I22 LOCH CRERAN. 



certainly the wind has not been less easterly than before 

 this stray meteorologist made its appearance, no doubt 

 having been sitting at the feet of Mr. Wragge and Ben 

 Nevis during the summer. 



Most sportsmen know how a non-aquatic bird behaves 

 when it is either suddenly forced to take to the water or 

 falls there to the gun. Not only does it make a terrible 

 splashing and sputtering, but appears really alarmed for 

 its safety in this unknown and dreaded element. No 

 class of birds is less aquatic than the gallinaceous birds 

 of the wood and the heath, the rock and the mountain. 

 Yet even these birds seem to accommodate themselves to 

 circumstances in a remarkable way, as the following 

 occurrence will testify : The plantations have not been 

 shot over for black cock for some weeks ; but the other 

 day a wounded bird was encountered that had evidently 

 been subsisting during the intervening period without being 

 able to take flight. When pursued it eventually took to the 

 stream at a deep portion, and not only swam steadily and 

 freely, with its wings close to its side, but actually went 

 under the bank and took refuge in a hole, as a wild 

 duck would do. As the bird was captured in this position 

 there is no doubt about the species, and a very fine 

 specimen of a black cock it was, in beautiful plumage. 

 Unable to escape from ordinary danger by flight, it had 

 acquired the art of swimming, and took naturally to the 

 very arts that specially appertain to water hens or coots. 

 That birds of this class are particularly helpless on the 

 water is abundantly evident from the dislike of our 

 domestic fowls to entering or encountering water; and 

 the case of a hen with ducklings is often referred to as 

 an instance thereof, not even its affection for its apparent 

 offspring inducing it to leave the shore. A still more 



