152 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL. 



there being some few floating fronds of seaweed ("knobbed 

 wrack ") on the surface about her. Again I started her sorely- 

 tried lord, with exactly the same result. He would not go 

 without her. Just then, however, a sudden whim crossed her 

 capricious ladyship's head, and, without a moment's notice, off 

 she clipped, with her gallant drake close in her wake. I watched 

 them down, again came up with them, and they again performed 

 the same evolutions. The duck seemed to think she was safe ; 

 that I would not shoot such an insignificant object as herself, as 

 long as that splendid fellow of a husband of hers was waiting 

 there to be gone after. His opinion seemed to be about the same, 

 only he could not bring himself to forsake his " duck " to seek his 

 own safety. So he continued swimming round and round her in 

 a wide circle, allowing me to come within fifty or sixty yards, and 

 then flying a little distance, while the duck would only fly when 

 I made straight for her, coming within forty yards. I left them 

 at last, though of course I might have shot them both with the 

 greatest ease. Meeting another couple, under somewhat similar 

 circumstances, I killed the drake. To my surprise, he was not in 

 nearly such highly brilliant plumage as some I had got early in 

 January (of course, long before they had paired). I observed espe- 

 cially that the teal-like green patch behind the eye, which was quite 

 absent in the mated bird, was very highly developed in some of 

 the winter birds. I should suppose that mature age brings this 

 accession of beauty ; if so, it is but natural to suppose that these 

 well-plumed old beaux are not the birds to be caught pairing the 

 day before St Valentine. 



Two or three pair of Teal seemed inclined to act in the same 



