SPOUT OF BUTE. 129 



St Mary's Loch with a friend, the cracked voice 

 of one cuckoo contrasted oddly with half-a-dozen 

 others scattered through the neighbouring woods. 

 "We were lashing opposite sides of the loch, and 

 the first question asked on meeting was " Did 

 you hear the cracked cuckoo ? " 



Although living close to the old trees where the 

 brown owls hoot every night, some people are so 

 unobservant as never to have remarked that the 

 " dismal bird " has two calls. The first is one pro- 

 longed note, followed a few seconds after by a 

 juggling imitation. The owl then rests its voice a 

 longer or shorter time according to its whim, with- 

 out any approach to regularity in these intervals. 

 But not to hear the second trembling hoot of a 

 brown owl immediately following the first clear 

 note, is rare indeed ; and I have only remarked this 

 in the case of one or two innovating owls among 

 the many I have listened to under the spring or 

 autumnal moonshine. 



There are no rock- doves in Bute, but great 



numbers of ring-doves (the common wood-pigeon) 



fully supply their place. All spring the groves 



are soothed with the love-note of this ornamental 



I 



