184 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL. 



in fact nothing more than shooting reminiscences, probably more 

 amusing to the writer than edifying to the reader. I have 

 commenced systematically as you requested ; the only objection 

 to such an arrangement being that it forces me to begin with the 

 land birds, whereas as my field of observation, the Lower Hebrides, 

 to which my notes apply, consists of very little land surrounded 

 by a great deal of water, my experience, as well as tastes, would 

 lead me to give the wet birds the preference to the dry birds. 

 However, with the following " bald, disjointed chat," I get through 

 all the Eagle and Hawk tribe, and so wash my hands of them. 

 The list of the little dicky-bird tribe is but short, for as for those 

 sylvan warblers which frequent woods and bowers we had none 

 of them. Those we had were such as could rough it in a rock or 

 scrubby bush and pay for their board and lodging with a song. 

 Having run through the birds of prey and the small land birds, I 

 continue with the Wading and Water Fowl, and am glad to get 

 into salt water again. I rather neglected our little land birds, 

 and indeed the young companion of my shooting excursions 

 thought it an amiable weakness of mine to take any notice at all 

 of such " small deer." 



The number of Kingfishers here is worthy of remark. They 

 frequent the marshes and inundated pastures through the winter 

 and live solitary. 



On the 18th February the Thrush was singing blithely under 

 the full moon at about 11 p.m. The Cuckoo and Nightingale 

 were heard here on the 18th March, and the Swallow arrived 

 on the 19 th March. These are the only notes this barren soil 

 affords, and with them I conclude. 



