314 MISCELLANEOUS LETTERS 



knows nothing about it ; but then the ordinary game- 

 keeper is one of the most stupidly unobservant of 

 beings. Poachers, however, do know it and imitate it 

 with a " hare-call," one of which I should much like to 

 get hold of. None of the books in common use men- 

 tions it so far as I am aware, but there is nothing very 

 extraordinary in that ; for so very few people who 

 have written books know anything about the habits 

 of mammals beyond the most obvious facts, and accord- 

 ing to my recollection this cry, call, or whistle is so 

 shrill that it is possible some people could not hear it 

 at all. You know that many can't hear a Shrew, and, 

 it is said, scarcely any one over forty, a Bat. 



A.N. to P. H. Bahr : 



July 5, 1906. 



I know what a nuisance letter- writing is when " in 

 the field," and all the spare time one has is or ought to 

 be devoted to writing up notes, but I do like hearing of 

 people's existence especially when they are gone on a 

 venture which oneself has chiefly instigated. 



You are perfectly right in your opinion of game- 

 keepers ; taking them as a lot they are as big a set of 

 fools as one ordinarily finds, but (and it is an important 

 " but ") there are some brilliant exceptions. I have had 

 nothing to do with crofters, but from all I have heard I 

 have a poor opinion of them. They may be picturesque, 

 but in every other but a sentimental view I am sure 

 the landscape would be better without them ; from the 

 economic point of view that is without doubt. 



By the way, that white or whitish patch at the base 

 of the bill is not peculiar to the Scaup Duck, the Tufted 

 Duck often has it, not so conspicuously or well marked 

 as the other but quite enough to show. I have had 

 very little acquaintance with Scaup Ducks, almost none, 

 but it seems to me that if you are looking down on the 

 bird, even from a slight elevation, the very light- 

 coloured back ought to enable you to distinguish him 



