FEB. WIDGEON IN LOCH SPYNIE. 187 



digging under the snow with their bills to get at 

 the herbage. I never saw them do so before in 

 this county; indeed it is very seldom that the snow 

 in Morayshire remains long enough on the ground, 

 at least in the district near the sea, to annoy the 

 wild-fowl to any extent. 



While the snow is soft and newly fallen, the 

 rabbits seldom go fifty yards from their seat of the 

 day before, and constantly return to the same bush. 



About the middle of this month I was shooting, 

 with Captain Gumming, at the Loch of Spynie, 

 which I considered to be about the best loch in the 

 North for wild-fowl shooting. Its situation is ex- 

 cellent ; and being for the most part shallow, and 

 covered with grass, rushes, and tall reeds, it is 

 perfectly adapted in every way for sheltering and 

 feeding all sorts of wild-fowl ; they resort there in 

 incredible numbers, and of every kind, from the 

 swan to the teal. When, in the evening, we took up 

 position near the old potato-fields, we generally 

 killed several mallards, as they feed constantly on 

 these roots. 



The widgeon in this loch are remarkably fine, 

 and seem to come early into good plumage. There 

 would appear to be a great proportion of drakes in 

 the flocks of these birds, as, out of ten widgeon 

 killed there was only one duck. The flight of 



