116 FIELD NOTES FOR THE YEAR. 



self behind my barricade. With my glass I saw the boy and 

 retriever go round towards them; the appearance of the 

 swans floating quietly on the water was most picturesque, 

 their white forms being clearly defined on the dark blue 

 water, and their shadows almost as distinct as themselves. 

 They all held their heads erect, watching the boy, who, as he 

 had been instructed, walked to and fro opposite the birds 

 and sufficiently near to put them up, but without appearing 

 to be in pursuit of them. I hoped by this means to drive 

 them over to the loch where I was concealed without frighten- 

 ing them so much as to make them take off to the sea; but 

 they seemed so unwilling to rise, and so little afraid of the 

 boy, whom they appeared to look at with curiosity rather 

 than alarm, that I struck a light in order to smoke the pipe 

 of patience and resignation, for, fine as the day was for 

 March, my situation in a damp island and wet through above 

 iny knees began to be uncomfortable. 



The latakia was not half puffed away when I heard the 

 well-known warning cry of the swans, and immediately look- 

 ing round saw them just flapping along the water preparatory 

 to their flight. Cocking my gun, and holding the pipe 

 tighter in my teeth, I waited anxiously to see in what 

 direction they would fly. At first they made straight east- 

 ward, as if off' for the bay of Findhorn, but after a short flight 

 in that direction they turned, and I saw them coming three 

 and three together, as usual, straight towards where I was 

 concealed. In a few minutes they were exactly over my 

 head, at a good height, but still within shot, flying with their 

 long necks stretched straight out and their black feet tucked 

 up, but plainly visible as they passed over me. I stood up 

 and took a deliberate aim at the largest of them as he 

 ascended higher into the air at my unexpected appearance. 

 The first barrel seemed to have little effect on him, though I 

 distinctly heard the shot rattle on his strong quills ; the 

 second, however, which was loaded with larger shot, was 

 more effective : whilst his two companions continued crying 

 to each other, he remained silent. However, he kept up with 

 the rest, and they all went off towards the bay. In the 

 meantime three smaller swans came within twenty yards of 

 me or less, trumpeting and calling loudly. 



With the glass I watched the bird I had fired at, as I knew 

 he was hard hit. He still, however, held his way with the 

 rest, and they were gradually getting indistinct when I 



