118 TOUR IN SUTHERLAND. CH. VIII. 



of Sutherland's most skilful and enterprising ten- 

 ants. His cows would have gladdened the eyes of 

 any Devonshire or Cheshire dairywoman, as they 

 did mine, a simple admirer as I am of beauty in any 

 living animal, from a milk-cow to a field-mouse. 



There is an air of well-doing and comfort about 

 the farms on the Duke of Sutherland's property 

 which is delightful to the passer-by, and must be 

 doubly so to the kind and liberal landlord. Very 

 striking, too, is the different appearance of the 

 tenantry on some neighbouring properties, where, 

 to keep up a forced and contemptible show, the 

 proprietor rack-rents his tenants to the very utmost 

 pitch of endurance. 



I will endeavour to give, for the use of the 

 naturalist, a list of the wild-birds of the county ; 

 which he must take, however, exceptis excipiendis, 

 as a list of an unscientific observer of nature. 



To begin with the finest of our indigenous 

 birds : 



1. The Golden Eagle is still to be found tolerably 

 numerous, but gradually decreasing, in the north 

 and north-west part of the county, though likely to 

 be soon extirpated, owing to game-preserving and 

 sheep-farming. To the latter the eagle is far more 

 destructive than to the former. 



