CATALOGUE OF BIRDS. 89 



sanguine, and it was not very long after receipt of 

 this communication that I left the Island of Barra 

 for the island mentioned as lying northwards. On 

 arrival at the hotel there, I sent for the ghillie who 

 had been recommended to me, told him that in 

 addition to trout fishing I had "other fish to fry." 

 Although I had permission to obtain the specimens, 

 I did not wish to satisfy the curiosity of inquisitive 

 people, who are always trying to mind other 

 people's business instead of their own. So, in the 

 first instance, I impressed upon my ghillie the 

 importance of the good old proverb of a " Silent 

 tongue making a wise head," and, next, I proceeded 

 to solve the problem of how to take a shot with 

 presumably nothing more than the general 

 paraphernalia that accompany the ordinary trout 

 fisher of the present day. I did, however, solve it ; 

 what the solution was, I haven't the least intention 

 of telling you, but leave you to work it out for 

 yourself. 



Having brought you up very gradually by a long 

 explanation, I will now lead you to the very day on 

 which I obtained the two specimens in the case. It 

 was, as far as I remember, several days after my 

 arrival before I met with the birds on a small tarn, 

 on a vast stretch of moorland, which you might say 

 was made up of numberless lochs and little tarns. 

 It was a fine bright day ; my ghillie, whom I will 

 call Mac, that being part of his name, had a very 

 fine pair of marine glasses, and not very much 

 escaped me when looking through them. We were 



