106 NATURAL HISTORY AND 



and a destructive gamekeeper. My first exploit, 

 after being concealed on the islet, was to shoot 

 the female, while my ally, selecting the trustiest of 

 his " stamps," fixed a sea-trout found in the eyrie 

 on the plate, and set the trap. We then rowed to 

 the adjacent twin islands, forming " the straights" 

 of Loch Lomond, where no less than four couple 

 of vindictive carrion crows had each a nest of 

 " hopefuls," within a few days of beginning their 

 apprenticeship to the nefarious trade of the family. 

 It was of no use to watch four nests for the chance 

 of shooting the old crows, but a smart thought 

 struck us Why should we not use the young as 

 bait in the circle of twigs ? Immediately the four 

 nests were emptied into twig-circles at the foot of 

 their respective trees, and the traps set. 



On our return the same evening, the poor os- 

 prey widower was fast in his trap, and next 

 morning the female " hoody " of all four nests 

 was in the same predicament. The traps were 

 reset, and the " he-ones" of two of the nests taken; 

 but the other pair of males had been so scared at 

 the plight of their struggling mates, as to allow 

 the young to perish rather than venture to feed 



