250 THE WILDS OF SUTHERLAND. 



lochs, are far more rare in the waters of the 

 central or western Highlands. When consulting 

 John about this bird, an open vehicle most oppor- 

 tunely drove up. This was the Duke's superin- 

 tendent of the Scourie division of Sutherland, 

 who had come down to Assynt to settle the 

 marches between the Sutherland and Tarbat 

 estates. 



Mr M., with hearty Highland warmth, pro- 

 moted the object of our tour. He suggested 

 that Sutherland himself should accompany us to 

 a small loch where a pair of black-throats yearly 

 hatched, and we were, if possible, to shoot the 

 male, when the female, having only begun to lay, 

 would soon provide another mate. 



Next morning we drove to this lochan, with 

 its prettily-wooded islets, on two of which Suther- 

 land proposed my son and I should lie in hiding 

 whilst he moved our quarry. 



Snugly ensconced among the bushes of the two 

 mid islets, we soon perceived the pair emerge 

 from the reeds of the furthest bay, and John's 

 boat guiding them if possible to our cross -fire. 

 The creatures, of course, kept close together when 



