154 LOCH C RERAN. 



" Better go and keep him company if you like that 

 style of thing so much," said Jenny in a fret ; " neither 

 of you will have a ' nice easy time of it ' with me." And 

 with a flick she was off, and the two others were left to 

 settle the dispute that arose in the orthodox Robin Red- 

 breast fashion, and with a vehemence that sadly spoiled 

 the serenity of their new waistcoats. 



You don't believe it, perhaps, but it's all quite true. 



We can't exactly make out the rooks. We have always 

 been under the impression that rooks paired, that the 

 pair built a nest, that the said nest was a private affair, 

 and that no others interfered with it. Like the apparent 

 simplicity and real complexity of some savage tribes, 

 however, it is quite possible a rookery is more a 

 " commune " than in the mere fact of their living in 

 community. For it is certain that more than two rooks 

 are constantly found building at the same nest, whatever 

 further arrangements may be made. Do the different 

 pairs find it facilitate progress to combine in the mani- 

 pulation of the large sticks they use in their building 

 operations ? 



Wednesday the 2zd was a pet day, with a sharp north 

 wind blowing over the white carpet of snow, and teaching 

 Miss Redbreast how wise it was of her to delay the event. 

 So we put "our best foot foremost" and hurried off to 

 examine a part of the shore we had persistently neglected. 



Look at this rocky corner now, thrust out into the 

 midst of the great bay, and well grown with sea-wrack. 

 This is a great nursery, and seems as much a haunt of 

 dog-fish ( Squale Rovssette) as the cairn at the upper part 

 of the loch is a haunt of skate-fish. They have ap- 

 parently agreed to keep each to their own ground. For 

 rarely do we find a dog-fish egg at the cairn, and we have 



