CHAP. TWENTY-FOUR MIGRATION 



OCTOBER \st. — There is no month more in- 

 teresting, or productive of more amusement, 

 both to the naturalist and the sportsman, than 

 this — many new birds now appear, on their 

 route from their more northern breeding-places, wending 

 their weary way to the southern shores of the kingdom, 

 where vast numbers fall victims to the guns which are 

 brought to bear upon them — some for pleasure and some 

 for profit. 



Most migratory birds take advantage of the moonlight 

 to help them on their journey; for example, woodcocks, 

 snipes, fieldfares, etc., generally arrive in this country dur- 

 ing the lightest nights in October and November.The wat- 

 er-fowl seem more independent ofthemoon.and to be chief- 

 ly guided in their arrival by the weather. 



October 6//^.— To-day we saw in the bay as many as fifty 

 or sixty wild swans, evidently just arrived; we went home 

 for swan-shot, Eley'scartridges,and other munitionsof war, 

 but by the time we had got all in readiness to open a cam- 

 paign on the fleet of snow-white birds, they all took flight. 

 After sailing two or three times round the bay, and after an 

 amazing deal of trumpeting and noise, they divided into 

 separate parties, and flew off, some to the east, and some to 

 the west, towards their different winter-quarters. 



October jth. — My old garde-chasse insisted on my start- 

 ing early this morning, nolens volens, to certain lochs six or 

 seven miles off, in order, as he termed it, to take our "satis- 

 faction" of theswans. I mustsay that it was a matterof very 

 small satisfaction to me, the tramping off in a sleety, rainy 

 morning,throughamost forlorn and hopeless-lookingcoun- 

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