26 LETTERS OF AN ORNITHOLOGIST. 



instinctively avoided these spots. A few days ago my terrier turned a Rat 

 out of a hole in the sand^ and being hard pressed, it boldly jumped into a 

 small pool of water, diving immediately. The water being clear, I could see 

 him distinctly swimming about near the bottom, exactly like an Otter in 

 miniature: I was very much surprised at his power of endurance. Whenever 

 he rose towards the surface, he saw the Dog's nose suspended over the spot 

 •where he was about to rise, and down he would dive again to the depths of 

 the pool: becoming a little exhausted at last, the dog dived down after him 

 and killed him. You meet with Rats in the most out-of-the-way situations; 

 I have taken them in traps set for birds among the hills, and once upon a 

 small island in the middle of a loch. The island is quite bare, and not larger 

 than a table; so he must have swam out there on a voyage of discovery. 



A few months ago I took a Mallard in a trap, as he was frequenting a 

 spot where I could not get near him; when he made, in due time, his appear- 

 ance at table, we found several grains of No. 3 quite inside his body, which 

 seemed to have been there a long time; yet he was in excellent condition. 

 That was an unlucky bird, yet I pity more the poor fellow who lost him, 

 and perhaps accused himself of having missed a fine shot. I have sometimes 

 got birds, (as a Pigeon, Golden Plover, or Dunlin Sandpiper,) with only one 

 leg; that is to say, they seemed to have lost one foot, or else were naturally 

 deformed; but these were always in as good condition, and as fat, as their 

 companions, who had the advantage of possessing a proper assortment of legs. 

 The winter before last I caught a Gannet which had one leg diseased in a 

 very curious way: it was swollen to more than double the natural size, and 

 was full of dark-coloured blood. He swam in from the sea, and walked up 

 on to the rocks where he allowed himself to be taken without attempting to 

 resist. 



On Saturday I shot a pair of Teal upon a small loch in lona, which 

 reminded me of an adventure I had there a long time ago, and which I 

 mention, as you say that you sometimes act as your own retriever: — I had 

 shot a nice little Drake Teal in the middle of the loch, which I was very 

 desirous to get, as I wished to take a drawing of him; but having no dog, 

 I stripped and went in after him, the water was not beyond my depth, 

 but the bottom was very soft oozy mud, which held one's feet as firmly as 

 the stocks, while all around, the water was filled with a tangled mass of 

 aquatic plants, which closed about one's limbs like a strongly-woven net; and 

 there I hung like a fly in a cobweb, floundering about like Milton's Satan 

 in chaos. It was a very long time before I could extricate myself, and I 

 was very nearly sticking there for good; however I secured my bird, but 

 resolved not to be without a dog in future, as such places are excessively 

 dangerous. 



The dog I have used since, is a Skye terrier, a small bluish gray one, 

 which takes the water well; his feet are as webbed as those of an Otter, and 

 his small size and his colour resembling that of the rocks, render him almost 



