CHAP. xin. THE LOCH OF STRATHBEG. 255 



her without moving, except turning her head to look 

 at him. On my friend's dog Sancho coming up and 

 putting his nose close to her, she crept away 

 through the bushes for some distance, and then took 

 to flight, leaving a nest and fifteen eggs exposed to 

 our gaze. Before leaving, we carefully closed up the 

 heather again, so as to conceal as much as possible 

 the nest and its beauteous treasure ; and I need not 

 say that we were both delighted with what we had 

 seen. Mr. Smith was particularly struck with the 

 incident, as he had never seen anything of the kind 

 before ; and he remarked, ' I verily believe that I 

 could not have credited the fact if I had not seen it 

 myself/ and he afterwards spoke of it with the 

 greatest admiration." 



Edward also numbered among his friends the 

 Eev. Alexander Boyd of Crimond. It was through 

 the Eev. Mr. Smith that Edward was first introduced 

 to him. Mr. Smith was anxious that Edward should 

 examine and observe the birds of Strathbeg, near 

 which the village of Crimond is situated. Crimond 

 is about thirty-five miles from Banff, ten miles from 

 Peterhead, and about seven from Fraserburgh. 



The loch of Strathbeg was at one time of limited 

 extent. It was connected with the sea at its eastern 

 extremity ; but a hill of sand having, about the be- 

 ginning of last century, been blown across the open- 

 ing during a furious east wind, the connection 

 between the loch and the sea was closed, and it 



