BIRDS OF MOORLAND AND LOCH. 103 



commenced to crouch and hustle in a make- 

 believe sort of way that she had eggs under her. 

 This hollow pretence at brooding was evidently 

 very unsatisfying, for in two minutes she gave it 

 up, and, flying forward against the wind, pitched 

 lightly on her nest, and engaged in the real thing. 



The darkness of the weather made it almost 

 impossible for me to indulge in rapid exposures, 

 and the waving of the bent grass and heather, 

 to say nothing of the constant head movements 

 from side to side of the bird, rendered slow ones 

 exceedingly difficult. However, on the principle 

 of " nothing venture, nothing have," I made a 

 number of more or less haphazard shots, one or 

 two of which turned out good beyond all ex- 

 pectation. In two hours I made ten exposures, 

 and, then waited for a further period of like 

 duration in an achingly cramped and more than 

 moist position for a fresh supply of plates, which 

 my companion discovered he had forgotten only 

 when he arrived within a hundred yards of my 

 hiding-place. 



The unfavourable character of the weather 

 and my physical condition, decided me not to 

 wait until the keeper returned with the reserve 

 plates, which he was anxious to fetch. 



Whilst retracing our steps along the shores of 

 a small loch, we saw a short-eared owl hunting 

 for prey, and her peculiar erratic flight could be 



