BY THE LOCH-SIDE 165 



taking place helps to explain the fact, that, though 

 so many eggs are hatched, the number of birds in a 

 district scarcely sensibly increases. 



Mire snipe, and golden plover were common 

 along the grassy, and moist margin. Within the 

 rushes, the sedate coot, with her black coat, and 

 the curious white patch on the forehead, sailed 

 with her little brood of seven or eight. The 

 mallard was engaged with her second family. 

 And the teal seemed to be playing at " housie," so 

 diminutive, and matronly did she appear, and so 

 burdened with the care of her twelve children. 

 The tufted duck ; a few dun birds, with handsome 

 red head and powdery grey back ; and a pair of 

 shovellers, augmented by the progeny of the year, 

 completed the apparent life of the lake. 



Grouse came down from the hills to the roadside ; 

 and, although it was already within sight of the 

 Twelfth, some of them were so poorly fledged that 

 I might easily have caught them with my hand. 

 A stick would have been a deadly weapon. The 

 prospects for shooting, therefore, must have been 

 exceptionally favourable. 



Along the fringe of the hills, blackcock were not 

 uncommon, although the bird is on the decrease 

 throughout the Highlands. Young sportsmen, of 



