106 TOUR IN SUTHERLAND. CH. VI^ 



and sixteenths of an inch, but the authors forget 

 or are not aware of the constant difference of size 

 in birds of the same species. 



We also examined the nest that we had seen in 

 May last near the ferry of Glendha, or Kyleska as 

 it is also called. On looking at it with a glass, we 

 saw one old bird sitting, not standing, on the nest, 

 and yet on Dunbar's swimming out to it he found 

 no egg in the nest, which -was exactly in the same 

 state as when we left it three or four weeks ago; 

 both birds, too > continued sailing and screaming 

 over our heads as if they had eggs or young ones to 

 defend. This nest, like the last three that we had 

 seen, was built on the same kind of conical rocl^ 

 standing out of the waters of the lake ; indeed, on 

 all the lakes where this singularly-shaped rock was 

 to be seen, there also was the psprey's nest, and 

 there it had apparently been for many a long year, 

 as was clearly shown by one of the lochs being 

 known by the old people only under the name of 

 the loch of the "Eagle Fisher." The ospreys, on 

 their arrival in this country, seem to seek ou^ 

 these rocks in the wild solitudes, and on these 

 and these alone do they build. Trusting to their 

 isolated and lonely situation for safety, these in- 

 teresting birds hold undisputed sway over their, 

 watery kingdom. I could not help being reminded 



