Ill, THE DABCHICKS, 139 



' found ' building nests in Sutherland : and, 

 on the whole, it seems that here is a sort of 

 petrel-partridge, and duckling-dove, and diving- 

 lark, with every possible grace and faculty 

 that bird can have, in body and soul ; ready, 

 at least in summer, to swim on our village 

 ponds, or, wait at our railway stations, and 

 make the wild north-eastern coasts of Scotland 

 gay with its dancing flocks upon the foam ; 

 were it not that the idle cockneys, and pot- 

 headed squires fresh out of ParHament, stand 

 as it were on guard all round the island, 

 spluttering small-shot at it, striking at it with 

 oars, cutting it open to find how many eggs 

 there are inside, and, in fine, sending it for 

 refuge into the hot water of Hecla, and any 

 manner of stormy solitude that it can still find 

 for itself and its amber nestlings. I have 

 never seen one, nor I suppose ever shall see, 

 but hear of some of my friends sunning them- 

 selves at midnight about the North Cape, of 

 whom, if any one will bring me a couple of 

 Arctic fairies in a basket, I think I can pledge 

 our own Squire's and Squire's lady's faith, for 

 the pair's getting some peace, if they choose 

 to take it, and as many water-lily leaves as 



