The Land of the Hills and the Gleets 



creeping to llic water, dive noiselessly in and remain 

 concealed till the passing of danger. 



It was not till we had been in the neighbourhood of the 

 lochan some little time that the diver showed herself, and 

 evidently thinking concealment was no longer possible, rose 

 from the water and flew round at great speed and at an 

 ever increasing height, uttering grunting cries. Speeding 

 away in the direction of the sea, she did not reappear for 

 some time, but when she did so, "volplaned" at express 

 speed and with great rushing of wings unfll she had almost 

 reached the water's surface, when, her timidity overmaster- 

 ing her anxiety for her eggs, she sailed up once more and 

 disappeared from view. 



It was towards evening that we revisited the lochan. 

 The air was very still. Clouds of midges danced in the 

 sunlight, but no rising trout broke the lochan's quiet 

 surface. Then, as we watched, from the shelter of an 

 overhanging bank the diver swam out into the water. 

 Swimming deeply submerged and causing scarcely a ripple 

 as she moved, she reached the centre of the lochan and there 

 remained quietly facing us. From where we watched, every 

 detail was plainly visible, and the beautiful red plumage 

 on her throat contrasted strikingly with the dark waters. 

 I do not think that she actually saw us, and her sus- 

 picions were gradually quieted. Diving noiselessly, she 

 re-emerged a few feet away from her nest and, now feel- 

 ing confident she was unobserved, clambered up the bank 

 and apparently dried her plumage awhile before settling 

 down on to her Q^g. 



As I write the days are now lengthening and the 

 grasses on the tableland are once again pulsating with life. 

 If all goes well with them the divers will soon reach their 

 lochan from their winter home in the south. 



During the long summer days the hen bird will set 

 about choosing her nesting-ground, and constructing her 

 rough nest. At the evening she will leave the lochan, 



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