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



like a single ball. Every sportsman knows that 

 this will not answer his purpose in general shoot- 

 ing ; and, therefore, that Eley's cartridges should 

 only be used in the most open places, and at strong 

 birds and animals. 



The wild-swans still remain feeding in the lakes, 

 and seem to have completely made themselves at 

 home ; going lazily off to the bay when disturbed, 

 but seldom taking the trouble to do so unless the 

 particular loch which they frequent, and in which 

 they feed, comes within the line of my beat for wild- 

 ducks. When their territory is invaded they first 

 collect in a close body, and after a short conference, 

 flap along the water for some distance, and gradu- 

 ally rising fly across the sandhills with loud cries 

 to the sea. Hundreds of ducks of all kinds con- 

 stantly attend on the swans when feeding, to snatch 

 at the water-grasses and weeds pulled up by the 

 long-necked birds from the bottom of the shallow 

 water a proceeding the swans seem by no means 

 to approve of, as they evidently have no wish to 

 labour for the good of these active little pirates. 



It has often occurred to me how perfectly help- 

 less a man would be were he to lame himself during 

 the distant and lonely wanderings on the mountain, 

 which the pursuit of deer and wild-game sometimes 

 leads him into ; and I was forcibly reminded of 



