JANUARY, 1883. 261 



snow and the latter speckled with sunlight, with here a 

 lonely sea-bird or passing gull, and there a seal on the 

 look-out for its Christmas or New- Year dinner. Frost 

 to-day, rain to-morrow, and frost to follow, with the wine- 

 cups of the inebriated gods running over the evening 

 skies, shading into watery greys as the glorious-tinted 

 liquors met the tears of the goddesses weeping over the 

 follies of their mad mates. The festive season, unreliable 

 as it ever is socially and physically, has been especially 

 uncertain during the past days, and we quite sympathise 

 with the desperate attempt of two of those in the vicinity 

 to follow the unreliable weather, and combine Good 

 Templarism with " Ne'er 's-day." One good-humoured 

 son of Benderloch, who desired us to sacrifice to the 

 presiding genius of the day, and swallow a molten fiery 

 furnace, displayed a blue ribbon in his coat ; and upon 

 our suggesting the absurdity of the combination of his 

 offer and his button hole, he coolly explained that he 

 carried the inevitable bottle all the same, but that he 

 and a crony having resolved to meet an hour after, 

 decided that the only security for their doing so was for 

 them to be Good Templars till they met again? We 

 feel as if the novel idea were stolen from the fields and 

 moorlands about. Two days ago they were " soaking," 

 next day after an evening's frost they were firm and 

 secure, but they were only awaiting the southerly breeze 

 that had gone round the corner, and to-day they are 

 again scarce traversible. 



But the loch was traversible, and we enjoyed 

 thoroughly the varied hauls that brought new wonders to 

 view. New, that is, absolutely new, no reasonable being 

 expects much of nowadays, but relatively novel gatherings 

 are ever coming to cheer the lover of Nature, for 



