CHAP. FIFTEEN PIGEONS &> DOVES 



upright and looking gravely at us. Though I thought it a 

 shame to make any of them orphans, I tooktheopportunity 

 of kilHng three fine old male herons, whose black feathers 

 I coveted much for my salmon-flies; sitting quietly at the 

 foot of the rocks, I could distincdy see which birds were 

 well supplied with these feathers, as they flewin to feed their 

 young over my head. The feathers that are so useful in fly- 

 dressing are the blackdrooping feather on the breast of the 

 cock heron: neither the young bird nor the hen bird has 

 them. While resting my men here, I sent rifle-balls through 

 three of the herons, each of whom aff'orded me a goodly 

 supply of feathers. 



Looking with my glass to the opposite coast of the firth, 

 I could distinctly see the long range of sandhills between 

 NairnandtheBayof Findhorn, and coulddistinguish many 

 familiar points and nooks. While resting here, too, a large 

 seal appeared not above a hundred and fifty yards out at 

 sea, watching us with great attention, but would not come 

 within sure range of my rifle. As we returned homewards, 

 the pigeons were in great numbers flying in to the caves 

 to feed their young. A pair of peregrine falcons also passed 

 along, on their way to a rock where they breed, farther east- 

 wards than we had been. 



We saw too a flock of goats winding along the most in- 

 accessible-looking parts of the cliff; and now and then the 

 old patriarchal-looking leader would stop to peer at us as 

 we passed belowhim, and when hesawthatwehadnohostile 

 intention towards his flock, he led them on again, stopping 

 here and there to nibble at the scanty herbage that was to 

 be found in the clefts of the rocks. In one place where we 

 199 



