LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 176 



pleasure of making the acquaintance of Mr. Archibald 

 Thorbum, who came to stay a few days on purpose 

 to study ptarmigan for the late Lord Lilford's book 

 of British Birds. As he then was not so celebrated 

 as at present, I was fortunate enough to secure his 

 services for the illustrations of my book of ** Shooting 

 and Salmon Fishing," while later on he also drew for 

 my " Highland Sport " and " The Deer Forests of 

 Scotland." The original drawings of the two first- 

 named books are in the possession of my friend Charles 

 Baily, of Brighton, while those of the last-mentioned 

 volume are safely housed in Mr. Charles Rudd's newly- 

 built house of Ardnamurchan, in Argylshire; and I do 

 not think that there exists a prettier series of twenty- 

 four drawings of sport with rifle, rod and gun than 

 these are. 



As, during the period of Thorburn's stay at Gaick, 

 it so happened that our host was away on a visit, 

 and thus to my lot it chiefly fell to pilot the artist 

 into the wildest and most beautiful bits of ptarmigan 

 ground in the forest, and on departing he gave me, as 



