106 LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 



near Colchester. That expedition finished, on the 17th 

 of the month Balls Park welcomed me again ; and on 

 the 18th ten of us got 853 head, chiefly pheasants. 

 Then came more days at most of the places already 

 mentioned, and altogether during this season I had 

 just over eighty days with my gun, and as the whole 

 of it is but about 150 days, it was a pretty good 

 allowance. 



1885. 



The llth of February found me once more rod in 

 hand, and renting the Kineskie and Upper Crathes 

 water of the Dee. The opening day proved a real good 

 one, as in the evening five fish from the Kineskie water, 

 all taken with natural minnow, were laid out on the 

 stone slab at our front door. Then down came the frost 

 to stop all sport from the 13th to the 23rd, and 

 during these ten days the river was frozen, and there 

 was nothing to be done but watch the clouds and the 

 aneroid, while trying to forget, in the fascinations of 

 curling, that there was a salmon river near at hand. 



