44 TOUR IN SUTHERLANDSHIRE. 



of the water. Though not exactly web-footed, the phalarope 

 swims with the greatest ease. The attachment of these two 

 birds to each other seemed very great : wherever in their 

 search for food they wandered so far apart as to be hidden 

 by the intervening weeds, the male bird stopped feeding 

 suddenly, and, looking round, uttered a low and musical call 

 of inquiry, which was immediately answered by the female 

 in a different note, but perfectly expressive of her answer, 

 which one might suppose to be to the purport that she was 

 at hand and quite safe : on hearing her the male immediately 

 recommenced feeding, but at the same time making his way 

 towards her ; she also flew to meet him : they then joined 

 company for a moment or two, and after a few little notes of 

 endearment, turned off again in different directions. This 

 scene was repeated a dozen times while I was watching 

 them. They seemed to have not the slightest fear of me, for 

 frequently they came within a yard of where I was sitting, 

 and, after looking up, they continued catching the small 

 water-insects, &c., on the weeds without minding my presence 

 in the least. 



After having apparently exhausted the food in one pool, 

 on a signal from the male they suddenly both took wing, and 

 flew away to a fresh feeding-place two or three hundred 

 yards off', where we afterwards found them. Though \ve 

 could not discover their ne.Ft, I have no doubt that they had 

 eggs very near the spot where we saw them. Indeed, on 

 dissecting the female wo found two eggs in her, nearly full- 

 sized, so that probably she had already deposited the other 

 two, which would have made her number complete. I find 

 no account of this bird breeding on the mainland of Scotland. 



A great many widgeon breed about Loch Naver. I saw r 

 several drakes sitting on the points of grass running out into 

 the lake, shining brightly in their beautiful and variegated 

 summer dress. I also cnme upon an old duck-widgeon, who 

 kept fluttering round my feet. On looking closely I found 

 about seven young widgeon two or three days old, very like 

 wild ducks of the same age, but having, instead of the green 

 colour of the young mallard, a kind of reddish brown tinge 

 over the whole of their down. They soon scuttled away into 

 the lake, and we presently saw them swimming far out with 

 the old bird. The number of young redshanks, peewits, &c., 

 seemed very great. The terrier found them everywhere. 

 The redshank has a merry and not unmusical note as he flies 



