224 Notes on Sport mtd Travel i 



tion of the golden eagle has caused the increase of 

 the blue hare to a formidable extent, and the only 

 way to keep him down will be to let his own 

 adversary have full swing again. I do not regret 

 the coming fate of Lcpus variabilis ; I like to see 

 him now and then, as he frisks among the stones, 

 or walks about on his hind toes, like a cross between 

 a kangaroo and a dancing dog ; but he is an awfu' 

 plague both to the sheep-farmer, the deer-stalker, 

 and the grouse -shooter, when he becomes too 

 numerous, — spoiling ten times as much grass as his 

 head is worth ten times told, putting up the deer 

 in his idiot terror, and seeming to delight in running 

 up hill and seating himself on the sky-line, so that 

 the whole world may see that he has seen something 

 alarming, and pestering your pointers and setters 

 with his sneaky draws and foolishly astute meander- 

 ings. The osprey, too, may come back when she 

 likes, and we will gladly pay a tribute of grilse to 

 her ladyship ; indeed, she has come back, and was 

 seen last summer floating and peering about, and 

 speculating whether she might trust herself and her 

 family on Loch Assynt again. 



What particular kind of weasel a ' whittret ' 

 (? whitethroat) was, I don't know, but all the other 

 quadrupeds, with the exception of the wolf, may be 

 had now for the seeking. That British tiger, — the 

 wild-cat — is now very scarce, but two kittens were 

 seen, and one killed, last year. I fancy they will 

 soon follow their old comrade the wolf, and the 



