10 TOUR IN SUTHERLAND. CH. I. 



occupations. All these birds had probably eggs 

 near the spot. After a short time they ran and 

 walked about fearlessly, quite regardless of my 

 being so near them ; while the lively and restless 

 little dunlin ran almost over my feet without fear, 

 as I sat near the edge of the loch. 



The mountains of Corgach and Assynt, some of 

 which I could see from Loch Urigil, are of a very 

 striking and peculiar form, standing out boldly and 

 independently from the lower hills that surrounded 

 them. Occasionally a curlew would come wheeling 

 over my head, uttering its loud cry of alarm and 

 warning, something between a whistle and a scream ; 

 but he soon sailed back to his mate on the sloping 

 moss that covered the hill-side near the lake. A 

 beautiful cock grouse came down within a few yards 

 of me, and picked about amongst the stones at the 

 edge of the water, occasionally stopping as if to 

 exhibit himself as he stood erect with his bright- 

 red comb raised to its utmost height. When at 

 last he saw me, instead of seeming alarmed, he rose 

 and alighted again on a small hillock only a few 

 feet farther off, and stood there some minutes watch- 

 ing me closely, and then flew off, crowing a short 

 distance up the heather. The gray geese seemed 

 in constant motion, sometimes feeding and some- 

 times flying after each other in pairs with loud cries. 



