17G A day's ramble by the sfa-shork. 



my friend, as tlie animal sunk in the water, and we both felt somewhat sorry 

 at the unfortunate circumstance, as we had been the sole cause of the melancholy 

 catastrophe; in a few minutes, however, all our fears on that score entirely 

 vanished, as we again observed our shaggy friend boldly pushing his seaward 

 path, seemingly uninjured, and having rounded a point he speedily disappeared 

 from our view. Of five Rabbits, (Lepus cuniculus,) which we noticed, one 

 was of a jet black colour, with its tail and one of its fore feet of a pure 

 white, which formed a rather strange contrast with its otherwise sable hue, 

 and which appeared very conspicuous and to some advantage when the animal 

 was running. 



Observing a Weasel, {Mustela vulgaris,) cross our path, and perceiving 

 something large dangling from his mouth, we gave chase. Finding himself 

 thus so unceremoniously set upon and somewhat hotly pursued, the little creature, 

 dropping the object, which proved to be a Black Rat, (^Mus rattus,) and which, 

 though quite dead, was still warm, sought for refuge and shelter amongst a 

 cairn of stones which lay conveniently near. Here we lost sight of him for a 

 time J we were not long, however, before we again beheld the impertinent little 

 murderer popping his blood-stained head out at the ports of the fortress into 

 which he had retreated, now at one, then at the other, no doubt reconnoitering 

 the actual strength and position of his supposed enemies, and doubtless ruminating 

 as to the probable chance of a successful issue, should a sally be made with 

 the view of recapturing his victim. ''Do you wish to procure him?" asked my 

 friend, at the same time adding, ''he's a capital specimen;" and having seized a 

 stone large enough to have felled an Elephant, he stood ready for action. "Oh, 

 no!" I replied, "let him alone, and I'll wager my head, an appendage which, 

 I must confess, I should not like as yet to lose, especially for the sake of a 

 Fattenit, that he comes, if we stand quiet, and takes away the Rat from beneath 

 my feet," at the same time placing one of my feet above the dead animal, 

 but so as not to press too hard against it. Accordingly, and just as I anticipated, 

 the daring little fellow soon emerged from his moss-crowned castle, evidently 

 armed with all the determined and pertinacious intrepidity for which his race 

 are famed, and, after a few baitings and turnings, at last boldly approached, 

 seized hold of the Rat by the side of the neck, and drew it away. Having 

 proceeded a few paces, it was again deposited on the ground, but this time 

 with a seeming air of triumph, and looking up to our faces, his fore feet 

 resting on the body of his prisoner, the sullen and silent captor stood and eyed 

 us for a few seconds with an apparent look of contemptuous defiance; this 

 done, and having again seized hold of his booty, he dragged it away, and 

 reaching his former asylum once more, disappeared, but this time to banquet 

 at pleasure on the fruits of his toil. 



Beside where the streamlet already alluded to falls into the sea, stands a 

 rock, alone, whose base in front and on either side drinks deep of the ocean 

 wave, and whose heavy and aged brow towers far above the flow of the highest 

 tidal stream, its only approach from the land being by a rough and narrow 



