CHAP. xi. THE SNIPE ESCAPES. 217 



and was just on the eve of giving up the pursuit as 

 hopeless having, as I thought, beat the ground over 

 and over again to no purpose, when up rose 

 the bird from amongst my very feet. Both bar- 

 rels were again emptied, but with little apparent 

 effect. The last one made him scream somewhat 

 harshly, and falter a little in his flight, but that was 

 alL On he sped. Darkness now put an end to any 

 further operations for that day. Next day, however, 

 and for many days after, I was out, but, although 

 I searched the coast as far as the sands of White- 

 hills on the one side, and the burn of Melrose on 

 the other, I could find no traces of the bird. And 

 thus I lost perhaps one of the greatest ornithological 

 rarities that has ever visited the district." 



One of the most vivid descriptions which Edward 

 inserted in the BanffsTiire Journal, was a narrative of 

 a day's adventures on Gamrie Head. The editor, 

 in introducing it to his readers, said that it reads not 

 unlike a chapter of Audubon or Wilson. The reader 

 will judge for himself: 



" Having promised to visit some friends in Gar- 

 denstown to partake of their hospitality during the 

 festive season of the New Year, I left home with that 

 object on the morning of the 31st of December 

 1850. I passed through Macduff, and took the path 

 which leads along the cliffs, hoping thereby to meet 

 with something rare or strange in the ornithological 

 world, and worthy of my shot. In this way I had 



