BIRD LIFE, ETC. 151 



AVliat interest one could find in merely describing 

 the skins of these birds in his closet, it is somewhat 

 difficult to imagine ; nor is it obvious that the examina- 

 tion of their structure, without any reference to their 

 habits, is a mucii more rational occupation. The mere 

 closet-naturalist, and the mere anatomist, find little to 

 interest them in such a sight as this ; and the mere 

 field-naturalist, however delighted vv'ith it, cannot enjoy 

 that true pleasure which results from a knowledge of the 

 adaptation of means to ends, by which all these species 

 have their peculiar spheres of action determined. — British 

 Birds, vol. i. pp. 301, 302. 



7. — On Clisheim in a Snow-Storm. 



Having in October 1817, as I find by one of my 

 note-books, left Borve in Harris, in company with the 

 Reverend Mr. Alexander Macleod, minister of the Forest 

 district, I crossed the sand ford and hills of Luskentir 

 to the little Bay of Kindibig, where we lodged with a 

 farmer, who next day ferried us over Loch Tarbert to a 

 place called Urga. We remained there for a night, and 

 then continued our journey, proceeding up along, craggy, 

 and bleak valley, in which is a very dark-coloured lake, 

 famous for a goblin -beast which is seen upon it in summer 

 in the form of a black mass having three humps. The 

 wind was exceedingly keen, the hail came in great 

 showers, and the summits of the mountains were covered 

 with snow. I left the parson a little above Marig, a 



