26 SOME REMARKS ON THE COLLECTION, 



The back scene of the Great Northern Diver is 

 intended for a distant view of part of the Sound 

 of Mull, with Oban Bay and Castle in the fore- 

 ground ; the bird is supposed to have come up from 

 the open sea with the tide into Oban Bay ; one 

 characteristic of this species being to work towards 

 the shores of sea lochs with the tide. 



The Sheld- Ducks are shown feeding in an 

 imaginary estuary, with sandbanks on one side ; the 

 Mergansers in a Scotch Highland loch, which they 

 often frequent ; the Gannets in an imaginary sea- 

 scape ; the Pintail in creek of the sea in Ireland ; 

 the Brent Geese in an imaginary! sea-scape, with 

 storm and shipwreck, one Goose standing as sentinel; 

 the Eiders on the margin of a loch and water. 

 To take another group — the Black-Throated Diver, 

 the Red-Throated Diver, Mallard, Teal, Shoveller, 

 Gadwall, Coot, and Moorhen. The first-named two, 

 breeding, as they do, in fresh water, are shown with 

 the eggs close to the edge of the water, the usual 

 situation of the nest ; the other ducks are all treated 

 with water and imaginary Highland loch scenes. 

 The surrounding rushes in the two last mentioned 

 cases are quite typical of the haunts of the birds. 



The next group I mention are the Crow family — 

 Carrion and Hooded Crows, Jackdaws, Choughs, 

 and Magpies. With the exception of the Jackdaws, 

 all the rest have — as most suitable to their haunts — 

 been treated with cliff and rock mountings ; the two 

 most effective being, in my opinion, those of the 

 Hooded Crows and the Choughs. The next group 



