234 CATALOGUE OF BIRDS. 



which permission was accorded to shoot those par- 

 ticular birds. Well, these Harriers were got the 

 year following" in the same island, the necessary 

 authority being granted to me by the same gentle- 

 man, who, on my explaining the object I had in 

 view in a personal interview, was most cordial in 

 giving his consent. Still, all the same, I considered 

 it advisable to pursue the same cautious tactics that 

 I had adopted in the previous year — to make no 

 display of a gun in my general paraphernalia. 



In connection with the secrecy with which I went 

 about the whole business there was one rather 

 amusing matter ; I had excited the suspicions of one 

 of the under-keepers, who used to try and pump my 

 ghillie every morning about breakfast time as to 

 what my movements were likely to be for the day. 

 I told my ghillie that his reply should be of an evasive 

 character, such as, "He didn't know, as his master 

 was never in any particular hurry about going out " ; 

 by this means, the under-keeper would soon get 

 tired of waiting to solve a problem about which he 

 was very inquisitive, and about which I had not the 

 slightest intention of enlightening him. In the end 

 he gave me up as a bad job. 



Now, as to the circumstances under which the 

 birds were obtained. One bright glorious day I 

 was roaming about in the south part of the island, 

 I admit with the object of trying to find a Hen 

 Harrier's nest. 



After searching many likely spots without success, 

 my ghillie and I walked on to a promontory that 



