224 FALCO iESALON. 



drumming sound of the snipe, which you may see 

 wheeling and diving in the upper regions of the air. 

 The " lang yellow broom " on " the ferny brae," the 

 white-flowered parnassia on the mossy swamp, the gol- 

 den hieracium on that greywacke crag, and the long 

 clusters of the purple foxglove scattered along the 

 sides of the " scar," all seem to burst in beauty on your 

 sight. It is a lovely world after all. Let them talk 

 of their myrtle groves of " the sweet south," their pine 

 forests of " the stormy north," their tangled jungles of 

 " the gorgeous east," their primeval woods of " the far 

 west," their palmy isles, their green savannahs, their 

 steaming swamps, or their burning deserts ; — ^plaee me 

 among the purple heather, on one of the Lammermoor 

 hills, with a merlin's nest in view, and I leave them to 

 enjoy their own pleasures. If they please they may 

 ride crocodiles and thrapple rattlesnakes for aught I 

 care. 



Again, one of the falcons has arrived, with a lark in 

 his claws. Come, let us go, for we have much to do 

 before we reach Gilford, where we are to breakfast. 

 Nay, not so fast, " wait a wee ;" we are on the Lam- 

 mer Law, beside a hawk's nest, and I wish to shoot 

 that smart little fellow that you see hasting away to 

 Danskin Loch. In five minutes he will be there, for 

 eight miles to a merlin are nothing. There, I think, I 

 see him as he goes dashing over the woods. The still 

 pool, overgrown in part with rushes and reeds, and 

 shadowed by thick firs, brightens under the morning 

 beams that shoot slantingly over the hollow in which 

 it lies. The water-hen moves merrily along, jerking 

 up its white-patched tail, as it leads its sooty brood to 



