1^^ , SHOOTING. 



of lier vast domains, and can scan tlie singular economy that prej 

 vails in the congregated famihes that are here bred and nonnshei 

 by her paternal hand. The enterprising fowler scrambles from one 

 chtf to another, sometimes with fear and trepidation, while he oiteu 

 recoo-nizes birds of which he knew httle or nothmg before ; and 

 perchance may cast his eye on the nest of the eagle whose maraud 

 mg flights are marked in every direction with blood and rapine. 

 "High from the summit of a craggy cliif 

 Hung o'er the deep, such as amazmg frowns 

 On utmost Ivilda's shore, whose lonely race 

 Resign the setting sun to Indian worlds, 

 The roval eagle draws his vigorous young. 

 Strong' pounced, and ardent with paternal fire, 

 Now ht to raise a kingdom of their own. 

 He drives them from the fort, the towering seat, 

 Por ages of his empire ; which in peace 

 Unstained he hold, while many a; league tosea ^^ 

 He wings his course, and preys in distant isles. ' 



Thomson. 



To point out all specific localities where gull shooting can b( 

 best obtamed in this country, and where all the mdn-ect advan 

 ta"-es derived from it can be reahzed, would lead us too much mtf 

 matters of detail. But we may remark that the northern parts o 

 the kingdom are more prohfic of these birds than the southeriil 

 They are found in inconceivable numbers in the Fern Islanas, oi 

 the coast of Northumberland; and all around the northern anc 

 western parts of Scotland they are to be found equally numerous, n 

 particular rocky localities. In the Orkney and Hebrides islands 

 there is good sport; for we conceive that most sportsmen wh( 

 have had opportunities of enjoying this rpecies of shooting, luus 

 have remarked, that the farther you extend north, and get mto corn, 

 paratively unfrequented places, the loss shy the bu-ds become, an( 

 the richer harvest awaits the guimer. The weather, too, has 

 great influence over sport. All these diflerent knids of sea-lowKni 

 more approachable in stormy than in fme weather; only the latte 

 is not so pleasant to the sportsman hunself. But there is n 

 getting all matters to square evcidy in sporting practices. Ill: 

 good must be blended with the evil, to make even sport itself keenlj 



"^pllsllCCl 



The Su'cm famili/ [Juas^ljhm.). —These birds have long bee 

 illustrious among sportsmen. The ancients consecrated tlici 

 to Jpollo and the M^tses. Callimachus, in his hymn upon tli 

 island of Debos, says— 



" AVhen from Pactolus' golden bani';:s 

 Apollo's tuneful songsters, snowy swans. 

 Steering their fliglit, seven times their circHiig coui-se, 

 Wheel round the island, carolling meantime 

 Soft melody, the favourites of the nine, 



