302 NETHER LOCHABER. 



like in shape and size. That particular plant, a slight examination 

 satisfied us, was fairly or literally and for ever eradicated, extirpated. 

 "When you get hold of plant and root, you get all ; no other plant 

 can grow in its stead ; no plant, at all events, can honestly call it 

 progenitor. The thing now was clear ; we knew what we had to 

 do, and how simple it was ! One afternoon soon afterwards we 

 called all our people into that field along with us. In all such 

 cases best lead yourself, if you would have the thing done right. 

 We pulled a bracken or two straight up and steadily in their 

 presence, and showed them how it was extracted, even as a practised 

 dentist, " deacon of his craft," deals with an offending tooth root 

 and all complete. They then set to work along with us, and in an 

 hour or so we had the whole field cleared of ferns quite a large 

 cart-load of them each plant with its black root attached, all of 

 which were afterwards found useful as bedding for the pony, and 

 the largest and least broken for thatch. In that field no brackens 

 have since shown themselves. So, if you are troubled with ferns, 

 the proper way is not to cut them down, for they will grow again, 

 but to deal with them as we did, and they will trouble you no 

 more. There is some trouble about it, no doubt, though far less 

 than you would suppose, and then, you see, we really know nothing 

 at this moment worth the having to be had without trouble ; so 

 take the trouble and the good together, and be wise. 



In your sea-shore wanderings, good reader, you must many a 

 time and oft have witnessed the graceful flight of the tern or sea- 

 swallow, the handsomest bird, perhaps, that ever saw its own 

 image reflected in the glassy surface of a waveless sea ; and you 

 must have noticed its sudden dart and dip, now and again, after its 

 prey into the bosom of the green, unbroken waves. This, of 

 course, you have seen and admired a thousand times. But have 

 you ever seen the merlin or merlin falcon (Falco cmsalon), perform 

 the same feat ? No ! Well, we did a few evenings ago ; albeit the 



