1 88 CATALOGUE OF BIRDS. 



with water ; it certainly didn't much matter either, 

 considering there were no carpets. My meals were 

 curiosities ; nearly everything was served up in soup 

 plates. I never got any variety in the way of meat 

 but rather coarse chops, and very little in the way of 

 vegetables; but the establishment was strong in eggs, 

 excellent toast (as the bread was first-rate), and 

 marmalade ; so on these I got along very well indeed. 



For the first few days I used to go out with a young 

 fellow named McCartie, the son of a small farmer, 

 who was a very fair shot and a keen sportsman. 

 There were a lot of Ducks of difTerentkinds in a lake 

 not far off, but they were quite impossible to get, 

 except on the off-chance one sometimes gets by 

 flighting at night. However, it was not with 

 McCartie that I got any chance with the Brent 

 Geese. Probably about a week after my arrival 



at Castle Gregory I heard the curate to Father , 



a Roman Catholic Priest, was a great sportsman, and 

 the possessor of a first-rate double-barrelled breech- 

 loading gun by Tolley, and that this said curate 

 knew all about the haunts of the Brent Geese, they 

 being one of his especial studies. Through the kind 

 offices of my landlord I very soon got an introduction 

 to this young sportsman. 



When I proposed a combined expedition against 

 the Brents, he jumped at it ; " Nothing would give 

 him greater pleasure." Now, this curate had a very 

 smart " turn out " in the way of a dogcart and 

 spirited horse, and it was arranged that he should 

 call for me one morning pretty early and drive me 



