Autumn in the Western Highlands 



and a few kittiwakes fishing here, and the skuas were, in 

 their usual freebooting manner, pursuing any gull that had 

 captured a fish, till he was forced to disgorge. 



Fishing in company with a number of gulls, it was a 

 pleasant surprise to see a tern. I have never before seen 

 one in Scotland so late in the season. Evidently this wan- 

 derer was a migrant from the north and blown out of his 

 course by the weather. 



This storm was succeeded by one day of fair, though 

 showery weather, during the evening of which the glass 

 commenced to fall rapidly, and this fall was continued the 

 following morning, when very heavy rain fell, though un- 

 accompanied by wind. Without warning, shortly after 

 midday, a whole gale sprang up from the south-west, 

 approaching hurricane force about i p.m., when the barometer 

 stood at 28.7 inches. Every burn was overflowing its 

 banks, several railways were blocked by bridges being washed 

 away, or by landslides, and important roads were rendered 

 impassable for weeks. On the 15th, with a wind which had 

 shifted to north-west, the hills were snow-covered, and a 

 considerable quantity had fallen at an elevation of three 

 thousand feet. On the i6th the snow line was lower, snow 

 lying at the side of the road at an altitude of a thousand 

 feet above sea level, and stags were driven down to their 

 winter quarters, where many fine beasts were shot — a good 

 ending to an indifferent season. As the heather this year 

 was later than usual in coming into bloom, the unusual 

 sight was witnessed in October of heather plants in full 

 blossom, with snow covering the ground near by. 



Following the spell of wild weather, more settled conditions 

 were experienced up to the end of the month, enabling the 

 crops to be secured in fairly good order, but on the 30th 

 the glass again fell, and strong winds and rain marked the 

 closing days. 



Of migration I saw little in October. During one 

 or two dark nights I heard the calling of ringed plover, 



205 



