9 8 LOCH CR&RAN. 



upon the river bank, and helped to complete the 

 destruction of an enormous mass of vegetable matter. 



The tide of Monday the 28th, although a neap, was as 

 high, but not so rough, as that of the Tay Bridge night, 

 so that we could well understand our venerable friend 

 suggesting that the land may be really sinking to meet 

 the waters. After the subsidence, two oyster catchers, 

 with unexampled daring, sported but a few yards in front 

 of our door, as they anxiously and hurriedly devoured 

 the sickening earth-worms that had escaped the former 

 inundation, only to succumb before this fresh and 

 uncalled-for assault. Yesterday the little coletits in 

 numbers were busy in terrible earnest, and regardless of 

 our presence in the woods, probably anticipating last 

 night's storm. 



The most interesting and important stranger that has 

 lately fallen to the gun in our district is a phalarope shot 

 at Barcaldine. This proved to be a red-necked phalarope 

 ( Phalaropus hyperboreus ). These rare lobe-footed 

 swimmers are of a remarkably tame and confiding 

 character, apparently little used to human neighbourhood. 

 We have only observed one before in this district, when 

 it flew about our boat in such a confiding manner that 

 we did not shoot it, although pressed to do so. 



We observed on this occasion, as after the former 

 severe storms, that the pheasants were afraid to trust 

 themselves off their legs, having become thoroughly 

 demoralised after the tempest. 



DECEMBER, 1881. 



" Not bad weather for the country, " says one, with 

 emphasis ; " very good weather indeed," says another, 



