WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS 



in the cave. We got our light and went to examine what he 

 had. By the tracks, he had evidently come on an otter, who 

 had made his escape into a small hole which seemed to go 

 into the very heart of the rocks, and from which we had no 

 chance of extracting him. This cave was too damp for the 

 birds, but was much marked with the footsteps of otters. 

 Though the entry was so small, the cave itself was both 

 lofty and extensive. 



As we floated along the coast, stopping at the mouths of 

 several caves, and occasionally landing, we put up several 

 large flocks of pigeons, and here and there cormorants and 

 other sea-birds. On one shelf of the rocks, far up above the 

 sea, was the nest of the raven. It was once inhabited by a 

 pair of eagles, but is now quietly tenanted by the raven. 

 These birds had flown; but both young and old were fly- 

 ing about the tops of the cliff, croaking and playing fan- 

 tastic antics, as if in great astonishment at our appearance; 

 for I fancy that they have very few visitants here. I tried a 

 shot at one with a rifle-ball, but only splintered the rock at 

 his feet. 



Some of the caves were of great extent, and very full of 

 picreons, old and young, several of which I killed. The birds 

 were nearly all blue; here and there a sandy-coloured one, 

 but no other variety. Having made our way a considerable 

 distance along the coast, and the tide being now quite out, 

 we landed on a green spot of grass that stretched down be- 

 tween the rocks to the water's edge. Above our heads, and 

 in every direction, were heron-nests; some built in the clus- 

 ters of ivy, and others on the bare shelves of rocks. The 

 young ones were full grown, but still in the nests, standing 



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