58 



On reaching us they were agreeably surprised 

 to discover who we were, more particularly as they 

 had neither meat nor drink with them, and needed 

 but little pressing to commence operations on what 

 we were able to provide them with. 



When they had satisfied their hunger, as I 

 found they were anxious to have the assistance of 

 an additional gun whilst trying another large cairn 

 where they expected to find the cubs they had 

 missed low r er down the hill, I agreed to finish the 

 day with them. 



As the top of the hill was nothing but rocks 

 and stones piled one on the top of the other we were 

 forced to leave the pony where we had lunched. 

 Our course was now kept north, as the earth we 

 w r ere going to was on the Rannoch side of the hill. 

 One hollow which we passed through seemed alive 

 with Ptarmigan, the cocks were flying and croaking 

 in all directions, but as no hens were started and 

 the weather had turned thick and dark, \ve resolved 

 to leave our search for nests till a finer day. 



On arriving at the fox cairn we found it bore 

 no sign of having been used this season, and as it 

 was now too late to try further, the terriers were 

 coupled and we turned back. 



We had not gone more than one hundred yards 

 when hearing a scuffle behind us we turned round 

 and saw a hen Ptarmigan struggling in the mouth 

 of one of the fox-terriers. On shouting to the dog 

 the bird flew away none the worse excepting the 

 loss of a few tail feathers. 



As we expected, the terrier had seized her on 

 her nest which contained seven eggs. He had 

 luckily only been able to catch hold of her tail, as 

 the other terrier to which he was coupled was 

 tugging in the opposite direction and had most 

 probably so saved the life of the bird. As I 

 required the female in the present state of plumage, 

 we determined to retire to the shelter of a large 



