Chit-chat. 3 



heather ; millions of spikes, grey with lichens and green with 

 moss, assuming the fantastic forms of castles, turrets, towers, 

 and battlements, pyramids and pinnacles : and over all, moving 

 as I moved along, just the tip of Ben An, like a single stone, 

 flaring in sunshine. Now the path somewhat smoother, and 

 the noises somewhat subdued ; then bursting out again, from 

 gloom to gleam, from uproar to serenity ; till at length Loch. 

 Katherine gleamed expansive in blazing and intense glory, 

 with the full height of the lofty Ben An, and the purple side 

 of Benvenue, terminated with the terrific and rugged cliffs of 

 the frightful Mealaonah, all peacefully reposing in the blessed 

 sunbeams of evening : — 



" So wond'rous rich, the whole might seem 

 The scenery of a fairy dream." 



Von Os. Bravo ! I shall remember this ; and hereafter put 

 into requisition our poor friend's recipe, " How to see a 

 Trossach." 



Dov. Closing his own eyes, to enjoy the creations of his 

 own fancy, one of us tumbled over the garden roller ; and 

 the other upon some rockwork, to the destruction of sundry 

 specimens of sedum, saxifrage, and navel wort. 



Von Os. " Tilly valley ! Sir John." 



Dov. What the devil do you mean by Tilly valley ? 



Von Os. Why what has all this to do with natural history ? 



Dov. Just as much as yonder nuthatch, so pertinaciously 

 picking a bone on the ornithotrophe. 



Von Os. Mine is fixed on a post, and the cats often rob it. 

 I see the trencher is much better when suspended by three 

 wires, like a scale, from a ring to slide along a line, stretched 

 from the window to a tree. 



Dov. And ye may have two or more on the same line, 

 trimmed with bones, seeds, and various food ; piercing the 

 trencher with a few holes, to let out the wet. It is extremely 

 amusing to see the various birds that so become familiar ; and 

 I find many gentle-minded people, since Bewick published in 

 his Preface an extract from one of my letters describing it, 

 have adopted my pleasing little, machine, that I jocularly called 

 the ornithotrophe. 



Von Os. Do you think these birds are the same individuals 

 who frequent that hung before your dining-room windows ? 



Dov. A few may frequent both : but, in general, I am cer- 

 tain all birds have their particular beats, or haunts ; and very 

 rarely intrude on those of others ; when the invaded never 

 omit repelling the forcible entry, by taking the law into their 

 own hands. Robins have their own beats, even on the different 



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