CH. III. BIRDS OF LOCH MADDIE. 35 



passing from one side of the valley to the other 

 till the sounds died away in an indistinct murmur. 



After emerging from this splendid strath we 

 arrived at the edge of a wide loch with many green 

 islands on it, called Loch Maddie. Here again 

 we put our boat afloat, and leaving our luggage, 



etc., under charge of Leo, while J fished, 



Mr. Dunhar and I went to search the islands in 

 order to discover what birds were breeding there. 

 We found several hooded crows' nests in the birch- 

 trees on the islands, where they had hitherto lived 

 and plundered in perfect security. However, we 

 destroyed their eggs and young without mercy, 

 and shot the birds themselves whenever and 

 wherever we could. 



The hooded crow is the only bird against whom 

 I wage constant and unpitying warfare ; I have so 

 constantly detected them destroying my most 

 favourite birds and their eggs, that I have no pity 

 on them. We also found in these islands many nests 

 of the Gray lag goose. To make sure of the species 

 I shot some of the old birds, it having been rather 

 a disputed question amongst several of my friends 

 whether the goose breeding in this country is the 

 Gray lag (Anser ferus) or the Bean goose (Anser 

 segetum}. All the- geese on Loch Maddie were 

 the Gray lag ; indeed I never saw any of the Bean 



