapped our plaids round us, and
slept pretty comfortably.

Thursday. — A dip in the burn below our bivouac renovated
me. I did not observe that Donald followed my example in
that ; but he joined me in a hearty attack on the viands which
*till remained in our bag ; and we started with renewed courage.
About mid-day we came on a shealing beside a long narrow
loch, fringed with beautiful weeping-birches, and there we
found means to cook some grouse which I had shot to supply
our exhausted larder. The shepherd, who had " no iSassenach,"
cheered us by his report of "the deer" being lately seen, and
describing his usual haunts. Donald was plainly getting dis-
gusted and home-sick. For myself, I looked upon it as my fate
that I must have that hart ; so on we trudged. Repeatedly,
that afternoon, we came on the fresh tracks of our chace, but

208 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xxvi.

still he remained invisible. As it got dark, the weather sud-
denly changed, and I was glad enough to let Donald seek for
the bearings of a "whisky bothie" which he had heard of at
our last stopping-place. While he was seeking for it the rain
began to fall heavily, and through the darkness we were just
able to distinguish a dark object, which turned out to be a horse.
" The lads with the still will no be far off," said Donald. And
so it turned out. But the rain had increased the darkness so
much, that we should have searched in vain if I had not distin-
guished at intervals, between the pelting of the rain and the
heavy rushing of a black burn that ran beside us, what appeared
to me to be the shrill treble of a fiddle. I could scarcely be-
lieve my ears. But when I communicated the intelligence to
Donald, whose ears were less acute, he jumped with joy. " It 's
all right enough, sir ; just follow the sound ; it 's that drunken
deevil, Sandy Ross ; ye '11 never haud a fiddle frae him, nor him
frae a whisky-still." It was clear the sound came from across
the black stream, and it looked formidable in the dark. How-
ever, there was no remedy. So grasping each the other's collar,
and holding our guns high over head, we dashed in, and stag-
gered through in safety, though the water was up to my waist,
running like a mill-race, and the bottom was of round slippery
stones. Scrambling up the bank, and following the merry sound,
we came to what seemed a mere hole in the bank, from which it
proceeded. The hole was partially closed by a door woven of
heather ; and, looking through it, we saw a sight worthy of
Teniers. On a barrel in the midst of the apartment — half hut,
half cavern — stood aloft, fiddling with all his might, the identical
Sandy Ross, while round him danced three unkempt savages ;
and another figure was stooping, employed over a fire in the
corner, where the whisky-pot was in full operation. The fire,
and a sliver or two of lighted bog-fir, gave light enough to see
the whole, for the place was not above ten feet square. We
made our approaches with becoming caution, and were, it is
needless to say, hospitably received ; for who ever heard of
Highland smugglers refusing a welcome to sportsmen ? We got
rest, food, and fire — all that we required — and something more ;
for long after I had betaken me to the dry heather in the corner,
I had disturbed visions of strange orgies in the bothy, and of

CHAP, xxvi.] THE MUCKLE HART OF BENMORE. 201

my sober Donald exhibiting curious antics on the top of a tub.
These might have been the productions of a disturbed brain ;
but there is no doubt that when daylight awoke me, the smug-
glers and Donald were all quiet and asleep, far past my efforts to
rouse them, with the exception of one who was still able to tend
the fire under the large black pot.

Friday. — From the state in which my trusty companion was,
with his head in a heap of ashes, I saw it would serve no purpose
to awake him, even if I were able to do so. It was quite clear
that he could be good for nothing all day. I therefore secured
some breakfast and provisions for the day (part of them oatcake,
which I baked for myself), tied up Bran to wait Donald's resto-
ration, and departed with my rifle alone. The morning wag
bright and beautiful, the mountain-streams overflowing with last
night's rain. I was now thrown on my own resources, and my
own knowledge of the country, which, to say the truth, was far
from minute or exact. " Benna-skiach " was my object to-day,
and the corries which lay beyond it, where at this season the
large harts were said to resort. My way at first was dreary
enough, over a long slope of boggy ground, enlivened, however,
by a few traces of deer having crossed, though none of my
" chace." I at length passed the slope, and soon topped the
ridge, and was repaid for my labour by a view so beautiful, that
I sat down to gaze at it, though anxious to get forward. Look-
ing down into the valley before me, the foreground was a con-
fusion of rocks of most fantastic shape, shelving rapidly to the
edge of a small blue lake, the opposite shore of which was a
beacli of white pebbles, and beyond, a stretch of the greenest
pasture, dotted with dropping white-stemmed birches. This
little level was hemmed in on all sides by mountains, ridge above
ridge, the lowest closely covered with purple heath, the next
more green and broken by ravines, and the highest ending in
sharp serrated peaks tipped with snow. Nothing moved within
range of my vision, and nothing was to be seen that bespoke life
but a solitary heron standing on one leg in the shallow water
at the upper end of the lake. From hence I took in a good
ratine, but could see no deer. While I lay above the lake, the
day suddenly changed, and heavy wreaths of mist came down
the mountain-sides in rapid succession. They reached me soon,

P

210 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xxvi.

and I was enclosed in an atmosphere through which I could not
see twenty yards. It was very cold too, and I was obliged to move,
though scarcely well knowing whither. I followed the course
of the lake, and afterwards of the stream which flowed from it,
for some time. Now and then a grouse would rise close to me,
and, flying a few yards, light again on a hillock, crowing and
croaking at the intruder. The heron, in the darkness, came
flapping his great wings close past me ; I almost fancied I could
feel the movement they caused in the air. Nothing could be done
in such weather, and I was not sure that I might not be going away
from my object. It was getting late too, and I made up my mind
that my most prudent plan was to arrange a bivouac before it
became quite dark. My wallet was empty, except a few crumbs,
the remains of my morning's baking. It was necessary to pro-
vide food : and just as the necessity occurred to me, I heard,
through the mist, the call of a cock grouse as he lighted close
to me. I contrived to get his head between me and the sky as
he was strutting and croaking on a hillock close at hand ; and
aiming at where his body ought to be, I fired my rifle. On
going up to the place, I found I had not only killed him, but
also his mate, whom I had not seen. It was a commencement
of good luck. Sitting down, I speedily skinned my birds, and
took them down to the burn to wash them before cooking:. In

3

crossing a sandy spot beside the burn, I came upon — could I
believe my eyes? — " the Track." Like Robinson Crusoe in the
same circumstances, I started back ; but was speedily at work
taking my information. There were prints enough to show the
hart had crossed at a walk leisurely. It must have been lately,
for it was since the burn had returned to its natural size, after
the last night's flood. But nothing could be done till morning,
so I set about my cooking; and having after some time suc-
ceeded in lighting a fire, while my grouse were slowly broiling,
I pulled a quantity of heather, which T spread in a corner a
little protected by an overhanging rock : I spread my plaid upon
it, and over the plaid built another layer of heather. My supper
ended, which was not epicurean, I crawled into my nest under
my plaid, and was soon sound asleep. I cannot say that my
slumbers were unbroken. I dreamt of the great stag thundering
up the hills with preternatural speed, and of noises like cannon

crup. xxvi.] THE MUCKLE HART OF BENMORE.

(which I have since learnt to attribute to their true cause — the
splitting of fragments of rock under a sudden change from wet
to sharp frost), and above all, the constant recurrence of visions
of weary struggles through fields of snow and ice kept me rest-
less ; and at length awoke me to the consciousness of a brilliant
skylight and keen frost — a change that rejoiced me in spite of
the cold.

Saturday. — Need I say my first object was to go down and
examine the track anew. There was no mistake. It was impos-
sible to doubt that " the muckle hart of Benmore" had actually
walked through that burn a few hours before me, and in the same
direction. I followed the track, and breasted the opposite hill.
Looking round from its summit, it appeared to me a familiar
scene, and on considering a moment, I found I overlooked from
a different quarter the very same rocky plain and the two black
lochs where T had seen my chace three days before. I had not
gazed many minutes when I saw a deer lying on a black hillock
which was quite open. I lay down immediately, and with rny
glass made out at once the object of all my wanderings. My
joy was somewhat abated by his position, which was not easily
approachable. My first object, however, was to withdraw myself
out of his sight, which I did by crawling backwards down a little
bank till only the tops of his horns were visible, and they served
to show me that he continued still. As he lay looking towards
me, he commanded with his eye three-fourths of the circle, and
the other quarter, where one might have got in upon him under
cover of the little hillock, was unsafe from the wind blowing in
that direction. A burn ran between him and me, one turn of
which seemed to come within two hundred yards of him. It was
my only chance; so, retreating about half a mile, I got into the
burn in hidden ground, and then crept up its channel with such
caution that I never allowed myself a sight of more than the
tips of his horns, till I had reached the nearest bend to him.
There, looking through a tuft of rushes, I had a perfect view of
the noble animal, lying on the open hillock, la/.ily stretched out
at length, and only moving now and then to snatch his flank
with liis horn. I watched him for fully an hour, the water up to
my knees all the time. At length he stirred, gathered his lees
together, and rose ; and arching his back, he stretched himself

p 2

212 WILD SPOUTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xxvi.

just as a bullock does when rising from his night's lair. My heart
throbbed, as turning all round he seemed to try the wind for his
security, and then walked straight to the burn, at a point about one
hundred and fifty yards from me. I was much tempted, but had
resolution to reserve my fire, reflecting that I had but one barrel.
He went into the burn at a deep pool, and standing in it up to
his knees, took a long drink. I stooped to put on a new copper
cap and prick the nipple of my rifle ; and — on looking up again,
lie was gone ! I was in despair ; and was on the point of moving
rashly, when I saw his horns again appear a little farther off',
but not more than fifty yards from the burn. By -and- by they
lowered, and I judged he was lying down. " You are mine at
last," I said ; and I crept cautiously up the bed of the burn till
I was opposite where he had lain down. I carefully and inch
by inch placed my rifle over the bank, and then ventured to look
along it. I could see only his horns, but within an easy shot.
I was afraid to move higher up the bed of the burn, where I
could have seen his body ; the direction of the wind made that
dangerous. I took breath for a moment, and screwed up my
nerves ; and then with my cocked rifle at my shoulder and my
finger on the trigger, I kicked a stone which splashed into the
water. He started up instantly ; but exposed only his front
towards me. Still he was very near, scarcely fifty yards, and I
fired at his throat just where it joins the head. He dropped on
his knees to my shot ; but was up again in a moment, and went
staggering up the hill. Oh, for one hour of Bran ! Although
he kept on at a mad pace, I saw he was becoming too weak for
the hill. He swerved and turned back to the burn ; and came
headlong down within ten yards of me, tumbling into it ap-
parently dead. Feeling confident, from the place where my ball
had taken effect, that he was dead, I threw down my rifle, and
went up to him with my hunting-knife. I found him stretched
out, and as I thought dying ; and I laid hold of his horns to
raise his head to bleed him. I had scarcely touched him when
he sprang up, flinging me backwards on the stones. It was an
awkward position. I was stunned by the violent fall ; behind
me was a steep bank of seven or eight feet high ; before me the
bleeding stag with his horns levelled at me, and cutting me off
from my rifle. In desperation I moved ; when he instantly

CHAP, xxv!.] THE MUCKLE HART OF BENMOKE. 213

charged, but fortunately tumbled ere he quite reached me. lie
drew back again like a ram about to but, and then stood still
with his head lowered, and his eyes bloody and swelled, glaring
upon me. lie* mane and all his coat were dripping with water
and blood ; and as he now and then tossed his head with an angry
snort, he looked like some savage beast of prey. We stood
mutually at bay for some time, till recovering myself, I jumped
out of the burn so suddenly, that he had not time to run at me,
and from the bank above, I dashed my plaid over his head and
eyes, and threw myself upon him. I cannot account for my
folly, and it had nearly cost me dear. The poor beast struggled
desperately, and his remaining strength foiled me in every
attempt to stab him in front ; and he at length made off, tumbling
me down, but carrying with him a stab in the leg which lamed
him. I ran and picked up my rifle, and then kept him in view
as he rushed down the burn on three legs towards the loch. He
took the water and stood at bay up to his chest in it. As soon
as he halted, I commenced loading my rifle, when to my dismay
I found that all the balls I had remaining were for my double-
barrel, and were a size too large for my rifle. I sat down and
commenced scraping one to the right size, an operation that
seemed interminable. At last I succeeded ; and, having loaded,
the poor stag remaining perfectly still, I went up within twenty
yams of him, and shot him through the head. lie turned over
and floated, perfectly dead. I waded in and towed him ashore,
and then had leisure to look at my wounds and bruises, which
were not serious, except my shin-bone, which was scraped from
ankle to knee by his horn. I soon had cleaned my quarry and
stowed him away as safely as I could, and then turned down the
glen at a gay pace. I found Donald with Bran reposing at
Malcolm's shealing ; and for all reproaches on his misconduct,
I was satisfied with sending him to bring home the " nuiekle
hart of Benmore," a duty which he performed before nig'iNfall.

214 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xxvn.

CHAPTER XXVII.

Different kinds of Gulls : Large Collections of — Breeding-places — Islands
on a Loch — Eggs of Gulls — Young Birds— Food and Voracity of Large
Gulls: Salmon-fry killed by — Boatswain-Gull — Manner of procuring
Food.

As great a variety of the gull tribe frequents the Findhorn Bay
and the Moray Firth as perhaps is to be seen in any one local ity
in Great Britain. To the uninterested passer-by a gull is a gull,
and nothing more, whether the race is represented at the moment
by that splendid bird, the great black-backed gull, Larus marinus,
or by the small but elegant black-headed gull, Larus ridibundus
of Linnaeus, or as Buffon, alluding also to its laugh-like cry, calls
it la Mouette rieuse. Yet, if closely observed, every kind of
gull has its own peculiar ways and habits, all of which are worthy
of note, and adapted to its own manner of feeding, and providing
for its wants. During March and April the black-headed gull,
which has been absent during the winter, returns in innumerable
flocks. After sunset they hold long consultations on the sands
of the bay, and when the night is calm I can hear them from my
windows at the distance of nearly two miles chattering and
clamouring for hours together. In the daytime they frequent
the fields, and wherever a plough is at work there are the black-
headed gulls in thousands, hovering over the ploughman's head,
and keeping up such a continual screaming, that I have seen both
man and horses fairly bewildered by the noise. A man left his
plough and came to me the other day, as I was passing in the
next field, to beg me to fire a shot or two at these noisy and un-
invited followers. As fast as a worm or grub is turned up by
the plough, down drop two or three gulls to scramble for it. In
this manner they soon get the necessary supply of food, and
return to join the assembly on the sands, where, having drunk
and bathed, they remain for the rest of the day. After passing a

CHAP. XXVH.] VARIETIES OF GULLS. 215

fortnight or more in this manner, they betake themselves to their
breeding-place, which is generally either some rushy and quiet
pool or island on some mountain lake, where they can breed and
rear their young unmolested. There are several lochs in this
neighbourhood where they breed. One they chiefly resort to is
a small piece of water in the forest of Darnaway, where they are
not allowed to be annoyed or disturbed during the time of incu-
bation. In these places their nests are placed as close as possible
to each other, and from the constant noise and flying backwards
and forwards of the birds, one would suppose that the greatest
confusion must prevail amongst their crowded commonwealth,
but every bird knows and attends to her own nest, and though
their cries sound angry and harsh, the greatest amity and the
strictest peace are preserved. Though crossing and jostling each
other in all directions, they never appear to quarrel or fight. On
the contrary, the birds all unite and make common cause against
any enemy, man or beast, that approaches them, or whose pre-
sence seems to threaten danger. I once took a boat to a moun-
tain lake in Inverness-shire, where thousands of these birds bred
on some small islands which dot the surface of the water. The
gulls, though not exactly attacking me, dashed unceasingly so
close to rny head that I felt the wind of their wings, and I some-
times really feared some one more venturous thau the rest might
drive his bill into my eyes. They had probably never had a
visitor to their islands before. The shepherds, having a kind of
superstitious dread of the place, from its being supposed to be
haunled ground, never attempt to cross to the islands by swim-
ming or wading. The greater part of the largest island was ab-
solutely covered with eggs, laid in small hollows scraped by the
birds, with little pretensions to any other kind of nest. I could
scarcely walk without treading on them. Close to the edge of
the water, indeed, so near that the nest was always wet, was the
doni'cile of a pair of black -throated divers, or loon, with a couple
of long greenish-coloured eggs. The old birds swam out to a
short distance, and watched me with great interest, uttering their
strange hollow call. There were several smaller islands, or
points of rock, appearing above the water, on each of which a
pair of black-backed gulls had made their nest, constructed with
more care and skill than those of their black headed cousins.

216 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xxvu.

These large birds allowed none of the others to approach them,
and each couple kept undisputed possession of their own par-
ticular kingdom, not joining in the same sociable kind of society
as other gulls. When I approached the black-backed gulls'
nest, they did not dash round me like the smaller kind, but flew
in circles at some height, uttering a loud warlike kind of shout,
much like the voice of a human being. The eggs of the black-
headed gulls are exactly like those of the common lapwing, and
are equally good eating ; so I took home a great number, select-
ing them from the nests that had only one or two eggs, knowing
that the owners of these would not have commenced sitting. 1
returned in a week, and found every nest with its full number in
it. I was walking along the shore of the lake some weeks after-
wards, when the birds had hatched, and whole fleets of young
gulls of a dark grey colour were swimming about. A young re-
triever I had with me swam into the water after them. He had
scarcely got twenty yards from the shore when the whole com-
munity of gulls attacked him, and not content with harmless
threats, struck down on the dog with right good will ; and I am
convinced that his life was only saved by my keeping up a constant
fire on the large black-headed gulls, which, in defence of their
young, made common cause with the others, and, from their great
weight and strength, were most dangerous assailants. "When
loungeing, gun in hand, on the sea-shore here, or lying in wait,
for seals, I have frequent opportunities of watching unobserved
the proceedings of the gulls of different kinds. The large black-
backed gull soars slowly along the edge of the receding tide,
with his sharp eye fixed on the beach, and turning his head and
neck to observe every object that may be left by the tide. If
anything is seen which his omnivorous appetite covets, down he
pitches on it, and with his powerful bill soon tears up and swal-
lows it. The sand-eel or small fish is swallowed whole. If a
floating prize presents itself, such as the remains of a large fish
or dead bird, it is soon discovered by one of the large gulls, who
is not allowed, however, to enjoy his prize alone; for every one
of his fellows within sight joins in tearing it to pieces. "When I
have winged a duck, and it has escaped and gone out to sea, I
have frequently seen it attacked and devoured almost alive by
these birds. If a dead fish is left on the shore they alight a few

CHAP, xxvu.] VORACITY OF GULLS. 217

feet from it, and, having reconnoitred carefully, fall to and
devour it. It is interesting to see these strong birds battling
against a high wind, always working to windward, and taking
advantage of every headland and cliff for a moment's shelter.
When going to windward in their search for food (indeed, they
never fly down wind if they can help it), and perceiving some-
thing edible, they keep on a short distance beyond it, and then
drifting back with the wind, drop down upon it. I saw a seal
last week (April) who had caught a salmon, and was eating it
above the water. A number of large gulls had collected round
him, and seemed inclined to dispute his prize, darting down at it
with clamorous cries. The large grey gull, or wagel, hunts the
shore in much the same manner; but is still more voracious than
the black-backed gull. Nothing comes amiss to this greedy
bird. I have seen a dozen of them feeding on a dead and putrid
horse, digging it out with their powerful bills like so many ravens.
I have no doubt a dead human being would be considered a fair
and lawful prize also. While I am lying ensconced on the
shore for seals, this bird frequently comes hovering over me, as
if well inclined to pounce down. If wounded, he does good
battle against my retriever, aiming (like a heron) at the eyes.
When shot, he often disgorges a great quantity of food, generally
small fish ; and on one occasion a wounded wagel brought up,
tmongst a variety of undigested food, a well-sized young kitten,
which he had somewhere made prize of. The grey gull, though
frequently feeding in the fields, seems very seldom to take to
fresh-water lakes. The next sized gull which is common here is
the blue-back, a beautiful clean-looking bird, though, as far as
fish is concerned, as great a glutton as the two last-named kinds.
This bird is paiticularly conspicuous in its attacks on the salmon-
fry as they descend the river in May. Thousands of them fish
in the shallow pools at low-water in the bay, and every bird
seems to feed wholly on these silvery little creatures as long as
they are to be had. The quantity that they disgorge when shot
is perfectly astonishing, and they must be one of the most de-
structive enemies that the salmon has. Besides these larger
kinds of gulls there are several smaller species, who hover con-
stantly about the shore and sand-banks, drifting to and fro, and

218 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xxvn.

beating against the wind in search of any prey, and darting fear-
lessly into the very foam of the breakers to obtain it, or floating
as buoyantly as corks at a respectful distance from the larger
gulls, who may be engaged in tearing to pieces any cast tip car-
cass, and being content to catch at the smaller morsels which
are detached unperceived by the rightful owners of the prize.

I was much amused the other day by the proceedings of a pair
of the black-toed gull, or boatswain. These two birds were sit-
ting quietly on an elevated ridge of sand, near which a number
of other gulls of different kinds were fishing and hovering about
in search of what the waves might cast up. Every bird, indeed,
was busy and employed, excepting these two black robbers, who
seemed to be quietly resting, quite unconcerned. When, how-
ever, a gull had picked up a prize, these birds seemed instinctively
to know it, and darting off with the rapidity of a hawk (which
bird they much resemble in their manner of flight), they attacked
the unfortunate gull in the air, and, in spite of his screams and
attempts to escape, they pursued and beat him till he disgorged
the fish or whatever he had swallowed, when one of them darted
down and caught the substance before it could reach the water.
The two then returned quietly back to their sand-bank, where
they waited patiently to repeat the robbery, should an opportunity
occur. As the flock of gulls moved on with the flow of the tide
the boatswains moved on also, hovering on their flank like a pair
of plundering freebooters. I observed that in chasing a gull
they seemed perfectly to understand each other as to who should
get the spoil ; and in their attacks on the largest gulls (against
whom they waged the most fearless warfare), they evidently
acted so as to aid each other. If another pair of boatswains
intruded on their hunting-ground, they immediately seemed to
send them farther off, not so much by actual battle as by a noisy
and screaming argument, which they continued most vigorously
till the new comers left the neighbourhood.

I never saw these birds hunt for their own living in any other
way than by robbing the other gulls. Though not nearly so
large as some of the birds which they attack, their hawk-like
swoops and great courage seem to enable them to fight their way
most successfully. They are neatly and powerfully made • their

CUAP. XXVIT.] BOATSWAIN-GULLS. 219

colour, a kind of sooty dull black, with very little gloss or
shining tints on their feathers. The boatswains seldom appear
here excepting during April and May. All the gull tribe
during their first year are of a dingy and mottled colour, very
unlike the neat and elegant combination of colours they after-
wards acquire.

2-JO WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS, [ra.vr. xxmi.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

Woodcock's Nest: Early Breeding of; Habits of, in Spring; First Arrival
of; Anecdotes of; Manner of Carrying their Young — Habits of Snipe —
Number of Jack-Snipes — Solitary Snipe.

March 9, 1846. — A woodcock's nest, with three eggs, was
brought to me to-day. Two years ago, a boy brought me a
young woodcock nearly full-grown, and fledged, in the second
week of April — the exact day I do not remember. Reckoning
from this, I should suppose that the woodcock is about the first
bird to hatch in this country. A few years ago, it was .supposed
that none remained in Britain after the end of winter, except a
few wounded birds, which were unable to cross the sea to their
usual breeding-places.

However, since the great increase of fir-plantations, great
numbers remain to breed. In the woods of Altyre and Darnaway
(as well as in all the other extensive plantations in the country),
during the whole spring and summer, I see the woodcocks flying
to and fro every evening in considerable numbars. As early as
six or seven o'clock, they begin to fly, uttering their curious cry,
which resembles more the croak of a frog than anything else;
varied, however, by a short shrill chirp. Down the shaded
course of the river, or through the avenues and glades of the
forest, already dark from the shadow of the pine-trees, the
woodcocks keep up a continual flight, passing and repassing in
all directions, as if in search of each other. As the twilight
comes on, in the open part of the country, they leave the shade
of the woods and fly down to the swamps and pools near the sea-
shore and elsewhere, to feed during the night. When watching
in the evening for wild ducks or geese near the swamps by the
shore, I have constantly seen them pitch close to me, and com-
mence feeding in their peculiar manner. These birds must pro-
bably come from the Altyre woods, the nearest point of which is
at a distance of two or three miles. In the evening the wood-

CIIAP. xxvin.] WOODCOCKS. 221

cock's flight is rapid and steady, instead of being uncertain and
o\vl-like, as it often is in the bright sunshine. I consider their
vision to be peculiarly adapted to the twilight, and even to the
darker hours of night — this being the bird's feeding-time. In
very severe and protracted snow-storms and frosts I have seen
them feeding at the springs during the daytime ; but in moderate
weather they pass all the light hours in the solitary recesses of
the quietest parts of the woods, although occasionally one will
remain all day in the swamp, or near the springs on the hill side,
where he had been feeding during the night. When they first
arrive, about the month of November, I have sometimes fallen
in with two or three brace far up in the mountain, while grouse-
shooting. They then sit very close, and are easily killed. The
first frost, however, sends them all to the shelter of the woods.
No bird seems less adapted for a long flight across the sea than
the woodcock ; and it is only by taking advantage of a favour-
able wind that they can accomplish their passage. An intelligent
master of a ship once told me, that in his voyages to and from
Norway and Sweden, he has frequently seen them, tired and
exhausted, pitch for a moment or two with outspread wings in
the smooth water in the ship's wake ; and having rested them-
selves for a few moments, continue their weary journey.

Although those that remain here breed so early in the year,
the woodcocks that migrate do not leave England till the end of
March or beginning of April. In the wild extensive woods of
Sussex, 1 have often seen them in the evenings, about the begin-
ning of April, flying to and fro in chace of each other, uttering
a hoarse croaking, and sometimes engaging each other at a kind
of tilting-match with their long bills in the air. I remember an
old poaching keeper, whose society I used greatly to covet when
a boy, shooting three at a shot, while they were engaged in an
aerial tournament of this kind.

There was a sporting turnpike-man (a rare instance of such a
combination of professions), on Ashdown forest, in Sussex, who
used to kill two or three woodcocks every evening for a week or
two in March and April — shooting the birds while he smoked
his pipe, anil drank his smuggled brandy and water at his turn-
pike-gate, which was situated in a glade in the forest, where the
birds were in the habit of flying during the twilight.

222 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. XXVIIT.

I rather astonished an English friend of mine, who was staying
with me in Inverness-shire during the month of June, by asking
him to come out woodcock-shooting one evening. And his sur-
prise was not diminished by my preparations for our battue, which
consisted of ordering out chairs and cigars into the garden at the
back of the house, which happened to be just in the line of the
birds' flight from the woods to the swamps. After he had killed
three or four from his chair, we stopped murdering the poor
birds, who were quite unfit to eat, having probably young ones,
or eggs, to provide for at home, in the quiet recesses of the
woods, along the banks of Lochness, which covers afford as good
woodcock-shooting as any in Scotland.

The female makes her nest, or rather, lays her eggs — for nest
she has none — in a tuft of heather, or at the foot of a small tree.
The eggs are four in number, and resemble those of a plover.
They are always placed regularly in the nest, the small ends of
the eggs meeting in the centre. When disturbed from her nest,
she flutters away like a partridge, pretending to be lame, in
order to take the attention of the intruder away from her young
or eggs. It is a singular, but well-ascertained fact, that wood-
cocks carry their young ones down to the springs and soft
ground where they feed. Before I knew this, I was greatly
puzzled^ as to how the newly-hatched young of this bird could go
from the nest, which is often built in the rankest heather, far
from any place where they could possibly feed, down to the
marshes. I have, however, ascertained that the old bird lifts her
young in her feet, and carries them one by one to their feeding-
ground. Considering the apparent improbability of this curious
act of the woodcock, and the unfitness of their feet and claws
for carrying or holding any substance whatever, I should be
unwilling to relate it on my own unsupported evidence ; but it
has been lately corroborated by the observations of several intel-
ligent foresters and others, who are in the habit of passing
through the woods during March and April.

The woodcock breeds a second time in July and August. I
am of opinion that all those which are bred in this country emi-
grate about the beginning of September, probably about the full
moon in that month. At any rate they entirely disappear from
woods where any day in June or July I could find several brace.

CHAP, xxvni.] SNIPES-JACK-SNIPES. 223

In September and the beginning of October I could never find a
single bird, though I have repeatedly tried to do so. A few
come in October ; but the greatest number which visit this
country arrive at the November full-moon ; these birds in-
variably taking advantage of the lightest nights for their
journey. In many parts of the country near the coast, the day,
and almost the hour, of their arrival can be accurately calculated
on, as also the particular thickets and coverts where the first
birds alight.

The snipe also begins to breed in March, though it is not quite
so early a bird as the woodcock. Snipes hatch their young in
this country, breeding and rearing them in the swamps, or near
the springs on the mountains. During the pairing time the
snipes fly about all day, hovering and wheeling in the air above
the rushes where the female bird lies concealed, and uttering
their peculiar cry, which resembles exactly the bleating of a
goat, and from which they have one of their Gaelic names, which
signifies the air-goat.

About the end of July and first week in August the snipes
descend from the higher grounds, and collect in great numbers
about certain favourite places. They remain in these spots for a
week or ten days, and then disperse. The rest of the season we
have but few in this part of the country. Particular ditches and
streams near my house always afford me two or three snipes ; and
as fast as I kill these, others appear.

Occasionally flights of jack-snipes come here; generally about
the end or middle of October ; and last year I find, on referring
to my game-book, that on the 19th of October I killed eight
brace of jack-snipes in an hour or two. finding them all in a small
rushy pool and in the adjoining ditch. Usually, however, I
only find three or four during a day's shooting ; but in this
manner I kill a great many in the course of the season, as there
appears to be a constant succession of these birds from October
to March, when they leave us. The jack-snipe never remains to
breed here. I can scarcely call the solitary snipe a bird of this
country ; never having seen but one in Scotland, and that was in
Sutherlandshire.

224 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xxix.

CHAPTER XXIX.

Seals — Destruction to Fish and Nets — Shooting Seal in River and Sea —
Habits of Seals — Anecdotes — Seal and Dog — Seal and Keeper — Catching
Seals — ^Anecdotes.

SEALS, which a few years ago abounded along this coast, are
now comparatively rare, and before long will be entirely banished
to the undisturbed and unfrequented rocks of the more northern
islands. The salmon -fishers on the coast wage a constant war
against them, in consequence of the great damage they do to
their stake-nets, which are constantly torn and injured by these
powerful animals. Nor is the loss they occasion to the salmon-
fishers confined to the fish which they actually consume or to the
nets that they destroy, for a seal hunting along the coast in the
neighbourhood of the stake-nets keeps the salmon in a constantly
disturbed state, and drives the shoals of fish into the deep water,
where they are secure from the nets. There is consequently a
constant and deadly feud between the fishermen and the seals,
which has almost totally expelled the latter from this part of the
coast. An old seal has been known to frequent a particular
range of stake-nets for many years, escaping all attacks against
him, and becoming both so cunning and so impudent that he
will actually take the salmon out of the nets (every turn of which
he becomes thoroughly intimate with) before the face of the
fishermen, and retiring with his ill-gotten booty, adds insult to
injury by coolly devouring it on some adjoining point of rock or
shoal, taking good care, however, to keep out of reach of rifle-
ball or slug. Sometimes, however, he becomes entangled in the
nets, and is drowned, but this seldom happens to a full-grown
seal, who easily breaks through the strongest t\\ iue if he can find
no outlet. From the shore opposite Cromarty I one day saw a
large seal swim into the stake-nets and take out a salmon, with
which he retired to a small rock above the water, and there
devoured it entirely in a very short space of time.

CHAP, xxix.] SEALS IN THE FINDHORN. 225

Sometimes at high-water and when the river is swollen a seal
comes in pursuit of salmon into the Findhorn, notwithstanding
the sn'allness of the stream and its rapidity. I was one day, in
November, looking for wild ducks near the river, when I was
called to by a man who was at work near the water, and who told
me that some " muckle beast " was playing most extraordinary
tricks in the river. He could not tell me what beast it was, but
only that it was something " no that canny." After waiting a
short time, the riddle was solved by the appearance of a good-
sized seal, into whose head I instantly sent a cartridge, having
no balls with me. The seal immediately plunged and splashed
about in the water at a most furious rate, and then began swim-
ming round and round in a circle, upon which I gave him the
other barrel, also loaded with one of Eley's cartridges, which
quite settled the business, and he floated rapidly away down the
stream. I sent my retriever after him, but the dog, being very
young and not come to his full strength, was baffled by the
weight of the animal and the strength of the current, and could
not land him ; indeed, he was very near getting drowned himself,
in consequence of his attempts to bring in the seal, who was still
struggling. I called the dog away, arid the seal immediately
sank. The next day I found him dead on the shore of the bay,
witli (as the man who skinned him expressed himself) " twenty-
three pellets of large hail in his craig."

Another day, in the month of July, when shooting rabbits on
the sand-hills, a messenger came from the fishermen at the stake-
nets, asking me to come in that direction, as the " muckle sealgh "
was swimming about, waiting for the fish to be caught in the nets,
in order to commence his devastation.

I accordingly went to them, and having taken my observa-
tions of the locality and the most feasible points of attack, I got
the men to row me out to the end of the stake- net, where there
was a kind of platform of netting, on which I stretched myself,
with a bullet in one barrel and a cartridge in the other. I then
directed the men to row the boat away, as if they had left the
nets. They had scarcely gone three hundred yards from the
place when I saw the seal, who had been floating, apparently
unconcerned, at some distance, swim quietly and fearlessly up to
the net. I had made a kind of breastwork of old netting before

Q

WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP, xxix

me, which quite concealed me on the side from which he came.
He approached the net, and began examining it leisurely and
carefully to see if any fish were in it ; sometimes he was under
and sometimes above the water. I was much struck by his
activity while underneath, where I could most plainly see him,
particularly as he twice dived almost below my station, and the
water was clear and smooth as glass.

I could not get a good shot at him for some time ; at last,
however, he put up his head at about fifteen or twenty yards dis-
tance from me ; and while he was intent on watching the boat,
which was hovering about waiting to see the result of my plan
of attack, I fired at him, sending the ball through his brain.
He instantly sank without a struggle, and a perfect torrent of
blood came up, making the water red for some feet round
the spot where he lay stretched out at the bottom. The
men immediately rowed up, and taking me into the boat, we
managed to bring him up with a boathook to the surface of the
water, and then, as he was too heavy to lift into the boat (his
weight being 378 Ibs.) we put a rope round his flippers, and
towed him ashore. A seal of this size is wortli some money, as,
independently of the value of his skin, the blubber (which lies
under the skin, like that of a whale) produces a large quantity
of excellent oil. This seal had been for several years the dread
of the fishermen at the stake-nets, and the head man at the place
was profuse in his thanks for the destruction of a beast upon
whom he had expended a most amazing quantity of lead. He
assured me that 1001. would not repay the damage the animal hail
done. Scarcely any two seals are exactly of the same colour or
marked quite alike, and seals, frequenting a particular part of the
coast, become easily known and distinguished from each other.

There is a certain part of the coast near the sand-hills where
I can generally get a shot at a seal. I have frequently killed
them, but seldom get the animal, as the water is deep at the
place and the current strong. The spot I allude to is where
the sea, at the rise of the tide, flows into a large basin through a
narrow channel, the deep part of which is not much more than a
hundred yards in width. If there are any seals hunting this part
of the coast, they come into this basin at every tide in search of
fish, or to rest in the quiet water. My plan is to be at the place

CHAP, xxix.] SHOOTING SEALS. 227

before the tide has begun to rise, and then, having made up a
breastwork of sand and weed, I wait for the appearance of the
seals, who frequently, before the tide has risen much, come
floating in, with their heads above the water. If they do not
perceive ray embankment, I am nearly certain of a shot, but if
they do, they generally keep over on the opposite side of the
channel, watching it so closely that on the least movement on
my part they instantly dive. So quick are their movements in
the water, that I find it impossible to strike a seal with ball if he
is watching me, for quick and certain as is a detonating gun,
they are still quicker, and dive before the ball can reach them.
As for a flint gun, it has not a chance with them. Within the
memory of some of the people here, seals were very numerous
about this part of the coast, and were constantly killed by the
farmers for the sake of their oil, and with no weapons except
their hoes or spades, with which they attacked them when lying
on the sand-banks. It is but seldom that I see them restino- on

O

the shore, but occasionally watch them in that situation, as they
either lay sleeping on the banks or play about, which, notwith-
standing their unwieldy appearance, they sometimes do. At
other times they engage in the most determined battles with each
other, fighting like bulldogs, and uttering loud mournful cries.
In waiting for seals, attention must be paid more to the state of
the tide than to the time of day, although certainly, like all wild
animals, they appear less on their guard at early dawn than at
any other hour. The seal generally takes the same course every
day at the same height of tide, and basks on the same rock or
sand bank during low-water. They show themselves much less
in cold and stormy weather than when it is warm and fine.
Knowing this, and having seen a seal show himself in a parti-
cular channel or basin of the sea, you may be nearly sure of
seeing him there the next day, about the same height of tide.

The young appear about July. When first born they are
nearly white, and the hair is rough and long: they gradually
become spotted and of a darker colour, like the old ones. The
very young ones that I have seen here were probably born about
the rocks and caves of the Ross-shire coast. Some rocks oH' the
coast near Gordonston were till very lately the constant resort
of seals, but owing to workmen having been employed there of

*

228 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xxix.

late years in building a lighthouse and other works, they very
seldom rest on them at present. They were also much fright-
ened by a plan for catching them adopted by some of the work-
men. Observing that the seals when disturbed tumbled off the
rocks in great confusion, two fellows, during low-water, fixed
firmly into the rock several strongly barbed iron hooks, with the
points turned upwards. This done, the first time that they saw
any great assemblage of seals basking on the rock, near their
hooks, they got into a boat and rowed quickly up to the place,
firing guns and making all the noise that they could. The poor
seals, in their hurry to escape, came tumbling over the side of
the rocks where the hooks were placed. Several were much torn
and wounded, and one was held till the men got up and dis-
patched him. This cruel proceeding had the effect of keeping
them from the place for a considerable time afterwards. Not-
withstanding the great timidity of the seals, they have immense
strength in their jaws, and, indeed, great muscular power in
every part of their body. A farmer near the coast here, seeing
several basking on the sand-banks, and not being possessed of a
gun, hit upon what seemed to him the capital plan of selling a
strong bulldog at them, hoping that the dog would hold one of
them till he could get up and kill it with his spade. The dog
reached the seals before they could get into the water, and
attacked one of the largest. The seal, however, with a single
bite completely smashed the head of the dog, and flinging him
to one side, scurried away into the water, leaving the farmer not
much inclined to attempt seal-hunting again.

My man, one day while we were waiting in our ambuscade for
the seals, gave me an account of a curious adventure he had with
one near the same spot a few years back.

lie was lying at daybreak ensconced close to the water's
edge, waiting in vain for a shot at some grey geese that fre-
quented the place at the time, when he saw a prodigiously large
seal floating quietly along with the tide, not thirty yards from
the shore. Donald did not disturb the animal, but went home
early in the day, and, having cast some bullets for his gun and
made other preparations, retired to rest. The next morning
he was again at the shore, well concealed, and expecting to see
the seal pass with the flowing tide ; nor was he disappointed.

CHAP, xxix.] ADVENTURE WITH A SEAL. 229

About the same period of the rise of the tide, th'e monster ap-
peared again. Donald cocked his gun, and crouched down
behind his ambuscade of seaweed and shingle, ready for the
animal's head to appear within shot. This soon happened, but
instead of swimming on with the tide, the seal came straight to
the shore, not above ten yards from where his mortal enemy was
lying concealed. The water was deep to the very edge, and the
great unwieldy beast clambered up the steep beach, and was very
soon high and dry, a few yards from the muzzle of Donald's gun,
which was immediately pointed at him, but from the position in
which the seal was lying he could not get a shot at the head, the
only part where a wound would prove immediately fatal. Donald
waited some time, in hopes that the animal would turn or lift
his head, but at last losing patience, he gave a low whistle,
which had the immediate effect of making the animal lift its
head to listen. The gun was immediately discharged, and the
ball passed through the seal's neck, close to the head. Up ran
Donald, and flinging down his gun, seized one of the immense
fins or flippers of the beast, which he could scarcely span with
both hands. The seal was bleeding like a pig at the throat, and
quite stunned at the same time, but though it did not struggle,
it showed a kind of inclination to move towards the water, which
obliged Donald to stick his heels into the ground, and to lean
back, holding on with all his strength to prevent the escape of
the enormous beast. " 'Deed, Sir," said Donald, " if you
believe me, he was as big as any Hieland stirk in the parish."
Well, there the two remained for above an hour — motionless,
but always straining against each other, Donald's object being
to keep the seal in the same place till the tide had receded to
some distance, and then to dispatch him how he best could.
Many a wistful glance he cast at his gun, which he had so rashly
flung clown without reloading; the said gun being, as he said,
" but a bit trifling single-barrelled thing, lent him by a shoe-
maker lad, who whiles took a shot along the shore" — in other
words, who poached more hares than he made shoes.

After they had remained in this uncomfortable position for a
long time, till Donald's hands had become perfectly cramped
and stiff, the seal suddenly seemed to recover himself, and turning
round to see what was holding him, looked the man full in the

230 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xxix.

face, with a bewildered air of astonishment ; tl.en seeing what
kind of enemy he had to deal with, he gave a tremendous shake,
casting Donald off like a " bit rag," as he expressed it, and
leaving him prostrate in the pool of blood that had come out of
the bullet-hole, moved slowly into the water, and quietly went
down to the bottom. Donald, in utter disgust and wretchedness
at losing his prize, walked straight home, and went to bed to
sleep off his disappointment. The next morning, however, on
considering over the matter, he came to the conclusion that the
seal must be dead, and would probably, as the tide ebbed, be
grounded on one of the adjacent sand-banks ; so lie returned to
the bay at low-water, and the first thing he saw was his seal
lying dead on a sand-bank, and looking like a coble keel upper-
most. And a perfect argosy did it turn out, producing more
pints of oil and a larger skin than ever seal produced before or
since.

I have seen these animals caught by placing a strong net,
made for the purpose, across a deep and narrow channel through
which they escaped when frightened off a sand-bank, where
they were in the habit of resting at low-water. We quietly laid
the net down, fixing it at each end with an anchor; we then
rowed round to the bank, and away went the seals, splattering
over the wet sands into the channel ; we came after them as hard
as we could row. At first, when they struck the net, some
turned back, but frightened on by our shouts, they made a rush
at the net. We got to one end of it, cetached the anchor, and
began to haul it round, so as to enclose the seals ; then began a
noise and clamour which sui passed anything of the kind I ever
heard — the seals splashing and snorting like drowning horses,
while we were all straining every nerve to row round the boat,
with the weight and struggles of seventeen seals, large and small,
against us ; my crew of six Highlanders, shouting, cursing and
swearing, and encouraging each other in Gaelic — presently a
more furious shout from the leader of the crew announced that
something unexpected had happened, and looking round, we saw
that thirteen of the seals had escaped, partly by jumping over the
net, and partly by breaking through a weak part of it. One
very large seal, who we afterwards found had left her young one
within the net, returned in her maternal fondness to rescue it ;

CHAP, xxix.] SEAL IN A BOAT. 231

she swam round, and finding her offspring in tlie midst of all the
confusion, swam away again from the net, leading the way for
the little one to escape also. I snatched up my gun and fired,
killing her on the spot, so that she fell back into the net, and we
managed to land her, and the other four, and dispatched them,
despite their struggles, to the great joy of the salmon-fishers of
the Cromarty Firth. At another time, several years ago, I was put
into rather a dilemma by one of these animals : we had shot a three-
parts grown seal, as she was asleep on an isolated rock. Having
got her into our very frail and crazy boat, we proceeded towards
the land in high spirits, but before we were half-way across, our
seal, who had only been stunned, the shot having merely grazed
her head, came to life, and finding herself in so unwonted a po-
sition, commenced an indiscriminate attack on everything in her
way ; our legs being more so than anything else, we had to
throw our feet up on the gunwale of the boat, and dispatch her
how we could, as she was tearing away, with immense strength,
at the woodwork within her reach, and we expected that she
would have made a hole in the bottom of the boat. We managed,
however, with some difficulty to stun her again, with the handle
of an oar, and got safe to land with our prize, the first of the
kind I had ever captured.

232 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xxx.

CHAPTER XXX.

Fox-hunting in the Highlands.

I HAVE very little to say on this most momentous of all sporting
subjects ; and that little will, I fear, be sadly

" Unmusical to Melton ears,
And harsh in sound to Quorne."

But what are a set of poor fellows like us to do. living here
amongst mountains, and ravines, and torrents, and deep water-
courses, and morasses, against none of which the best horse that
ever put foot on turf could contend for five minutes? It took
me, I must confess, some time before I could get over all the
finer tone of my Leicestershire feelings ; and I have no doubt
that I blushed a perfect scarlet the first time that I doubled up
a fox with a rifle-ball ; but now, rendered callous by use and
necessity, I can do execution upon him without a pang.

In Scotland the fox holds the first place among " vermin.'' I
do not think that a mountain-fox would live long before a pack
of regular fox-hounds, but in his own country he is well able to
take care of himself. He is a handsome powerful fellow ; and in
size and strength more like a wolf than a Lowland fox, and well
he may be, since his food consists of mutton and lamb, grouse
and venison. His stronghold is under some huge cairn, or among
the fragments that strew the bottom of some rocky precipice,
perhaps three thousand feet above the sea. In those mountain
solitudes he does not confine his depredations to the night ; I
have often encountered him in broad daylight ; and through my
deer-glass have watched his manner of hunting the ptarmigan,
which is not so neat, but appears quite as successful, as the tac-
tics of the cut. By an unobservant eye, the track of a fox is
easily mistaken for that of a dog. The print is somewhat
rounder, but the chief difference is the superior neatness of the
impression, and the exactness of the steps, the hind-foot just co-

CHAP, xxx.] FOX-HUNTING. 233

vering the print of the fore-foot. The fox makes free with a
great variety of game, and the demands of his nursery require a
plentiful supply. In the hills he lives on lambs, sheep, grouse,
and ptarmigan ; in the low country, the staple of his prey is rab-
bits, where these are plentiful ; but nothing comes amiss to him,
from the field-mouse upwards. The most wary birds, the wood-
pigeon and the wild duck, do not escape him, and he destroys a
considerable number of the young of the roe. The honey of the wild
bee is one of his favourite delicacies ; and vermin-trappers have
found no bait more effective to lure him than a piece of honey-
comb. His nose is very fine, and he detects the taint of human
footstep or hand, for days after it has been communicated. Se-
veral ways are tried for evading his suspicions. Some trappers
place three or four traps in a circle, and leave them well covered
for some days without any bait ; and at the end of that time,
when all taint must have left the traps, they place a bait in the
centre. Another way is to place the traps in shallow water, and
a bait on some bank where he cannot reach it without running a
good chance of treading on them. Even when the enemy is in
the trap, the victory is not won : and if he escapes, whether
whole or maimed, after being trapped, he is too well warned ever
to be caught again. Altogether, trapping has never been very
successfully practised against the fox in the Highlands, and the
old native practice of " fox-hunting," as the professional mode of
killing them is called here, is still much preferred.

Of all ways of earning a livelihood, perhaps there is none that
requires a greater degree of hardihood and acuteness than the
trade of a vermin-killer in the Highlands — meaning by " vermin,'
not magpies, crows, and "such small deer," but the stronger and
wilder carnivorous natives of the mountain and forest— the
enemies of the sheep and lambs. In the Highlands he is ho-
noured with the title of "The Fox-hunter;" but the Highland
fox-hunter leads a very different life, and heads a very different
establishment, from him of Leicestershire. When you first
come upon him in some wild glen, you are somewhat startled at
his appearance and bearing. He is generally a wiry active man,
past middle age, slung round with pouches and belts for carrying
the implements of his trade ; he wears a huge cap of badger-skin,
and carries an old-fashioned long-barrelled fowling-piece. At

234 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xxx.

his feet follow two or three couple of strong gaunt slow-hounds,
a brace of greyhounds, rough, and with a good dash of the
lurcher, and a miscellaneous tail of terriers of every degree.

A short time ago the foxes having made too free with the
lambs, the sheep-farmer of the glen summoned the fox-hunter to
his assistance, and I joined him witli my rifle. Before daylight,
the fox-hunter and myself, with two shepherds, and the usual
following of dogs, were on the ground, and drew some small
hanging birch-woods near the scene of the latest depredations.
"While the whole pack of dogs were amusing themselves with a
marten-cat in the wood, we found a fresh fox-track on the river
bank below it, and after considering its direction leisurely, the
fox-hunter formed his plans. The hounds were coupled up, and
left to the charge of the two shepherds, whilst we started with
our guns for a steep corrie, where he expected we could com-
mand the passes. It was a good hour and half of a jog-trot,
which seemed a familiar pace to my companion. We at length
turned off the great glen, and proceeded up a small, rapid, rocky
burn, tracing it to where it issued through a narrow fissure in
the rocks, down which the water ran like a mill-race. Scram-
bling up to the head of the ravine, we found ourselves in the
corrie, a magnificent amphitheatre of precipitous grey rocks.
The fox's favourite earth was known to be far up on the cliff,
and as only two passes could easily lead to it, we endeavoured to
command them both. My station was high up, on a dizzy enough
crag, which commanded one of the passes for a considerable
way, and sufficiently screened me from all the lower part of the
corrie. Having with some difficulty got to my place, and ar-
ranged the best vista I could command whilst keeping myself
unseen, I had a few minutes to admire the wild scene below me.
It was a narrow corrie, witli a small clear stream twisting and
shining through an endless confusion of rugged grey rocks.

I had not been placed many minutes when a deep bay reached
me through the clear morning air. 1 listened with eagerness ;
and soon heard the whole pack in full cry, though at a great
distance, and apparently not coming quite in our direction.
While watching, however, the different entries to the corrie, I
saw a fox come leisurely down a steep slope of loose stones,
towards where the fox-hunter was concealed. Presently he

CUAP. xxx.] FOX-HUNTING. 235

stopped, and quietly sitting; down, appeared to listen for the dogs ;
and, not hearing- their cry come nearer, he came quietly and lei-
surely along, till he reached the track w here we had crossed the
corrie ; when, cautiously stopping with his nose to the ground,
he changed his careless manner of running to a quick canter,
halting now and then, and snuffing the air, to find out where the
enemy was concealed. Just then, too, the hounds appeared to
have turned to our direction, and another fox came in view, en-
tering the corrie to my right hand at a great pace, and making
directly towards me, though still at a mile's distance. The first
fox had approached within sixty or seventy yards of the fox-
hunter, when I saw a small stream of smoke issue from the rocks,
and the fox staggered a little, and then I heard the report of the
gun. The foxes both rushed down the hill again, away from us,
one evidently wounded ; when, the echo of the shot sounding in
every direction, first on one side of the conie, then on another,
and then apparently on every side at once, fairly puzzled the
poor animals. The wounded fox turned back again, and ran
straight towards where the fox-hunter was, while the other came
towards me. He was within shot, and I was only waiting till he
got to an open bit of ground, over which I saw he must pass,
when the hounds appeared in full cry at the mouth of the corrie
by which he had entered. Reynard stopped to look ; and
stretching up his head and neck to do so, gave* me a fair shot at
about sixty yards off. The next moment he was stretched dead,
with my ball through him ; while the other, quite bewildered,
ran almost between the legs of my fellow-chasseur, and then
turned back towards the dogs ; who, meeting him full in
the face, wounded as he was, soon caught and slew him. In a
short time the whole of our troops, dogs, shepherds, and all were
collected ; and great were the rejoicings over the fallen foe. I
must say, that though our game was ignoble, the novelty of the
proceeding*, and the wildness and magnificence of the scenery,
had kept m<> both amused and interested. I forget the name of
the coi He : it was some unpronounceable Gaelic word, signifying
the " Coirie of the Echo."

236 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP, xrcxr.

CHAPTER XXXI.

The Badger: Antiquity of ; Cleanliness; Abode of ; Food; Family of —
Trapping Badgers — Anecdotes — Escape of Badger — Anecdotes — Strength
of — Cruelty to.

AMONGST the aboriginal inhabitants of our wilder districts, who
are likely to be soon extirpated, we may reckon that ancient,
peaceable, and respectable quadruped, the badger; of an ancient
family he certainly is — the fossil remains which have been
found, prove his race to have been co-existent with that of the
mammoths and megatheriums which once wandered over our
islands. Though the elk arid beaver have long since ceased to
exist amongst us, our friend the brock still continues to burrow
in the solitary and unfrequent recesses of our larger woods. Per-
severing and enduring in his every-day life, he appears to have
been equally so, in clinging to existence during the numerous
changes which have passed over the face of the globe since the
first introduction of his family into it. Notwithstanding the per-
secutions and indignities that he is unjustly doomed to suffer, I
maintain that he is far more respectable in his habits than we
generally consider him to be. " Dirty as a badger," " stinking
as a badger," are two sayings often repeated, but quite inappli-
cable to him. As far as we can learn of the domestic economy
of this animal when in a state of nature, he is remarkable for
his cleanliness — his extensive burrows are always kept perfectly
clean, and free from all offensive smell ; no filth is ever found
about his abode ; everything likely to offend his olfactory nerves
is carefully removed. I, once, in the north of Scotland, fell in
with a perfect colony of badgers; they had taken up their abode
in an unfrequented range of wooded rocks, and appeared to have
been little interrupted in their possession of them. The foot-
paths to and from their numerous holes were beaten quite hard ;
and what is remarkable arrtfworthy of note, they had different
small pits dug at a certain distance from their abodes, which were

CHAP, xxxi.] BADGERS. 237

evidently used as receptacles for all offensive filth ; every other
part of their colony was perfectly clean/ A solitary badger's
hole, which I once had dug out, during the winter season, pre-
sented a curious picture of his domestic and military arrange-
ments—a hard and long job it was for two men to achieve, the
passage here and there turned in a sharp angle round some pro-
jecting corners of rock, which he evidently make* use of when
attacked, as points of defence, making a stand at any of these
angles, where a dog could not scratch to enlarge the aperture,
and fighting from behind his stone buttress. After tracing out a
long winding passage, the workmen ramie to two branches in the
hole, each leading to good-sized chambers : in one of these was
stored a considerable quantity of dried grass, rolled up into balls
as large as a man's fist, and evidently intended for food ; in the
other chamber there was a bed of soft dry grass and leaves — the
sole inhabitant was a peculiarly large old dog-badger. Besides
coarse grasses, their food consists of various roots ; amongst
others, I have frequently found about their hole the bulb of the
common wild blue hyacinth. Fruit of all kinds and esculent
vegetables form his repast, and I fear that he must plead guilty
to devouring any small animal that may come in his way, alive
or dead ; though, not being adapted for the chace, or even for
any very skilful strategy of war, I do not suppose that he can do
much in catching an unwounded bird or beast. Eggs are his
delight, and a partridge's nest with seventeen or eighteen eggs
must afford him a fine meal, particularly if he can surprise and
kill the hen-bird also; snails and worms which he finds above
ground during his nocturnal rambles are likewise included in
his bill of fare. I was one summer evening walking home
from fishing in Loch Ness, and having occasion to fasten up some
part of my tackle, and also expecting to meet my keeper, I sat
down on the shore of the loch. I remained some time, enjoying
the lovely prospect : the perfectly clear and unruffled loch lay
before me, reflecting the northern shore in its quiet water. The
opposite banks consisted, in some parts, of bright green sward,
sloping to the water's edge, and studded with some of the most
beautiful birch-trees in Scotland ; several of the trees spreading
out like the oak, and with their ragged and ancient-looking bark
resembling the cork-tree of Spain — others drooping and weeping

238 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xxxi.

over the edge of the water in the most lady-like and elegant
manner. Parts of the loch were edged in by old lichen-covered
rocks ; while farther on a magnificent scaur of re4 stone rose
perpendicularly from the water's edge to a very great height.
So clearly was every object on the opposite shore reflected in
the lake below, that it was difficult, nay impossible, to dis-
tinguish where the water ended and the land commenced — the
shadow from the reality. The sun was already set, but its rays
still illuminated the sky. It is said that from the sublime
to the ridiculous there is but one step ; — and I was just
then startled from my reverie by a kind of grunt close to me,
and the apparition of a small waddling grey animal, who was
busily employed in hunting about the grass and stones at the
edge of the loch ; presently another, and another, appeared in a
little grassy glade which ran down to the water's edge, till at
last I saw seven of them busily at work within a few yards of me,
all coming from one direction. It at first struck me that they
were some farmer's pigs taking a distant ramble, but I shortly
saw that they were badgers, come from their fastnesses rather
earlier than usual, tempted by the quiet evening, and by a heavy
summer shower that was just over, and which had brought out
an infinity of large black snails and worms, on which the badgers
were feeding with good appetite. As I was dressed in grey and
sitting on a grey rock, they did not see me, but waddled about,
sometimes close to me ; only now and then as they crossed my
track they showed a slight uneasiness, smelling the ground, and
grunting gently. Presently a very large one, which I took to be
the mother of the rest, stood motionless for a moment listening
with great attention, and then giving a loud grunt, which
seemed perfectly understood by the others, she scuttled away,
followed by the whole lot. 1 was soon joined by my attendant,
whose approach they had heard long before my less acute ears
gave me warning of his coming. In trapping other vermin in
these woods, we constantly caught badgers — sometimes several
were found in the traps ; I always regretted this, as my keeper
was most unwilling to spare their lives, and I fancy seldom did so.
His arguments were tolerably cogent, I must confess. When I
tried to persuade him that they were quite harmless, he answered
me by asking — " Then why, Sir, have they got such teeth, if they

CHAP, xxxi.] TRAPPING BADGERS. 239

don't live, like a dog or fox, on flesh ? — and why do they get
caught so often in traps baited with rabbits ?" I could not but
admit that they had most carnivorous-looking teeth, and well
adapted to act on the offensive as well as defensive, or to crunch
the bones of any young hare, rabbit, or pheasant that came in
their way. When caught in traps, they never left part of their
foot behind them and so escaped, as foxes and other vermin fre-
quently do ; but they display very great strength and dexterity
in drawing up the peg of the trap, and this done, they will carry
off" the heaviest trap to an amazing distance, over rock or heather.
They never attempt to enter their hole with a trap dangling to
their foot, but generally lay up in some furze-bush or thicket ;
on these occasions we invariably found them, by tracking them
witli a dog who generally attended the trapper, and which dog
was peculiarly skilful in tracking animals of this kind. Rover
(for that was his name), a strong water-spaniel, was very fond
of, and took great interest in, trapping ; if he accompanied the
keeper when placing his traps overnight, he would often start
alone in the morning to take a survey of them, and either kill
any animal he found captive, or, if he was not very confident of
being the strongest, he would return impatiently for the man,
and, running before him, point out plainly where every head of
vermin was caught. As for getting into a trap himself, he was
far too cunning, but always halting a few yards to leeward of
them, and sniffing the air, would at once know if anything was
caught. If a cat, marten-cat, or any smaller animal was there,
he at once rushed in and killed it ; but he waited for the assist-
ance of his friend the keeper to dispatch any larger animal.

To return to the badger, and his food. One of his most fa-
vourite repasts is the contents of the nest of the wasp or wild
bee, great numbers of which he must destroy. However far under
ground the hive may be, and in however strong and difficult a
situation, he digs them np, and, depending on his rough coat and
long hair as a protection from their stings, devours comb,
larva?, honey, and insects. Many a wasps' nest I have found
dug up in this way, and often far from the badger's usual abode ;
but the tracks of the animal always made it evident who had
been the robber.

The badger is easily tamed, and will (if taken young and well

240 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xxxi.

used) become much attached to his master. When first caught,
their efforts to escape show a degree of strength and ingenuity
which is quite wonderful, digging and tearing at their prison
with the strength of a rhinoceros. When first imprisoned, if
looked at, he immediately rolls himself up into a ball and remains
quite motionless. As soon as the coast is clear again, he con-
tinues his attempts to escape ; but if unsuccessful, he soon becomes
contented in his confinement. I one day found a badger not
much hurt in a trap. Tying a rope to his hind leg, I drove him
home before me, as a man drives a pig, but with much less
trouble, for he made no attempts at escape, but trotted quietly
ahead, only occasionally showing a natural inclination to bolt off
the main path>whenever he passed any diverging road, all of
which were probably familiar haunts of the unlucky beast.
When at home I put him into a paved court, where I thought he
could not possibly escape. The next morning, however, he was
gone ; having displaced a stone that I thought him quite inca-
pable of moving, and then digging under the wall, he got away.
The badger always puts me in mind of a miniature bear, and
to this family he evidently belongs. His proportions are similar
to those of the bear ; his manner of placing his feet on the
ground is like that of a bear, and is very peculiar. Beyond the
marks of his toes, which, five in number, mark the ground in
nearly a straight line, are the impressions of his strong, sharp
nails, apparently unconnected with, and at the distance of an
inch or two from the rest of his track. These long and powerful
nails are a formidable weapon, and in engagements with dogs he
makes good use of them, inflicting fearful and sometimes fatal
wounds. Though a quiet animal, and generally speaking not
much given to wandering, I have occasionally fallen in with his
unmistakeable track miles from any burrow. His habits are
wholly nocturnal, and it is only in the summer evenings, when
the darkness lasts but a few hours, that he is ever met with
whilst it is light. During winter he not only keeps entirely
within his hole, but fills up the mouth of it to exclude the cold
and any troublesome visitor who might intrude on his slumbers.
Frequently, however, tempted by mild weather in the winter, he
comes out for some good purpose of his own — either to enjoy
the fresh air or to add to his larder; but never does he venture

CHAP, xxxi.] SAGACITY OF BADGERS. 241

out in frost or snow. Sometimes I have known a badger leave
the solitude of the woods and take to some drain in the culti-
vated country, where he becomes very bold and destructive to
the crops, cutting down wheat and ravaging the gardens in a
surprising manner. One which I know to be now living in this
manner derives great part of his food during the spring from a
rookery, under which he nightly hunts, feeding on the young
rooks that fall from their nests or on the old ones that are shot.
This badger eludes every attempt to trap him. Having more
than once ran narrow risks of this nature, he has become so cun-
ning that no one can catch him. If a dozen baited traps are
set, he manages to carry off the baits and spring every trap,
always witli total impunity to himself. At one time he was
watched out to some distance from his drain, and traps were then
put in all directions round it, but, by jumping over some and
rolling over others, he escaped all. In fact, though a despised
and maltreated animal, when he has once acquired a certain
experience in worldly matters, few beasts show more address and
cunning in keeping out of scrapes. Though eaten in France,
Germany, and other countries, and pronounced to make excel-
lent hams, we in Britain despise him as food, though I see no
reason why he should not be quite as good as any pork.

The badger becomes immensely fat. Though not a great,
eater, his quiet habits and his being a great sleeper prevent liis
being lean.

The immense muscular power that he has in his chest and legs
enables him to dig with great rapidity, while his powerful jaws
(powerful, indeed, beyond any other animal of his size) enable
him to tear away any obstacle in the shape of roots. &c. that lit-
meets with. lie can also stand with perfect impunity a blow on
his forehead which would split the frontal bone of an ox. Thi.s
is owing to its great thickness, and also to the extra protection
of a strong ridge or keel which runs down the middle of his
head. .V comparatively slight blow on the back of his head kills
him. In his natural state he is more thai) a match for any
animal that would be inclined to molest him, and can generally
keep at bay any dog small enough to enter his hole. Lighting
at advantage from behind some stone or root, he gives the most
fearful bites and scratches, while the dog lias nothing within his

it

242 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP, xxxi

reach to attack save the badger's formidable array of teeth and
claws.

Though nearly extinct as one of ihefera natures of England,
the extensive woods and tracts of rocks in the north of Scotland
will, I hope, prevent the badger's becoming, like the beaver and
other animals, wholly a creature of history, and existing only in
record. Much should I regret that this respectable representa-
tive of so ancient a family, the comrade of mammoths and other
wonders of the antediluvian world, should become quite extir-
pated. Living, too, in remote and uncultivated districts, he
very seldom commits any depredations deserving of death or
persecution, but subsists on the wild succulent grasses and roots,
and the snails and reptiles which he finds in the forest glades,
or, on rare occasions, makes capture of young game or wounded
rabbits or hares, but I do not believe that he does or can hunt
down any game that would not otherwise fall a prey to crow or
weasel, or which has the full use of its limbs. It is only wounded
and injured animals that he can catch.

It is difficult to understand how any person who is not lost to
every sense of humanity and shame can take delight in the
cowardly and brutal amusement of badger-baiting — instead of
amusement, I should have said, the disgusting exhibition of a
peaceable and harmless animal worried by fierce and powerful
dogs. The poor badger, too, has probably been kept for a
length of time in a confined and close hutch, thereby losing half
his energy and strength ; while the dogs, trained to the work and
in full vigour of wind and limb, attack him in the most tender
and vulnerable parts. Truly, I always feel a wish to make the
badger and his keeper change places for a few rounds. Not that
I would pay the former so bad a compliment as to suppose that
he would take delight in tormenting even so great a brute as his
gaoler must be.

CHAP, xxxn.] DEER-STALKING. 243

CHAPTER XXXII.

Autumn Day on the Mountain — Stags and Hinds — A Bivouac — Death of

the Stag.

IN the same ratio that steam-boats, railways, coaches, and every
other kind of conveyance were crowded in the months of July
and August with men, dogs, and guns, all travelling northwards,
every road is now occupied by travellers to the south ; for the
cold blasts of the mountain, and the uncertain state of the
weather, in the Highlands, drive most of our English sportsmen
back again to the more solid comforts of their own homes.
Nevertheless, there is, perhaps, more variety of sport, and more
objects of interest to the hunter and naturalist, to be met with
during the autumn and winter months in the northern parts of
Scotland than during any other season of the year. And, as
for weather, after the first burst of the equinoctial winds and
rains, the climate is as good as in any part of Great Britain.
The fine clear bracing frosts of the autumn are nowhere to be
felt with greater enjoyment than on the mountains. It is not,
indeed, quite so desirable to bivouac out, " sub Jove frigido," in
the month of October or November, with no covering but a
plaid and a heap of .heather, as it is in July or August; still I
have done so, and been none the worse for it.

Some years back I remember sleeping under a rock in the
beginning of October with much satisfaction, and no ill conse-
quences to myself.

The red deer had just commenced what is called by the High-
landers roaring, t. e. uttering their loud cries of defiance to rival
stags, and of warning to their rival mistresses.

There had been seen, and reported to me, a particularly large
and fine antlered stag, whose branching honours I wished to
transfer from the mountain side to the walls of my own hall.
Donald and myself accordingly, one fine morning, early in

R 2

244 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CUAP. xxxii.

October, started before daybreak for a distant part of the moun-
tain, where we expected to find him ; and we resolved to pass the
night at a shepherd's house far up in the hills, if we found that
our chace led us too far from home to return the same evening.

Long was our walk that day before we saw horn or hoof;
many a likely burn and corrie did we search in vain. The
shepherds had been scouring the hills the day before for their
sheep, to divide those which were to winter in the low ground from
those which were to remain on the hills. However, the day was
fine and frosty, and we were in the midst of some of the most
magnificent scenery in Scotland ; so that I, at least, was not
much distressed at our want of luck. Poor Donald, who had
not the same enjoyment in the beauty of the scene, unless it were
enlivened by a herd of deer here and there, began to grumble
and lament our hard fate ; particularly as towards evening wild
masses of cloud began to sweep up the glens and along the sides
of the mountain, and every now and then a storm of cold rain
and sleet added to the discomfort of our position. There was,
however, something so very desolate and wild in the scene and the
day, that, wrapt in my plaid, I stalked slowly on enjoying the
whole thing as much as if the elements had been in better temper,
and the Goddess of Hunting propitious.

We came in the afternoon to a rocky burn, along the course
of which was our line of march. To the left rose an interminable-
looking mountain, over the sides of which were scattered a wil-
derness of grey rock and stone, sometimes forming immense pre-
cipices, and in other places degenerating into large tracts of
loose and water-worn grey shingle, apparently collected and
heaped together by the winter floods. Great masses of rock
were scattered about, resting on their angles, and looking as if
the wind, which was blowing a perfect gale, would hurl them
down on us.

Amongst all this dreary waste of rock and stone, there were
large patches of bright green pasture, and rushes on the level
spots, formed by the damming up of the springs and mountain
streams.

Stretching away to our right was a great expanse of brown
heather and swampy ground, dotted with innumerable pools of
black-looking water. The hori/ou on every side was shut out

CHAP, xxxii.] HIGHLAND SCENERY. 245

by the approaching masses of rain and drift. The clouds closed
round us, and the rain began to fall in straight hard torrents ;
at the same time, however, completely allaying the wind.

" Well, well," said Donald, " I just dinna ken what to do."
Even I began to think that we might as well have remained at
home ; but, putting the best face on the matter, we got under
a projecting bank of the burn, and took out our provision of oat-
cake and cold grouse, and having demolished that, and made a
considerable vacuum in the whisky flask, I lit my cigar, and
meditated on the vanity of human pursuits in general, and of
deer-stalking in particular, while dreamy visions of balls, operas,
and the last pair of blue eyes that I had sworn everlasting alle-
giance to, passed before me.

Donald was employed in the more useful employment of
bobbing for burn trout with a line and hook he had produced
out of his bonnet — that wonderful blue bonnet, which, like the
bag in the fairy tale, contains anything and everything which is
required at a moment's notice. His bait was the worms which
in a somewliat sulky mood he kicked out of their damp homes
about the edge of the burn. Presently the ring-ousel began to
whistle on the hill side, and the cock grouse to crow in the valley
below us. Roused by these omens of better weather, I looked
out from our shelter, and saw the face of the sun struggling to
show itself through the masses of cloud, while the rain fell in
larger but more scattered drops. In a quarter of an hour the
clouds were rapidly disappearing, and the face of the hill as
quickly opening to our view. We remained under shelter a few
minutes longer, when suddenly, as if by magic, or like the lifting
of the curtain at a theatre, the whole hill was perfectly clear
from clouds, and looked more bright and splendidly beautiful than
anything I had ever seen. No symptoms were left of the rain,
excepting the drops on the heather, which shone like diamonds
in the evening sun. The masses of rock came out in every
degree of light and shade, from dazzling white to the darkest
purple, streaked here and there with the overpou rings of the
swollen rills and springs, which danced and leapt from rock to
rock, and from crag to crag, looking like streams of silver.

" How beautiful !" was botli my inward and outward exclama-
tion. " Deed it 's not just so doui as it was," said Donald ;

246 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xxxn.

" but, the Lord guide us ! look at yon," he continued, fixing his
eye on a distant slope, at the same time slowly winding up his
line and pouching his trout, of which he had caught a goodly
number. " Tak your perspective, Sir, and look there," he
added, pointing with jiis chin. I accordingly took my perspec-
tive, as he always called my pocket-telescope, and saw a long
line of deer winding from amongst the broken granite in single
file down towards us. They kept advancing one after the other,
and had a most singular appearance as their line followed the
undulations of the ground. They came slowly on, to the num-
ber of more than sixty (all hinds, not a horn amongst them),
till they arrived at a piece of table-land four or five hundred
yards from us, when they spread about to feed, occasionally
shaking off the rain-drops from their hides, much in the same
manner as a dog does on coming out of the water.

" They are no that canny," said Donald. " Nous verrons"
said I. " What 's your wull ?" was his answer ; " I 'm no un-
derstanding Latin, though my wife has a cousin who is a placed
minister." " Why, Donald, I meant to say that we shall soon
see whether they are canny or not : a rifle-ball is a sure remedy
for all witchcraft." Certainly there was something rather
startling in the way they all suddenly appeared as it were from
the bowels of the mountain, and the deliberate, unconcerned
manner in which they set to work feeding like so many tame
cattle.

We had but a short distance to stalk. I kept the course
of a small stream which led through the middle of the herd ;
Donald followed me with my gun. We crept up till we reckoned
that we must be within an easy shot, and then, looking most
cautiously through the crevices and cuts in the bank, I saw that
we were in the very centre of the herd : many of the deer were
within twenty or thirty yards, and all feeding quickly and un-
conscious of any danger. Amongst the nearest to me was a
remarkably large hind, which we had before observed as being
the leader and biggest of the herd. I made a sign to Donald
that I would shoot her, and left him to take what he liked of
the flock after I fired.

Taking a deliberate and cool aim at her shoulder, I pulled the
trigger; but, alas! the wet had got between the cap and nipple-

CHAP, xxxii.] BELLOWING OF STAGS. 247

end. All that followed was a harmless snap : the deer heard it,
and starting from their food rushed together in a confused heap
as if to give Donald a fair chance at the entire flock, a kind of
shot he rather rejoiced in. Before I could get a dry cap on my
gun, snap, snap, went both his barrels ; and when I looked up,
it was but to see the whole herd quietly trotting up the hill, out
of shot, but apparently not very much frightened, as they had
not seen us, or found out exactly where the sound came from.
" We are just twa fules, begging your honour's pardon, and only
fit to weave hose by the ingle," said Donald. I could not con-
tradict him. The mischief was done ; so we had nothing for it
but to wipe out our guns as well as we could and proceed on our
wandering. We followed the probable line of the deer's march,
and before night saw them in a distant valley feeding again
quite unconcernedly.

" Hark ! what is that ?" said I, as a hollow roar like an angry
bull was heard not far from us. " Kep down, kep down," said
Donald, suiting the action to the word, and pressing me down
with his hand ; " it 's just a big staig." All the hinds looked up,
and, following the direction of their heads, we saw an immense
hart coming over the brow of the hill three hundred yards from
us. He might easily have seen us, but seemed too intent on the
hinds to think of anything else. On tiie height of the hill he
halted, and stretching out his neck and lowering his head, bel-
lowod again. He then rushed down the hill like a mad beast :
when half way down he was answered from a distance by another
stag. He instantly halted, and looking in that direction roared
repeatedly, while we could see in the evening air, which had
become cold and frosty, his breath coming out of his nostrils
like smoke. Presently he was answered by another and another
stag, and the whole distance seemed alive with them. A more
unearthly noise I never heard, as it echoed and re-echoed through
the rocky glens that surrounded us.

The setting sun threw a strong light on the first comer, cast-
ing a kind of yellow glare on his horns and head, while hi* body
was in deep shade, giving him a most singular appearance, par-
ticularly when combined with his hoarse and strange bellowing.
As the evening closed in, their cries became almost incessant,

248 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xxxn.

while here and there we heard the clash of horns as two rival
stags met and fought a few rounds together. None, however,
seemed inclined to try their strength with the large hart who
had first appeared. The last time we saw him, in the gloom of
the evening, he was rolling in a small pool of water, writh
several of the hinds standing quietly round him, while the
smaller stags kept passing to and fro near the hinds, but afraid
to approach too close to their watchful rival, who was always
ready to jump up and dash at any of them who ventured within
a certain distance of his seraglio. " Donald," I whispered, " I
would not have lost this sight for a hundred pounds." " Deed,
no, its grand," said he. " In all my travels on the hill I never
saw the like." Indeed it is very seldom that chances combine
to enable a deer-stalker to quietly look on at such a strange
meeting of deer as we had witnessed that evening. But night
was coming on, and though the moon was clear and full, we did
not like to start off" for the shepherd's house, through the swamps
and swollen burns among which we should have had to pass, nor
did we forget that our road would be through the valley where
all this congregation of deer were. So after consulting, we
turned off to leeward to bivouac amongst the rocks at the back
of the hill, at a sufficient distance from the deer not to disturb
them by our necessary occupation of cooking the trout, which
our evening meal was to consist of. Having hunted out some
of the driest of the fir-roots which were in abundance near us,
we soon made a bright fire out of view of the deer, and after
eating some fish arid drying our clothes pretty well, we found a
snug corner in the rocks, where, wrapped up in our plaids and
covered with heather, we arranged ourselves to sleep.

Several times during the night I got up and listened to the
wild bellowing of the deer : sometimes it sounded close to us,
and at other times far away. To an unaccustomed ear it might
easily have passed for the roaring of a host of much more dan-
gerous wild beasts, so loud and hollow did it sound. I awoke
in the morning cold and stiff, but soon put my blood into circu-
lation by running two or three times up and down a steep bit of
the hill. As for Donald, he shook himself, took a pinch of
snuff, and was all right. The sun was not yet above the horizon,

CHAP, xxxii.] STAG AND HINDS. 249

though the tops of the mountains to the west were already
brightly gilt by its rays, and the grouse cocks were answering
each other in every direction.

Having discharged our guns, which we did close to a steep and
very noisy cascade in the burn, so that the report could scarcely
be heard beyond the place we were in, we dried the locks as well
as we could, and after a meagre breakfast on the remains of the
trout and some very wretched remnants of oatcake, we proceeded
on our journey. The deer had moved from the valley where we
had left them the previous evening ; but Donald, who knew
every mountain and glen in the country, having ascertained
exactly the way the wind came from, led me off in an easterly
direction. The sun was well up when we came towards the
summit of a hill from which he expected to see the herd, and his
anticipations proved to be correct ; on looking carefully down into
the extended valley below us, we saw the whole of them. They
had apparently finished feeding, and were retiring to rest on a
hill side which faced the morning sun ; the hinds were in a com-
pact body, while the largest hart kept a little to their rear, and
constantly employed himself in keeping off a number of smaller
stags who were moving about ; occasionally one of these would
make an impatient rush into the centre of the herd of hinds, but
was as quickly driven out by the large stag, who then returned to
his post in the rear. When they had ascended to near the
summit, the hinds began to drop one by one into the long heather,
until they were all lying down, with the exception of five or six
who kept constantly fidgeting about, turning their long ears and
snuffing the air in all directions. The old stag walked quietly
about, going round and round the herd; now and then lying
down for a few moments, and then rising again, to see that no
other stag intruded too near. The smaller stags kept continually
circling round the whole herd ; occasionally two of these young-
sters would meet, but after a few tilts at each other, separated
again and continued their watchful march. I saw no chance of
getting near the big-antlered leader, though one of the smaller
stags could easily have been shot. After consulting with Donald,
I sent him to make a large circuit, and when he got quite round
them he was to show himself in the distance to the deer. We
reckoned on their leaving the glen by a particular pass, close to

250 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xxxn.

which I stationed myself. I kept both gun and rifle with me.
From my position, though I could not see Donald, I had a good
view of the deer. After waiting for nearly an hour, I saw one
of the smaller stags suddenly stop in his rounds, and having gazed
for a moment or two in the direction in which I knew Donald
was, he trotted nearer to the hinds, still, however, halting occa-
sionally, and turning an anxious glance down the valley. I saw
by his manner that he had not quite made up his mind as to whe-
ther there was an enemy at hand ; not having got the wind of
Donald, but probably having caught a glimpse of some part of
his cap or dress.

The stag then stood motionless on a small hillock, with his
head turned towards the suspected quarter, though none of his
rivals took any notice of him. The hinds, one and all, kept a
most anxious watch on his movements, evidently aware that he
suspected some danger. In the meantime Donald seemed to have
got a little more to windward of the deer. Presently one old
hind got up and snuffed the air, then another and another, till all
were on their legs ; still they were not decided as to the danger.
At last a general panic seemed to seize the hinds, and they all
trotted together a short way up the hill ; the large stag had got up
also, but seemed not at all disposed to make off. The hinds carne
to a halt near the top of the first slope of the hill, and were joined
immediately by about a dozen stags, who, collecting together,
galloped up the hill to join them ; this seemed to arouse the old
fellow, and he trotted up after them. The hinds only waited for
his joining them, and then the whole herd set off towards my pass.
They had to cross a trifling hollow, during which time I lost sight
of them. When they emerged their order had quite changed ;
first of all came eight stags in a body, jostling each other as they
hurried up through the narrow passes of the rocks ; then came
the whole lot of hinds, mostly in single file, but breaking into
confused flocks as they passed over pieces of heather and open
ground ; next to them came the object of our manoeuvres, and at
a small distance behind him the rest of the stags, four or five in
number. On they came, sometimes in full view and sometimes
half concealed from me. Donald, too, now showed himself,
waving his plaid. The hindmost deer halted on seeing him, and
then rushed on to the main herd, who now all got into rare con-

CHAP, xxxii.] A RUSH OF DEER. 251

fusion as they hurried on to the pass through which they left the
glen. The foremost stags were now passing one by one within
forty yards of me ; just at that point they had to make a spring
over a kind of chasm in their road. I kept quite motionless, and
they did not observe me, half concealed as I was amongst the grey
rocks. Now came the hinds, with a noise like a rushing stream,
amongst them were four or five stags ; they were trotting quickly
past me, when an unlucky hind caught sight of my rifle-barrel as
a ray of the sun fell upon it ; the rest of the herd took the
alarm from her manner, and they all rushed through the pass in
the most mad confusion. The difficult part was only a few yards
in length, and once through this, they got. into regular order
again. But where is their lord and leader? I was afraid to look
over my ambuscade for fear of turning him. Just as I was about
to do so, however, I heard his step on the stones, and in the next
moment he was in full view passing broadside to me, but going
slowly and undecided w hether to proceed or turn back, having
perceived the panic of the rest of the flock. When he came to
the difficult point where the rest had leaped, he halted for a mo-
ment, looking round. The next moment my rifle-ball passed
through the top of his shoulder, just too high ; the blow, how-
ever, knocked him down, and before he was up I had my gun in
my hand ; the poor brute rose, and looked wildly round ; not
knowing where the enemy was, nor which way to go, he stood
still, looking with anxious glance at his companions, who were
galloping off up an opposite slope. Expecting him to drop dead
every moment, I did not pull the trigger, but kept my aim on
him. The way the rest had gone seemed too rough for him, and
after standing for a minute gazing after them, he turned round
with the intention, probably, of going down the hill to some well
known burn where he had been in the habit of bathing, and cool-
ing his limbs. lie twice fell to his knees before he had gone five
yards, and then walked slowly away. I thought he might recover
strength, and taking a deliberate aim, I fired. This time he fell
without a struggle, perfectly dead. Donald joined me by the
time I had bled him, and examined the shot-marks. One had
broken the very top of his shoulder, but just missed the large
arteries; the other ball seemed to have passed through his heart.
The Highlander was vastly delighted at our getting the stag we

252 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xxxn.

had determined on, but his enjoyment was somewhat damped by
my not having sent both barrels into the middle of the hinds.
" Aiblins your honour would have tuk down twa or three at each
shot, and the brutes will all be off our march in an hour's time.
Lord, Sir, if I had only been where your honour was, with the
dooble-barrel loaded with swan-post, I'd hae rattled it about their
lugs; I fairly suspect I'd have put down half-a-dizen." I con-
soled Donald with a dram, and we set to work to prepare our stag
for taking home, which, with the help of a shepherd's pony, we
succeeded in doing before night.

Donald, though, professedly, he cared for neither wind nor
weather, was in bed all the next day, from what he called rheu-
matiz, but what I called whisky toddy, taken to counteract any
bad effects of his cold bivouac ; for my own part, I did not feel
at all the worse for our cool couch, and was quite ready to renew
the campaign.

CHAP, xxxin.] INSTINCT IN BIRDS. 253

CHAPTER XXXIII.

Peculiarities and Instinct of Different Animals.

I CANXOT conclude these hasty sketches without remarking that
few people are aware of the numberless subjects of interest and
observation to be found in the habits and structure of the com-
monest birds and animals, which pass before our eyes every day
of our lives. How perfectly are all these adapted to their
respective modes of living and feeding. In every garden and
shrubbery the naturalist finds amusement in watching its living
tenants. Look at the chaffinch, how it adapts the colour and
even the shape of its nest to the spot in which it is placed,
covering the outside with materials of the same colour as the bark
of the tree in which it is. So do also all the other small birds.
Again, they line their nests with materials of the same colour as
their eggs. The chaffinch lines it with wool and feathers mixed
together, giving it a background of nearly the same hue as the
shell of the eggs. The greenfinch lines it with light-coloured
feathers, collected from the poultry-yard, as her eggs are neaily
white. The yellowhammer has a greyish egg with stripy marks ;
she lint's her nest with horsehair. The robin's eggs being of a
reddish-brown, she makes use of dried grass and similar sub-
stances. The prevailing colour of the hedge-sparrow's nest is
green, and her eggs are of a greenish-blue ; and in the same
manner all our common and unregarded birds adapt both the
outside and the lining of their nests to the colour of the sur-
rounding substances and that of their own eggs respectively. In
the same manner they all have bills adapted to the food on which
they live — the grain- feed ing birds having short, strong man-
dibles, while those of the insectivorous birds are longer and more
slender, and as perfectly adapted for searching in crannies and
corners for the insects and eggs that may be hidden there, as the
former are for cutting and shelling the seeds and grain on which
they feed.

254 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. XXXIIT.

Look, too, at the eggs of lapwings and of all those birds that
hatch on the bare ground. Those that lay on fields have their
eggs of a brownish green, while those that lay on the stones and
pebbles have them of a sandy and brown mottled colour, so like
the substances which surround them, that it is most difficult for
the passer by to distinguish the egg from the stone. In the same
manner the young of all birds which live on the ground resemble
the ground itself in colour, thereby eluding many of their
enemies. Look also at the birds whose residence and food arc
placed in the marshes and swamps — the woodcocks and snipes,
for example, who feed by thrusting their bills into the soft mud
for the purpose of picking out the minute red worms and animal-
cules which abound in it, have the bill peculiarly adapted for
this purpose. The upper mandible has a kind of nob at the end,
which overlaps the under mandible, and not only prevents its
being injured, but makes it quite easy for the bird to pass its bill
both into and out of the ground without obstruction. How
peculiarly well the bill of these birds is adapted for this purpose
is perceived at once by drawing it through the fingers. The end
of the mandible, too, is full of nerves, which enables the bird
to distinguish the soft and minute substances on which it feeds
without seeing them. The oyster-catcher, which feeds on shell-
fish and similar food, has a bill with hard, sharp points, with
which it can dig into and break the strong coverings of its prey ;
no tool could be made to answer the purpose better. The cur-
lew's long curved bill is also a perfect implement for worming out
the sea-slugs, which it extracts from the wet sands. The birds
that live chiefly on the insects and water-plants which are found
in swamps and muddy places have their feet of great size and
length, which enables them to walk and run over muddy and
soft places without sinking. The water-hen and water- rail,
indeed, often run along the floating leaves of the water-plants
without bearing them down by their weight. The bald coot,
too, a bird that lives almost wholly in muddy places, "has its feet
and toes formed purposely for running on a soft surface. How
different from the strongly retractile talons of the hawk and owl,
made purposely to seize and hold their struggling prey.

Thus also the beak of these carnivorous birds is formed for
tearing and rending, while the strong wedge-shaped mandibles

CUAP. xxxin.] INSTINCT IN MRDS. 255

of the raven and carrion-crow are the best possible implements
for the half-digging, half-cutting work which they are called
upon to perform in devouring the dead carcasses of large animals.
The goosander and merganser, who feed principally on small
eels and fish, have a row of teeth-like projections inside their
bill, which, slanting inwards, admits of the easy entrance of their
slippery prey, but effectually prevents its escape; while the cor-
morant, whose food consists of larger fish, instead of these
numerous teeth has a strong curved beak, well fitted for holding
the strongest sea-trout or haddock. Put your finger into the
bill of a common duck, and you will see how easily it goes in,
but how difficult it is to draw it out again, in consequence of the
sloping projections, by means of which the bird is enabled to
hold worms and snails. No bill but that of a crossbill could cut
and divide the strong fir-cones from which it extracts its food.
The common woodpecker bores holes with its strongly tipped
wedge-shaped bill in the hard beech-trees, with a precision and
regularity not to be excelled by the best carpenter; while with
its long worm-like tongue it darts upon and catches the small
insects which take refuge in the chinks and crevices of the bark.
The swallows, who catch their insect prey while flying at speed
in the air, are provided with large wide-opening mouths, which
enables them to capture the swiftest flying moth or midge. In
fact, if we take the trouble to examine the manner of feeding and
the structure of the commonest birds, which we pass over without
observation in consequence of their want of rarity, we see that
the Providence that has made them has also adapted each in the
most perfect manner for acquiring with facility the food on
which it is designed to live. The owl, that preys mostly on the
quick-eared mouse, has its wings edged with a kind of downy
fringe, which makes its flight silent and inaudible in the still
evening air. Were its wings formed of the same kind of
plumage as those of most other birds, it is so slow a fli»,-r that
the mouse, warned by the rustling of its approach, would escape
long before it could pounce upon it. The heron has also a
quantity of downy plumage about its wings, which are also of a
very concave form, and the bird alights in the calm pool without
making a ripple, and whilst standing motionless, knee-deep in the
water, it is almost invisible in the gloom of evening, owing to

S56 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP, xxxin.

its grey and shadowy colour. So also is the colour of tlie wild
duck, partridge, and other birds who hatch on the ground, ex-
actly similar in its shade to the dry foliage amongst which they
sit — insomuch so, that even when they are pointed out to one by
another person it is very difficult to distinguish these birds.

How curiously quick is the instinct of birds in finding out
their food. Where peas or other favourite grain is sown, wood-
pigeons and tame pigeons immediately congregate. It is not
easy to ascertain from whence the former come, but the house-
pigeons have often been known to arrive in numbers on a new-
sown field, the very morning after the grain is laid down ;
although no pigeon-honse from which they could come exists
within several miles of the place.

Put down a handful or two of unthrashed oat straw in almost
any situation near the sea-coast where there are wild ducks, and
they are sure to find it out the first or second night after it has
been left there.

There are many almost incredible stories of the acuteness of
the raven's instinct in guiding it to the dead carcass of any large
animal, or even in leading it to the neighbourhood on the near
approach of death. I myself have known several instances of
the raven finding out dead bodies of animals in a very short
space of time. One instance struck me very much. I had
wounded a stag on a Wednesday. The following Friday I was
crossing the hills at some distance from the place, but in the
direction towards which the deer had gone. Two ravens passed
me, Hying in a steady straight course. Soon again two more flew
by, and two others followed, all coining from different directions,
but making direct for the same point. " 'Deed, Sir," said the
Highlander with me, " the corbies have just found the staig ; he
will be lying deail about the head of the muckle burn." By
tracing the course of the birds, we found that the man's con-
jecture was correct, as the deer was lying within a mile of
us, and the ravens were making for its carcass. The animal had
evidently only died the day before, but the birds had already
made their breakfast upon him, and were now on their way to
their evening meal. Though occasionally we had seen a pair of
ravens soaring high over head in that district, we never saw more
than that number ; but now there were some six or seven pairs

CHAP, xxxiii.] INSTINCT IN ANIMALS. 257

already collected — where from, we knew not. When a whale, or
other large fish, is driven ashore on the coast of any of the
northern islands, the ravens collect in amazing numbers, almost
immediately coming from all directions, and from all distances,
led by the unerring instinct which tells them that a feast is to be
found in a particular spot.

Ducks go out to the grass-fields to search for the snails which
they know will be found before the coming shower ; the field-
mouse covers up her hole in due time before the setting in of cold
weather. Fish have the strongest instinct with regard to changes
of the weather, refusing obstinately to rise at the most tempting
baits or flies when clouds charged with thunder or rain are pass-
ing through the air. Indeed most birds and animals have a
singular foreknowledge of changes in the weather ; shifting their
quarters according as the coming rain or the dryness of the
atmosphere warns them.

The grouse foretell the approaching rains before the most wea-
ther-wise shepherd can do so, by betaking themselves to the dry
heights, where they sit or walk about with erect heads and necks,
in quite a different manner to their usual gait. So do the moun-
tain sheep change their feeding-ground to the lee side of the hills
before severe blasts of wind and rain. I have often been warned
of an approaching change in the weather by the proceedings of
the wild fowl in the bay ; and before changes of wind these birds
betake themselves to those places which will afford them the best
shelter during the coming storm.

There are few animals which do not afford timely and sure
prognostications of changes in the weather. It is proverbial that
pigs see the wind ; and they undoubtedly become restless, and
prepare their straw beds prior to a severe storm, some hours
before human organs are aware of its approach.

In fine, there is matter not only for amusement but for ad-
miration in the actions and habits of every animal that we see,
even down to the most common small birds and quadrupeds : and
the unoccupied man may always find wherewithal to amuse him-
self profitably in watching the instinct which prompts the every-
day proceeding of the animals which are always around us.

258 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP, xxxiv

CHAPTER XXXIV.

Coursing Deer.

THOUGH I am by no means of opinion that running red-deer
with the rough deer hound is so exciting or so satisfactory a sport
as stalking the noble animal, and attacking him in his fastnesses
with the aid only of a rifle, I have sometimes seen runs with the
deer-hounds which fully answered all my expectations. It much
oftener happens, however, that after the first start nothing more
is seen of dogs or deer until they are found at bay in some rocky
burn or stream, the whole run having taken place out of sight of
the sportsman. Moreover, the dogs run a great risk of being
disabled and injured either by the stag or by the sharp and rugged
rocks and stones over which they take their headlong course.
The deer-hound is so noble and handsome an animal, that, inde-
pendently of his actual and marketable value, he is invariably a
pet and favourite of his master, so that any accident which
happens to him is the more regretted. With good management
the experienced stalker can generally secure his dogs from run-
ning at young deer or hinds unfit to be killed. Indeed, many
deer-hounds have a wonderful instinct in singling out the biggest
head of horns in a herd of deer, and in sticking to this one, re-
gardless of the rest of the herd. It will often happen, however,
that the dogs set off after some hind or young stag, who leads
both them and you away a long chace, unsatisfactory both in its
commencement and termination, disturbing the ground and taking
up twice as much time as would be required to kill the fine old
ten-antlered stag, whose head you covet for your lobby, and
whose haunches you wish to send to your English friend, to
show him what size a mountain-fed stag will grow to. A large
heavy hart is also much sooner blown and brought to bay than a
younger and lighter deer.

The breed of deer-hounds, which had nearly become extinct,
or at any rate was very rare a few years ago, has now become

CHAP, xxxiv.] DEER-HOUNDS. 259

comparatively plentiful in all the Highland districts, owing to
the increased extent of the preserved forests and the trouble
taken by different proprietors and renters of mountain shootings,
who have collected and bred this noble race of dogs, regardless
of expense and difficulties. The prices given for a well bred
and tried dog of this kind are so large, that it repays the cost ami
trouble of rearing him. Fifty guineas is not an unusual price
for a first-rate dog, while from twenty to thirty are frequently
given for a tolerable one.

My object, however, in commencing this Chapter was not to
enter into a disquisition concerning greyhounds, but to describe
some of their performances, which have fallen under iny own
observation, and which I noted down at the time,

September 22nd, 18 — . — Started this morning at daybreak
with Donald and Malcolm Mohr, as he is called (Anglice, Mal-
colm the Great, or big Malcolm), who had brought his two
deer-hounds, Bran and Oscar, to show me l>ow they could kill a
stag. Malcolm himself is as fine a looking " lad " (of thirty-five
years old, however) as ever stepped on the heather ; a head and
shoulders taller than Donald, who, for this reason, and I believe
for no other, affects to treat his capabilities as a deer-stalker with
considerable contempt, always ending any description of a sport-
ing feat of Malcolm's with the qualification, '• 'Twos no that bad
for so long-legged a chiel as you."

The dogs were perfect. Bran, an immense but beautifully
made dog, of a light colour, with black eyes and muzzle ; his
ears of a dark brown, soft and silky as a lady's hand, the rest of
his coat being wiry and harsh, though not exactly rough and
nhaggy like his comrade Oscar, who was long-haired and of a
darker brindle colour, with sharp long muzzle, but the same soft
cars as Bran, which, by-the-by, is a distinctive mark of hi<jh
breeding in these dogs. Malcolm Mohr and I took no guns
with us ; but Donald, as usual, had his old " dooblr barrel," as
he calls it, an ancient Hint-and-steel affair ; the barrels by Man-
ton, and therefore excellent when you could get them off, which
the stock and locks, apparently the workmanship of a Highland
carpenter and blacksmith, generally prevented me from doing,
the triggers being inaccessible to any ordinary fore-finger, and
the stock about half the length of any other giin-btoek that ever

s2

260 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP, xxxiv.

came in my way. Donald, however, was in the habit of relating
great feats which he had performed amongst red-deer with this
gun, and he always coddled it up with great care from wet or
damp, either when laid up in ordinary at home or when carried
by himself over mountain and glen. On the present occasion he
had a very snuffy and dirty-looking cotton handkerchief tied over
the muzzle, and a footless stocking knotted over the locks, to
keep out the morning mists.

Our path for some time was along the course of the river,
where the great yellow trout were plainly to be seen in the per-
fectly clear water, waiting for the insects as they fell off the
weeping branches of the birch-trees which overhung the still
pools, as if admiring their own elegance in the water, where
every leaf was as plainly reflected as it would have been in the
costliest mirror ; and as we made our way up the hill-side the
autumnal air felt fine, fresh, and exhilarating.

On coming out of the scattered wood which clothed the glen
on each side of the stream, we saw a fine roebuck feeding in a
grassy spot a few hundred yards out of the wood. I and Donald
also were much tempted to run the dogs at him, as he was so far
from cover ; but as Malcolm voted against it, I yielded, though
Donald was obliged to take sundry pinches of snuff before he
quietly acquiesced in my determination to leave the buck unmo-
lested. As we edged off from him in order that the dogs might
not see him and be tempted by his starting off to breakaway from
us, the buck lifted his head, and Bran's quick eye immediately
caught sight of him ; and the dog stood immoveable, with his
ears erect, and one fore-foot raised from the ground. The sen-
sible creature, however, instead of straining at his leash, looked
up inquiringly at his master, asking him plainly, " Am I to
chase that beauty?" Oscar, who was trotting quietly behind
Donald, who held him, but seeing that Bran had game in view by
his manner of gazing, and following the direction of his eyes, also
saw the buck. Not being so well broken as Bran, he no sooner
saw the buck than he sprang forward, pulling the old keeper
down on the flat of his back. Luckily, Donald had the strap
twisted round his arm, or the dog would have escaped after the
deer. As it was, Donald managed to hold him, and having got
up, rubbed his back, and vented his ill-humour in numberless

CHAP, xxxiv.] DEER-STALKING. 261

Gaelic imprecations against the dog for upsetting him, and
against Malcolm, " the muckle fule," as he called him, for
laughing at his mishap, he got under way again. In the mean-
time the roe had disappeared down some hollow of the ground,
and we proceeded on our way.

After leaving the woods, we traversed a long range of broken
ground, where we had but small chance of seeing the deer,
though their tracks were tolerably fresh here and there; our
object was to find the animals in certain places more adapted for
the running of the dogs than the ground we were then passing.
We therefore did not examine two favourite but rugged and steep
corries, where deer were generally found.

Our forbearance was rewarded, for on coming to a point over-
looking a long and wide stretch of hill-side, through the centre
of which ran a winding but not very rapid burn, we immediately
distinguished nine deer still feeding, though the morning was
somewhat advanced ; they were scattered about a green spot at
the head of the burn, and feeding on the coarse grass and rushes
which grew about the springs and marsh that fed the main stream.
They could not have been better placed, and after a short con-
sultation— which, however, lasted longer than it need have done,
owing to Donald's determined and customary opposition to every
proposal made by his tall rival — we turned back behind the
shoulder of the hill, in order to get into a hollow of the ground
which would enable us to reach the course of the burn : for, this
done, our task was comparatively easy.

As the water, owing to the dry weather, was but shallow, and
the little wind which there was, was blowing right down the
stream, by keeping its course we hoped to reach the deer unob-
served. Before starting, I took a good look at them through
my glass, and saw that the herd consisted wholly of hinds, except
one tolerably handsome stag. The dogs instinctively perceived
that we had found game, and changed their careless and slouch-
ing trot for an eager and quick walk ; every now and then they
looked with pricked-up ears, and an inquiring glance at Mal-
colm's face, as if to ask him where the deer were, and how soon
they would be seen.

Malcolm proposed to me that Donald should get up to a
height of the hill, from whence h« could see for a long distance

262 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP, XXXIT.

on the other side, in case the deer crossed the top, and went to
bay in any of the burns that were within his view, and after a
slight demur, rather at the proposer than at. the proposal, Donald
started off, with his " dooble barrel " still carefully swaddled up
under his arm.

Malcolm and I proceeded carefully, though with great ease,
till we got into the burn ; I led Oscar, while Bran- was under his
guidance — we waded and scrambled with no great difficulty, ex-
cepting that now and then Oscar was a little annoyed at not being
close to his master, as both dogs seemed perfectly aware of what
was going on, and in momentary expectation of seeing the deer.
Never was ground more favourable : till we were within four
hundred yards of the deer, we had scarcely occasion to stoop our
heads. Having come at length to rather a difficult pass, Mal-
colm asked me to look up carefully, that we might know exactly
where the deer were, while he held the dogs. Raising my head
gradually, I looked through a tuft of rushes, and saw first the
horns of the stag,, and then the heads of five of the hinds ; they
had lain down in the long heather, near the spot they had beet»
feeding on. But where were the remainder of the herd ? I
looked for two or three minutes in vain, keeping my head per-
fectly motionless. Presently, however, the rest of the deer ap-
peared from amongst some broken ground, a hundred yards
higher up the hill than the others. Having looked anxiously
round them, they all dropped quietly down to rest, with the ex-
ception of one lanky-looking hind, who stood motionless on a
small hillock, with her eyes and ears turned with great attention
in the direction of Donald's place of ambuscade : she evidently
had some kind of suspicion of danger from that quarter, though
she had siot yet quite made up her mind as to the reality of it.
I lowered myself as gradually as possible, and looked back at
Malcolm. He was kneeling on one knee witli a dog held in
each hand, the dogs themselves were a perfect picture, as they
stood, with the most intense expression of anxiety, watching my
movements, and snuffing the air in the direction in which I had
been looking; the wind was too light, however, for them as yet
to scent the deer. As they stood motionless, and scarcely draw-
ing their breath, I could plainly see their hearts beating with
anxiety and eagerness ; I explained the position of the deer to

CHAP, xxxiv.] COURSING DEER. 263

Malcolm, and we immediately agreed that no time was to be lost,
lest they should take alarm at Donald, whose whereabouts the
hind seemed strongly to suspect.

We had a difficult task in advancing the next fifty yards with
the dogs. The sensible animals, however, crouched when we
did, and were wonderfully little in the way considering the
nature of the ground which we had to pass. The old hind's ears
were visible, but no more of her, as we crept along ; she appeared
to be still intently watching in the same direction as before.
Having crawled over a small height, we got into a hollow place,
and then proceeded to put the dogs' collars and straps in a state
to enable us to slip them at a moment's warning. Both Bran
and Oscar stood motionless, and almost seemed to turn their
necks in order to assist us in the operation.

We then advanced with great care and silence, on our hands
and knees, for a couple of hundred yards along a cut in the
ground that took us away from the burn. Every thing had
favoured ns, the deer's attention had been taken off by Donald,
and the ground had been the easiest I ever stalked a deer in.
We were now within about a hundred yards of them, and could
get no nearer unobserved ; so patting the dogs, and whispering a
word of encouragement to them, we led them in front of us, and
rising up in full view of the deer, pointed towards them. We
had no need, however, to show their game to the noble hounds,
for the deer starting up as soon as they saw us, were at once
caught sight of by both Bran and Oscar. Away went the deer,
those which were the farthest off waited for their comrades to
join them, and then all took the hill in a compact body, and the
d.)_s with an impatient whine darted oft' the instant they were
released from their collars.

The deer ran in a sloping direction up the hill, apparently
not exerting themselves very much, but in reality getting over
the ground at a very quick pace ; the two dogs ran neck and
neck, not exactly straight at the deer, but almost parallel, slop-
ing a little, however, towards them, and gaining slowly, but still
perceptibly, on their game. This lasted for half a mile or so,
when the dogs had gained so much, that they were within forty
yards of the deer. Nearer and nearer they approached, the hinds
running in a close body, the stag now and then lagging behind

264 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP, xxxiv.

a few yards, and then, with a great effort joining them again,
his greater weight and fat beginning to tell on his wind. Mal-
colm danced and shouted with eagerness : for my own part I
went along at a quiet trot, in order not to lose sight of the run
in case they turned up the hill and got over the height

Presently the dogs seemed to be in the midst of the deer ; and
the next moment we saw the stag coming straight down the hill
with tremendous strides, and the dogs ten yards behind him —
Bran rather the first ; his thinner coat telling in his favour. As
for the hinds, they dispersed for a moment, then collected again,
and went off up the hill ; being intent on the stag, I saw nothing
more of them ; they probably did not halt till they had crossed the
the hill and the river too.

Down came the stag at a pace and with bounds that seemed
likely to smash his legs every moment. Luckily for the dogs the
ground was (as it had been all along) most favourable. I lost
view of all three as they got into the course of a burn, which
joined the one we had come up. The dogs were then at his
haunches, but unable to get hold. Bran's point of attack was
always at the shoulder, or fore-leg, while Oscar had a habit of
biting at the hind-leg above the hock, frequently cutting through
the flesh and tendons in a most extraordinary manner, and tum-
bling the deer over very quickly. He had, however, not yet got
a fair chance at his present chace. Once in the burn, I knew
that neither dog could do much, excepting to bring the stag to
bay. I ran as hard I could towards them, and soon saw the
deer rattling down the stream, with stones and water flying about
him in all directions. The dogs were still keeping up as well as
they could in the narrow and rough path the stag had chosen,
and sometimes springing at him, but unable to get a hold.
Malcolm and myself were in great dread that they would be in-
jured or killed. When within fifty yards of us, both dogs were
thrown down, after making an ineffectual attempt at holding the
deer, who broke away, and, getting a little a-head of his pursuers,
came to bay under a rock in a pool of the burn which reached to
his knees. The dogs had recovered themselves almost imme-
diately, and, crouching in the water, bayed furiously at the stag,
who, with his back to the rock, presented only his armed front to
them. Knowing their business well, from having gained expe-

CHAP, xxxiv.] STAG AT BAY. 265

rience in many hard-fought battles, they did not risk their lives
by rushing at his horns, but contented themselves by keeping
him there, while they now and then looked round at Malcolm, as
if to ask for his assistance. " Down, good dogs, down," he said,
when, seeing us approach, they seemed inclined to rush in.

The deer now and then appeared anxious to break off, but
whenever he attempted to move, the hound nearest the direction
towards which he turned sprung in front of him, baying and
preventing his leaving the spot.

Not seeing Donald and his gun, we consulted together as to
what was to be done, and at last Malcolm determined, by cau-
tiously attacking the deer from above with his stick, to make him
turn from the dogs, and give them a chance of fixing on him
without risk from his horns; if they succeeded, I was to run in,
and act as circumstances permitted, and, if possible, to help the
dogs by stabbing the deer in the throat. As soon as Malcolm
had commenced his part of the business, by going round the
deer, I called off the dogs in order that they should not be
trampled down by the first rush of the poor beast. They came
quite willingly, evidently placing entire confidence in our manner
of attack. Malcolm got just above the stag, and then flinging
his heavy stick at his legs, and shouting loudly, frightened him
so that he rushed out of the pool, passing close to me.

" Now, then, good dogs, at him ;" and the next moment the
stag was tumbled over, with both hounds fixed on him — Bran at
his shoulder and Oscar at his throat. I easily managed my part
of the affair, and pftt an end to the poor animal'- pain with my
hunting-knife. " Well done, Sir, well done," «»id Malcolm ;
" that was quickly finished." — " Deed, ay," said Donald, who
just then came up, panting like a walruss. " No that bad either ;"
this being the utmost praise that he ever bestowed on any one.
The hounds, as soon as they saw that the st;tg was quite dead,
left him, and, lying quietly down, began to lick the bruises and
cuts they had received in the run^ luckily there were none of
any consequence. Every now and then one of the dogs would
get up, and, going up to the deer, examine him all over, as if to
satisfy himself that there was no life remaining. We examined
the dons' limbs to see that there was no serious strain or cut, and
then, after rubbing the dirt and blood oft' their skins, set to work

266 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP, xxxiv.

to open the deer, and dispose of the body, ready to be carried off
the next day. This done we sat down, talked over the run, and
consulted as to our proceedings for the rest of the day ; and as it
was still early, we agreed to try some more ground, in the con-
trary direction to that in which the hinds had gone, and, if kept
out late, to sleep at a shepherd's house some distance up in the
hills.

We searched many a corrie and glen in vain, till towards even-
ing, Donald, who had been examining the rushy ground that
fringed the sides of a considerable mountain stream, in hopes of
seeing some deer at feed, suddenly shut up the telescope, and as
he deliberately wiped the glasses, and placed it in its case, said,
without looking up, " I'm seeing a fine stag down yonder, Sir."
Then having taken a long pinch of snuff, added, " He is just
the beast that the shepherd up there was telling me of last
Sabbath " — Sunday being the day on which Donald invariably
heard all the hill news.

The evening was coming on, so having no time to lose, and a
considerable retrograde movement to make before we could ap-
proach the stag with any hope of success, off we set at once, and
we had a quick and difficult march of it for nearly half an hour
before we got into the burn, up the course of which we proposed
to keep, as it led straight to the deer. The banks, however, were
not so high as those of the former stream, and the water ran over
loose round stones, which made our task much more difficult.

"We were within five hundred yards, and had got over the worst
of our ground, when, on looking up, we sa\» the deer trotting
deliberately but steadily up the hill away from us, evidently
having been moved by some suspicion of danger, though we were
positive he had not seen or scented us. " See to that ; the brute
is clean gone," said Donald ; and, indeed, clean gone he was for
that evening, as just then we lost sight of his antlers as he got
over the crest of the hill. On taking the glass, and examining
the whole country round, I spon saw the object of his alarm in
the person of the very shepherd whose house we were making
for. The man was passing at some distance on his way home-
wards, quite unconscious of our presence or the mischief he had
done, as he trudged along towards us with his plaid over his
shoulder, and his two colley dogs trotting slowly at his heels.

CHAP, xxxiv.] A PERSECUTED SHEPHERD. 2(!7

" Oh, but we'll give him a bonny fleg for spoiling our sport the
night," said Malcolm. Accordingly Donald and he concealed
themselves in the burn, one above and the other below the point
at which the shepherd appeared likely to cross it, while I re-
mained hid in a hollow of the moss, a quiet spectator of their
attack on the poor fellow's nerves.

The shepherd had just put his foot in the burn, when Malcolm
shouted at the top of his voice, " Willie Young, Willie Young,"
this being the man's name. He stopped short, and with a fright-
ened look at seeing no one, was going on his way again, when
Donald took up the chorus, *' Willie Young, Willie Young."
" Wha 's you ? " said the shepherd, turning towards Donald.
" Willie Young, Willie Young," then shouted Malcolm, and at
his voice the unhappy proprietor of the name wheeled round as
on a pivot. I could not refrain from joining in the persecution,
and Willie Young was kept for ten minutes, turning from side to
side, on hearing his name called by his unseen tormentors, till he
got so terribly frightened that I thought it as well to show myself,
or I firmly believe the man would have gone mad. I never saw
a poor fellow more relieved in my life than he was on seeing that
his persecutors were mere flesh and blood like himself, and not
spirits of tint air or flood as he had imagined. Having laughed
at him for his fright, and appeased his somewhat reasonable
anger, we found out from him that this stag was constantly about
the same place, and had got so accustomed to seeing the shepherd
pass to and fro, that he invariably returned to the same glen within
a few hours.

It was getting late, so we postponed attacking him till the next
morning. The shepherd also told us that although the stag had
not particularly fine antlers, that he was one of the heaviest and
largest deer that had been in that part of the country for some
years. He knew him by his large track, and also by his colour,
which was peculiarly light. We accompanied Willie Young
home to his domicile ; and having taken our frugal supper of
porridge and milk, followed, however, by some whisky-and-
water of no mean flavour and strength, which Mr. Young
informed us in confidence had been made by some " lads down
the glen yonder," we retired to our sleeping-places. For my
own part, I took up my quarters in the building dignified by the

268 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP, xxxiv.

name of barn, where, rolled in my plaid, and burrowed in the
straw, I slept free from the ten thousand nightly visitants called
fleas, which would have eaten me up in Willie Young's house,
where, on a former occasion, I had discovered that they rivalled
the celebrated plague of Egypt in number and power of torment-
ing. My two attendants, Donald and Malcolm, slept somewhere
near me, as I heard them talking till a very late hour, probably
consulting about their plans of attack for the next day.

Before the sun was above the heathery brae which was to the
east of us, I looked out and saw the opposite mountain tops
already lighted up, and illuminated in the most beautiful and
fanciful manner — the glare catching the projecting peaks and
angles, and throwing the other parts of the rocks and heights into
the deepest shade. Donald was sitting on a stone, rubbing his
eyes and his gunlocks alternately with his ancient " pocket nap-
kin," as he called it. Malcolm and the shepherd were leaning
against the corner of the house chattering Gaelic, while the rather
pretty wife of the latter, bare-headed and bare-legged, was com-
ing over from the cow-byre with a tin pail of fresh and frothing
milk. " I hope your honour slept weel ; I '11 be taking your
breakfast ben the house directly," said pretty Mrs. Young. The
two hounds were yawning and stretching themselves in front of
the door, and received me with a joyful though rough welcome,
Bran putting his front paws on my shoulders, and Oscar almost
knocking me down by running and rubbing against my legs. The
shepherd's two colley-dogs were standing down at the burn side
with their tails between their legs, barking and howling at their
unusual four-legged visitors, who occasionally looked, first at the
colleys and then at me, as much as to say, " Shall we punish their
impertinence, or not?" One word of encouragement would
have sent the two hounds full chace after the yelping curs.

Breakfast done, we started to look for the stag. The shepherd
went with us, anxious to see the sport, and we were glad of his
assistance in finding the deer, as he was so well acquainted with
the animal's haunts. On our way he told us that he had no
doubt we should at once find him, but that the dogs would have
hard work to kill him, as he was an old cunning fellow, and was
supposed to be the same stag who had killed the greyhound of
Ilory beg, the fox-hunter, last year, in a corrie at some distance

CHAP, xxxiv.] DEER-STALKING. 269

off. The dog having got after the deer (as Rory said, by
accident!), and being close alongside of him, was killed dead on
the spot by a single blow of his antler ; the stag having struck
him without stopping, simply turning his head and striking him
as he ran alongside. We examined the glen where we had seen
the deer, but without success ; no mark of him was to be seen.
The shepherd, however, told us to wait till about nine o'clock ;
it was nearly that hour now, and he would probably be seen
coming in to lie down for the day, on the slope of the hill above
the burn. We accordingly lay down quietly in a concealed
place, and, as he had predicted, we presently saw the magnificent
fellow appear on the top of the hill, where he halted for full ten mi-
nutes, looking carefully over the glen in order to see that it was
free from any enemy. The morning sun shining on his bright
hide, made him look of even a lighter and brighter colour than
he really was. His horns, though not exactly of first-rate size,
loomed large and wide, as seen in clear relief between us and the
sky. After standing some time, looking like the solitary spirit
of the mountain, he seemed to have made up his mind that all
was right and *afe, and he walked slowly and deliberately half-
way down the hill, and after stopping again to reconnoitre for a
short time, he dropped at once down into the heather. I watched
him for a few minutes through the glass, as he lay motionless,
excepting that now and then he turned his horn down to scratch
a fly off his side, or shook his ears when the gnats were particu-
larly troublesome about his head.

We saw that he had taken up too wary and commanding a
position to admit of our approaching him with the dogs; so
after some consultation, and, as usual, much opposition from
Donald, we adopted my plan of driving him, taking the chance
of his leaving the glen at his usual pass, where Malcolm and I
were to hold the dogs. The shepherd was to move him ; and
Donald was to be placed with his gun in a burn over the hill, to
which we judged lie would probably run, and go to bay, when
pressed by the hounds. Donald, having loaded his gun with an
immense charge of slugs in one barrel and a ball in the other,
started off. The shepherd took a long circuit to get below the
deer, while Malcolm and I took up our post in a capital hiding-
place near the line by which the game had entered the glen.

270 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP, xxxre.

There was not a breath of wind blowing from any direction,
everything was as calm as it could possibly be, so that although
we had no fear of being scented by the stag, we had to take the
extremes! care not to make the least noise in going to our place
of ambuscade. We held the dogs in our handkerchiefs as the
quickest way of slipping them. The stag was easily seen with-
out much risk of his observing us, as we looked through a crevice
in the rocks.

After waiting an anxious half hour or more, we saw the deer
suddenly spring up, and, after standing at gaze for a moment,
trot up the hill, but not exactly in our direction. He came to a
flat spot, and then halted again, and looked earnestly down into
the glen. The shepherd was now in full view, and the deer
having looked at him fixedly for a minute, seemed to recognise
an old and harmless acquaintance ; and then turning, trotted
deliberately, at no great pace, straight towards us. We heard
every step he took as he trotted up the hard hill-side ; now and
then he crossed a sloping piece of loose gravel which rattled as
his hard hoofs struck the stones, and at one time he had to
pick his way through a wet splashy piece of marsh, which he
did deliberately and slowly, occasionally looking round at the
shepherd below him. At this time we could not move or lift
our heads for fear of being seen, but had to wait till the deer had
passed the rocks amongst which we were concealed, that we
might let slip the hounds at a distance of about thirty or forty
yards. The deer was now close to us, not more than ten yards
off, but we did not want to let the dogs go for fear of turning
him back again into the valley from which he had come, where
the ground was not nearly so favourable for the dogs as the slope
on the other side of us. We heard him tramp past us as he
trotted slowly along on the other side of the rocks behind which
we were concealed. The next moment he had cleared the rocky
ground, and was in full view about thirty yards from us, on a
wide expanse of good heather-ground. The dogs saw him too,
and getting to our feet, we slipped them.

With one affrighted glance behind him, away went the stag,
at first along the top of the slope, as if anxious to keep above
the dogs ; but finding himself hard pressed, he turned his head
down the hill, and the race began. Down they went, the dogs

CHAP, xxxiv.] DEATH OF THE STAG. 271

close on the stag. Now and then they tried to spring on him,
but his strength and quickness always enabled him either to
shake them off' or to elude them ; indeed after running for some
distance he seemed rather to gain on the dogs than to lose ground.
Finding this, they seemed more intent upon trying to tire him
out than to seize -him, and galloped along, keeping somewhat
above him, as if to drive him into the burn, where he would
come to bay. The stag tried again to ascend the slope, but
could not manage it ; his wind began to fail, and he turned
straight down, gaining a little on the dogs. Crossing some
rather wet ground they were again up to him, and he only
escaped being pulled down by his great strength, which enabled
him to shake off' the hounds more than once. It was clear that
his object was now to gain the burn. All three were evidently
beginning to fail, as the chace had already lasted some time.

Malcolm and I had now reached the burn also, having made
for it in a straight line as soon as the dogs were slipped. As
luck would have it, deer and hounds all passed us down the
stream, the dogs panting, and the deer with his tongue hanging
out and blowing like a porpoise. He soon came to bay, and the
dogs were glad to get a rest, and lying down in the water, oppo-
site his head, they alternately bayed at him, and rolled in the
stream to cool themselves. We came up, and the deer im-
mediately broke his bay, and rushing over the dogs, trampled
them under foot, and striking Oscar a sharp blow (which luckily
only grazed him) with his antler, took down the stream again.
We looked round for Donald, and presently saw him crouched
on a rock immediately above the stream, and about two hundred
yards below us. The dogs recovered quickly, and were again
close on the stag. He stopped two or three times for a few
moments, turning fiercely on the hounds, and at last came to bay
in a determined style, under the very rock where Donald was
concealed. The next moment we saw the deer stagger aud fall
in the water, and immediately heard the report of Donald's gun.
Before the stag could recover, both hounds were on him, worry-
ing at his throat like bulldogs, and after one or two efforts to
rise, the poor animal's head sank into the pool, which was soon
red with the blood that bubbled up from his mouth and nostrils.

272 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP, xxxiv.

Donald had shot him just behind the heart with his single ball,
which had cut the large blood-vessels.

" Puir brute, puir brute, it 's just a sorrow to see him," said
Malcolm : and, now that the excitement of the chace was over,
I also would have given much to have been able to bring the
gallant animal to life again. We got him out of the water, and
were soon joined by Willie Young, who sighed more than once,
and took a vast pinch of snuff out of Donald's box, half sorry to
see his old acquaintance, the white stag, as he called him, lying
dead and bloody on the heather.

As Oscar had got a rather awkward, though not very deep
cut, and Bran seemed rather the worse for his bruises, I left
Donald and the shepherd to attend to the removal of the deer,
and walked straight for home with Malcolm and the two dogs,
who had both of them done their duty so well.

Of the different runs which I have seen with deer, these two
were certainly the best, both as regards our having the game
almost constantly in view, and as to our being well up at the
conclusion of each chace.

I certainly have not had much experience in running with
greyhounds ; but those who have, speak with raptures of
this way of killing them. For my own part, I prefer my rifle,
with a good dog. A high bred, English, smooth greyhound,
sometimes kills red-deer well and cleverly, having the advan-
tage in wind and speed over the rough dogs, and also possessing
the most dashing courage when in pursuit of game. They want
weight, however, to enable them to pull down so large an ani-
mal as a stag ; though I have seen a small greyhound tumble
over a deer, and kill it very quickly, by catching the animal
under the shoulder, when in full speed, which at once upset him,
and then flying at the throat, he soon finished the business.

CHAP, xxxv.] BIRDS WHEN SITTING. 273

CHAPTER XXXV.

Tameness of Birds when Sitting.

July 1st. — IN walking over a field, the grass of which had been
cut the day before, but was not yet carried, I disturbed a land-
rail, who was still sitting on her eggs, notwithstanding the great
change that must have come over her abode, which, from being
covered with a most luxuriant crop of rye-grass and clover, was
now perfectly bare. How the eggs had escaped being broken,
either by the scythe or by the tramping of the mower's feet, it
is difficult to understand ; but there was the poor bird sitting
closely on her eggs, as if nothing had happened, and on my near
approach she moved quietly away, looking more like a weasel
than a bird as she ran crouching with her head nearly touching
the ground.

In another part of the same field I passed a nest of landrails
in which the young ones were on the point of, or rather, in the
very act of being hatched, some of the young having just quitted
the shell, while others were only half out of their fragile prison.
Both old birds were running around the nest while I stooped to
look at their little black progeny, and were uttering a low kind
of hissing noise, quite unlike their usual harsh croak. The
mowers told me that they had seen several nests in the same
field, but had avoided breaking the eggs whenever they perceived
them in time. Though innumerable landrails arrive here during
the first week in May, always coming regularly to their time, the
period and manner of their departure are quite a mystery to me.
Although in general their young are not hatched till the first and
second week in July, they seem to have entirely vanished by
the time that the corn is cut : it is very rare indeed to find one
when you are beating the fields in September.

The partridges here are chiefly hatched about the last week in
June. Like the landrail, the hen bird sits very close, and during
that time will almost allow herself to be taken up in the hand,

T

274 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP. xxxv.

especially when near their time of hatching. They seem to be
quite confident in the forbearance of my boys, who have an inti-
mate acquaintance with almost every nest in the neighbourhood
of the house, the old bird allowing them to peer closely into her
nest, and even to move aside the grass and herbage which conceal
it, when they want to see if she is on her eggs. A retriever one
day caught an old hen partridge on her nest, but let her go again
on my rating him, without doing more damage to her than pulling
out some feathers. Notwithstanding this she returned to the
nest, and hatched the whole of the eggs the next day. Had she
not been so near her time of hatching, I do not suppose that she
would have returned again. All birds have the same instinctive
foreknowledge of the time of hatching being near at hand, and
do not, when this is the case, leave their nest so easily as when
disturbed at an earlier period of incubation. Some small birds
are much tamer in this respect than others. A bullfinch will
often allow herself to be taken off her nest, and replaced again,
without showing the least symptom of fear. Indeed, this bird if
put into a cage with her nest of young ones will continue to feed
them as readily as if her habitation was still in its original situa-
tion. Blackbirds also are very unwilling to fly off from their
eggs. The common wren, on the contrary, immediately forsakes
her nest if it is at all handled and examined before she has laid
her eggs. She will abandon it if she merely observes people
looking too closely at it ; but when she has commenced to sit I
have known her to be caught on her nest, and replaced, and still
not forsake it. A small blue-headed tomtit formed her nest this
year in a chink in my garden wall, and allowed the children to
take out an egg to examine it from underneath her, without
leaving the nest. In fact, instead of being frightened at the
intrusion of their hands into her little warm, well-feathered
domicile, she picked courageously at their fingers, hissing, and
spluttering at them, and never seeming inclined to fly off
When the young ones were hatched, the activity and perse-
verance of the old birds in providing them with caterpillars
and blue-bottle flies were perfectly wonderful. They appeared
to fly backwards and forwards to their young family every
minute of the day, always bringing some insect in their
bills. The good done by these little birds in destroying grubs

CHAP, xxxv.] BIRDS DEVOURERS OF INSECTS. 275

and flies ought to earn them an immunity from all danger from
trap or gun. Gardeners are always too much inclined to wage
war against all small birds, forgetting that they invariably feed
their young, not with seeds, but with different kinds of grubs
and caterpillars, in this way amply repaying any little mischief
they may do to the early-sown seeds. For my own part, I never
trust a gun in my gardener's hands, but let the blackbirds and
thrushes take as many cherries as they like, in return for which
they destroy thousands of grey snails, &c., besides giving me
many a moment of pleasure by their song. I admit that I do
occasionally shoot the crows and jackdaws when they destroy too
many of the cherries, particularly as these active marauders come
from some distance in large flocks as soon as the fruit becomes
red on the trees. I invariably observe that at this season one or
two jackdaws arrive first, flying round and round at a great
height above the garden. After some chattering between them-
selves I hey fly away, returning some hours afterwards with the
rest of their family, four or five in number ; and if not checked
by a few charges of shot, these first intruders soon invite every
jackdaw in the country to the feast, their numbers increasing
every day, till I am obliged to take active steps against them.

About the second week in July the young wild ducks begin to
fly. Those hatched high up in the country usually make their
way down to the sea-side in that month. They follow the course
of some stream or river till they arrive at their destination.
Like the fable of the ostrich hiding her head when pursued, the
young wild ducks when chased on the river will frequently dip
their heads under the water, and keeping it there till they are
nearly drowned, fancy themselves secure, although their whole
body is exposed. If taken up, and put into some enclosed y;ird
or garden, they will soon become tolerably tame, and get very
fat if well fed. The whole of my poultry -yard (as far as ducks
are concerned) is supplied by a breed of half wild and half tame
ducks, originating in some young drakes caught, and turned out
with the tame ducks — the tame drakes being all sent away, in
order to ensure the proper cross in the breed. The birds are
very much improved for the table by this cross, and are quite as
tame as the common domestic duck, only showing their wild
parentage in an inclination to hide their nests, and to build at a

T 2

276 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP, xxxv

distance from home — always, however, if allowed so to do, bring-
ing home their broods as soon as they are hatched. At other
seasons they never seem inclined to wander, though they are
always to be seen at the very earliest dawn of the morning, before
it is quite light, spread out over the grass-field adjoining the
house, hunting it in a regular line of advance for worms and
snails. As the evening comes on, too, it is amusing to see them
bent on the same pursuit, and displaying the greatest activity
and skill in catching the large evening moths, as these insects
rise from the grass or fly low over it.

CHAP, xxxvi.] VARIETY OF GAME. 277

CHAPTER XXXVI.

Variety of Game.

THE list of game killed by my own gun on the 21st of October,
appears in my game-book to have been as follows : —

Grouse 6

Partridge 13

Woodcock 1

Pheasant 1

Wild duck 1

Snipe 4

Teal 1

Curlew 3

Plover 4

Jacksnipe 2

Hare 5

Rabbit 2

Though the number of animals in this list may not seem great
to many of my sporting friends in England and Scotland, a
prettier variety of game could scarcely be killed by one gun in
any single locality, and the whole of them were shot during a
few hours' walk, anil in a most stormy and windy day. J had
promised to send a hamper of game to a friend in Edinburgh,
and knowing that he would prize it more if I could make up a
variety than if I sent him double the quantity of any one kind, I
determined to hunt a wild part of my shooting-ground, where I
should have a chance of finding ducks, snipes, &c.

I started after breakfast with a single pointer, and my ever-
lasting companion, an old retriever. As the steam-boat for
Edinburgh started the next day, I was obliged, though the wind
blew nearly a hurricane, to make the best of it, and face the wind
in the dreary and upland ground, which I had determined to beat,
and where I had sent an attendant to meet me.

278 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP, xxxvi.

Passing over a long tract of furze and broom, I killed a couple
of hares, and drove some partridges off down to windward; but
as they flew quite out of the direction in which I meant toslioot,
I did not follow them. My pointer stood immediately on getting
into an extensive piece of grazing-ground ; his head high up
showed me that the birds were at some distance. He drew on
for some two or three hundred yards, when two large covies of
partridges rose, and, unable to face the wind, drifted back over
my head like leaves. Bang, bang — and a brace of them fell dead
sixty yards behind me, though shot when nearly over my
head, and killed at once, I marked down the rest, and got a brace
more, when they went straight away, as if determined to make
their next resting-place somewhere about Norway. But my line
was to windward still, in order to hunt some ground where there
was a chance (though a bad one) of a brace or so of grouse.

Picking up a snipe or two, and a hare, I worked up hill against
the wind along a tract of wild heather and pasture-ground. In
the midst of this was a small peat-bog, and, when passing it, I
flushed a brace of mallards, who, after drifting about and trying
to make their way to the sea, turned and alighted in a swampy
piece of ground, where there were some small pools. By their
manner I was sure that they had some companions where they
alighted, so desiring the man who accompanied me to hold the
pointer, I tried to stalk unperceived to the spot where they were,
allowing my old retriever (who was well accustomed to duck-
shooting) to accompany me. I had got to within a hundred
yards, when an old mallard, whom I had not seen, rose at my
feet out of a pool, and quacked an alarm that made six more rise
out of shot of me. I avenged myself, however, on him, bring-
ing him down quite dead at a considerable distance. Several
pairs of ducks rose at the report, and all went off to the sea.

I had scarcely commenced hunting again with the pointer,
when he stood at something close to his nose, stopping dead short
in the midst of his gallop. I walked up, expecting a jacksnipe ;
when, out of a small hollow, or rather hole in the heather, rose
eight grouse. They flew wild, but I killed one with my first
barrel,- and two with the second — the wind blowing them up
into a heap just as I pulled the trigger : the rest flew over a
height not far up, right in the eye of the wind. I knew the

CHAP, xxxvi.] VARIETY OF GAME. 279

violence of the gale must stop them ; and accordingly I found
them aguin, immediately over the ridge, and killed a brace more,
marking clown the rest close to a cottage. My next two barrels
killed one only. The rest went off a long distance. The star of
my friend's larder was still in the ascendant, for before I turned
to beat homewards I killed two jacksnipes ; thus making up four
partridges, six grouse, four snipes, three hares, and a wild duck.
Not a bad bag already. I beat on towards the coast, killing
some partridges, a brace of rabbits, a woodcock, and a hare or
two.

Near the shore I saw an immense flock of curlews and other
birds in a tolerably good situation for getting near them. Of all
shore-birds there is none, not even the wild duck, so difficult of
approach as a curlew. With the most acute sense of hearing,
their organs of smelling are so sensitive, that the moment you
get "betwixt the wind and their nobility " they take wing, giving
the alarm by their loud shrill whistle to every other bird
within hearing. I got, however, unperceived to within forty
yards of them, and having loaded one barrel with a cartiidge, I
fired right and left at the flock.

There was a rare confusion and scuffling amongst them, and
my retriever brought me, one by one, three curlews and four
g >lden plovers. Some other birds dropped here and there out
at sea, but I could only get the above number. A brace of teal
rose at the shot and alighted in a ditch in the adjoining field ;
so, loading quickly, I walked to the place: as they rose rather
wild, I only bagged one, the other bird going away hard struck.
I then followed the course of the rushy ditch, or rather rivulet,
which led towards my house, having already a fair quantity of
game. My dog pointed, and I killed a snipe ; I did not reload
the barrel, as I was near homp, but hunted on along the rushes,
expecting another snipe to present my remaining charge to.
The dog presently stood, and then drew slowly on till he cnme
very near to the end of the rushes, when he pointed dead at
something close to him. I walked about the rushes, but could
find nothing, till, just as I was giving it up, a magnificent old
cock pheasant, who had wandered away from the woods, rose in
a furrow of the field adjoining the rushes. He was rather far
off, but I killed him dead, making as pretty a climax or tail-

280 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [CHAP, xxxvi.

piece to a day's wild shooting as I could have wished ; and
though I have very often far exceeded the number which I
killed that day, I do not ever remember bagging a handsomer
collection of animals in so short a time. Every bird, too, was in
beautiful plumage and condition, and when laid out, ready to be
packed up, made quite a picture.

An account of a day's shooting is rather a dry affair, but I
have given it as showing the great variety of game which is to
be found in this part of the country. I had, indeed, as good a
chance of killing a roebuck as anything else, as I passed through
a piece of ground where I have repeatedly killed roe. I saw an
old blackcock too, but he was in a bare place, and rose out of
shot.

Golden plovers and curlews collect on the low grounds in
immense flocks at this time of the year, previous to settling down
in their winter-quarters. Both these birds breed generally in
very high situations, and though wary in the winter, and difficult
to approach, yet during the summer, when crossing the moun-
tains, I have been absolutely annoyed by the continued clamour
of curlews flying and screaming within a few yards of my head,
and following up their persecutions for a considerable distance,
when it would probably be taken up by another pair with fresh
lungs, whose breeding-place I might be approaching.

The golden plover has a plaintive and rather sweet note as he
flits rapidly round the traveller who intrudes on his domain.
Indeed in the spring the note of the golden plover, as he ascends
with rapid wheelings high above your head, is quite musical, and
approaches nearly to the note of a thrush or blackbird. Not
only the whistle of the plover, but even the harsh cry of the land-
rail, and the monotonous call of the cuckoo, are always grateful to
my ear, because, being heard only in the spring-time, they are
associated in my mind with the idea of the departure of winter
and the return of fine weather. It is often a matter of astonish-
ment to me how the throat of a bird so tender and delicately
formed as the landrail can emit such hard and grating cries,
which sound more as if they were produced by some iron or
brazen instrument than from the windpipe of a bird. The raven
or crow look as if they ought to be the owners of a harsh and
croaking voice, and a shrill note comes appropriately from the

CHAP, xxxvi.] VARIETY OF GAME. 281

throat of a barn-door cock ; but a landrail appears to be a bird
quite unfitted to produce a sound like that of a piece of iron
drawn along the teeth of a rusty saw. There is a way of imi-
tating their cry so exactly, as to bring the bird to your feet, but
I never could succeed in doing so, or indeed in making it answer
me at all, though I have tried the plan which I was told was
infallible, of drawing the edges of two horse's ribs against each
other, one of them being smooth and the other notched like a
saw. Although the fields were swarming with the birds at the
time, I never succeeded in persuading even a single one to
answer me.

THE END.

London : Printed by WILLIAM CLOWIH and SOKI, Sumfon) Street.

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY

Los Angeles
This book is DUE on the last date stamped below.

50m 7,'69(N296s4)- C-120

t

DO NOT REMOVE
THIS BOOK CARD '

Universily Resea.c,, Ui>

P