20 TOUR IN SUTHERLANDSHIRE. 



difficulty of procuring it, make this interesting bird an object 

 of pursuit amongst bird-.st tillers and collectors, and this, com- 

 bined with the price offered for its eggs by egg collectors, will 

 soon entirely extirpate it from all its present breeding-places. 



The cry of this diver is loud, peculiar, and mournful, and 

 it has acquired the local name of rain-goose among the High- 

 landers, owing to its habit of uttering its croaking call with 

 great perseverance before rain or stormy weather. Its other 

 local and Gaelic names signify the loch hen, and the great 

 loch hen, in distinction to the red-throated diver, which is 

 also frequently found hi this county. The latter bird 

 (Colymbus septcntrlonalis) is much commoner, and is neither 

 so large nor handsome a bird as the former. It is also 

 distinguished readily by the light brownish red neck. The 

 red-throated diver breeds often near small pools arid lochs, and 

 lays its eggs more frequently 011 the shore of the mainland 

 surrounding the loch than on an island. It is not so shy a 

 bird as the black-throated diver, but not being so much 

 valued by collectors, has, I hope, a chance of existing some 

 time yet as an inhabitant of Britain during the breeding 

 season. 



I found that all the shepherds, gamekeepers, and others in 

 this remote part of the kingdom had already ascertained the 

 value of the eggs of this and other rare birds, and were as 

 eager to search for them, and as loth to part with them 

 (excepting at a very high price), as love of gain could make 

 them. Nor had they the least scruple in endeavouring to 

 impose eggs under fictitious names on any person wishing to 

 purchase such things. Indeed I am very sure that many of 

 the eggs sold by London dealers are acquired in this way, 

 and are not to be in the least depended on as to their 

 identity. 



I was told of a singular heronry situated on a lake be- 

 tween Oykel and the inn at Altan-nan-cealgach, where the 

 herons breed in great numbers on the ground in an island on 

 the loch. The place being situated at some distance from 

 the road, I had not time to look fur it, much as I should 

 have liked to have seen the heron building in such a 

 situation; but, as we drove along, I saw several herons 

 winging their heavy iii-ht towards the place where I was 

 told this lake was situated. 



Before we stalled from Inchnadamph, wishing to procure 



e rm,.s of the peregrine falcon, who bred in the cliff near 



