252 FIELD AND FERN. 



temperature without a draught, at the top and 

 through the ledges. In the calf-box range we found 

 a young white Breastplate, and a bit of Bates in the 

 shape of a roan by Lord Oxford (20214) from Mr. 

 Grant DufFs Louise tribe, of which Louise 2nd by 

 Champion (11264), "the old original bull of all," 

 and Louise 3rd by Lord Raglan seemed the leading 

 pair. There were several boxes ten feet square 

 for cows and calves; and Stumpy, the prize Ayrshire, 

 was consorting in a row of stalls with Sister Mary 

 by Sir Colin (16953), and her daughter Sister Ethel 

 by King Egbert (18134) who was "still more Booth in 

 her head." There, too, were Lady Gertrude by M'Turk 

 (14872), Princess Laura by Prince Arthur, and Maid 

 of Orleans by Lord of the Valley (14837) and true to 

 her sire's horn ; and we can well see the truth of 

 what Ward says : " It will soon be Branches over 

 again, for his lordship's all for Booth" 



And so we leave" the shady groves and sunny slopes 

 of the Priory, and ride on four miles past " Patience 

 on a tram-road," and carts bearing tons of Dundee 

 police manure, to Inchmartine, the home of the 

 celebrated Henwife of the Car.se. There is no- 

 thing like approaching a subject gradually; and 

 certainly we did so, as " a little waterhen crossed 

 the drive into the laurels" was our first note, Mrs. 

 Fergusson Blair's love of hens is scarcely twelve years 

 old, and it had its origin on board a steamer from 

 London to Edinburgh. Looking at some coops of 

 Cochins helped to beguile the weariness of the saloon, 



