COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 15 



in the air. The hawk stooped to it and began to eat 

 the pigeon, and he then succeeded in picking it up. 



Our keeper, George Etches, learned the trade. 

 At that time there was a falcon's nest both at Kin- 

 craig Rocks and on the Isle of May. We got the 

 young ones and kept them for two or three years. 

 We lost a good many, for in a high wind they used 

 to get so far away that they did not come back 

 again. 



Sir Henry was a man with grand and liberal 

 ideas. He was asked to make a fox covert, and he 

 planted thirty-five acres at Belliston, which was the 

 best covert in Fife for many years. When he gave 

 up hunting in 1847 I bought both his horses, and 

 took them to the Atherstone country " Percy" and 

 " Guy Faux ". Sir Henry went out to Persia again 

 and died there. 



In September, 1832, I went to Eton, and wrote 

 to my mother as follows : 



" MR. COLERIDGE'S HOUSE, 

 " ETON, Thursday, 2oth September, 1832. 



" MY DEAR MAMA, - 



" Uncle William brought me out here yes- 

 terday morning and then left me on his road to Scot- 

 land. There are a good number of fellows here, but 

 I do not know how many. I have a room to myself, 

 which I am in at present, but it smells horribly of 

 mice. We breakfast by ourselves, but I breakfasted 

 this morning with Mr. Coleridge, because it was my 

 first time. We dine all together in the dining-room 

 with Mr. and Mrs. Coleridge. I am not placed yet, 



