WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS 



posed never to visit this part of the country, I have twice 

 seen a pair about my house, both times towards the end of 

 autumn. Last year a pair remained for about three weeks 

 here, from the middle of October to the beginning of Nov- 

 ember, when they disappeared, probably returning south- 

 wards, not being nearlyso hardya bird as the wood-pigeon. 

 Besides the wood-pigeon, we have considerable numbers 

 of the little blue rock-pigeon, breeding along the caves 

 and rocks of the coast, and feeding inland in large flocks. 

 On the opposite coast of Ross-shire and Cromarty, very 

 great numbers are found during the whole year. The caves 

 there are much more extensive, and the rocks less easy of 

 access, than they are along our coast by B urghead, Gordon- 

 ston,df c. ; the rock-pigeons therefore make those rocks their 

 head-quarters. 



Being at Cromarty early in last June, I made an excur- 

 sion along the rocks, for the double purpose of seeing the 

 coast, which ispeculiarlyboldandmagnificent on the Ross- 

 shire side of the Cromarty Ferry, and also of shooting 

 some pigeons and other birds which bred in the caves and 

 cliffs. 



Having hired a boat and crew, we started from Cromarty 

 at the first of the ebbonabrightcalmday, with the little wind 

 that there was coming from the west. If the slightest east 

 wind comes on, the roll of the sea from the German Ocean 

 is so heavy on these rocks that it is impossible to approach 

 them. This is also the case for some days after an eastwind 

 has been blowing, as there still remains a considerable 

 swell. On nearing the west end of the rocks, which are sev- 

 eral hundred feet high, we disturbed a good many cormor- 



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