CHAP. xin. BIRDS A T STRA THE EG. 257 



was the haunt of birds from far and near, in pro- 

 digious numbers. In summer time it was the breed- 

 ing-place of numerous birds of a different kind. The 

 people of the neighbourhood say that "all the birds 

 of the world come here in winter." In angry weather, 

 when the ocean is tempest-tossed, the sea-birds fly 

 in, and, mingling with the natives, constitute a very 

 motley group. The number of birds is so great that 

 when a gun is fired they rise en masse, and literally 

 darken the air, whilst their noise is perfectly deafening. 

 The swans are among the largest birds that frequent 

 the loch. Edward found the beautiful White Hooper 

 (Cygnus ferus), and the no less fair and elegant Polish 

 Swan (Cygnus immutabilis). The geese were in- 

 numerable : the Bean Goose (Anser segetum), the 

 Pink-footed Goose (A. IracJiyryncJius), the White- 

 pointed Goose (A. erythropus), the Barnacle Goose (A. 

 leucopsis), the Brent Goose (A. Irenta), the Canadian 

 Goose (A. Canadensis), and even the Egyptian Goose 

 (A. Egyptiacus). The last mentioned was first 

 detected by Mr. Boyd himself. In a letter to Edward, 

 dated the 24th November 1853, he said "One 

 morning lately I was informed that there was a strange 

 bird of the goose tribe in my mill-dam. I sallied 

 forth with a telescope in one hand and a double- 

 barrel, loaded with !N"o. 1, in the other. I first took 

 a leisurely look at him with the former at less than 

 100 yards distance, when I made the following ob- 

 servations : Size and appearance that of a small 



3 



