64 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL. 



very busy fishing, and calling to one another with loud hoarse 

 shouts. I rowed up close to one, and fired a charge of No. 7 

 into him at thirty yards, and, without stopping, held on in the 

 direction of his consort, who had dived at the report, but rose 

 again close to the boat, and another shot stretched her on her 

 back. The third was not much scared, but would not let me 

 approach him, and I was not very anxious to pursue him. These 

 are very large birds, and they weigh, I am sure, fourteen pounds 



each, though I have not weighed them yet. The skin of one is 

 very little hurt, which J will try to preserve ; they are only in 

 their plain winter garb. 



Immediately after meeting with these great monsters, I found 

 myself surrounded by the other extreme of the family of Colym- 

 bidse — namely, three most minute little Dabchicks, or Grebes. 

 Their activity utterly set my shooting at defiance ; and, with a 

 heavy boat deeply laden with ballast, I could not attempt 

 pursuing them till they were fatigued, which is the only mode of 



