60 FIELD-NOTES FOR THE YEAR. CH. XXIV. 



the topmost branch of the small fir-trees. On the 

 mountains, too, all birds, as the sun gets low, take 

 to the slopes which face the west ; whilst in the 

 morning they betake themselves to the eastern 

 banks and slopes to meet his rays. No bird or 

 animal is to be found in the shade during the 

 winter, unless it has flown there for shelter from 

 some imminent danger. 



This is very remarkable in the case of the golden 

 plovers, who in the evening ascend from slope to 

 slope as each becomes shaded by intervening 

 heights, until they all are collected on the very 

 last ridge which the sun shines upon. When this 

 is no longer illuminated, and the sun is quite below 

 the horizon, they betake themselves to their feed- 

 ing-places near the sea-shore or elsewhere. Goats 

 have the same habit. 



There is no fresh-water lake which has so large a 

 quantity of wild-fowl on it as the Loch of Spynie ; 

 and I do not know a more amusing sight than the 

 movements and proceedings of the thousands of 

 birds collected there during this season. All wild- 

 fowl, from the swan to the teal, swarm on this lake ; 

 and it is most interesting to see the habits and 

 manners of feeding and of passing their time of the 

 different kinds, some feeding only by night and 

 others moving about at all hours. On the approach 



