ORTEGARR. 137 



a beautiful sight. Within twenty yards of me 

 were a roebuck and a rae browsing leisurely on 

 the succulent grasses near the margin. Farther 

 on the left lay a little swampy island densely 

 clothed with wild iris, bulrushes, and other aquatic 

 plants of various colours, and on the intermediate 

 water were several mallards, ducks, teal, coots, 

 moor-hens, and little grebes swimming about and 

 occasionally disappearing among the rank herbage 

 or emerging from its recesses ; while knee-deep at 

 the very edge stood a stately heron, motionless as 

 a statue, intently watching for his prey. This 

 part of the pool was slightly overshadowed by the 

 reflection of the tall trees behind, but farther off 

 the bright sun fell upon the water, lighting up at 

 the same time the interior of the spruce firs and 

 larch groves that clothed the more distant banks. 

 In the very centre of the loch a cormorant was 

 fishing by himself, incessantly diving and remain- 

 ing a long time beneath, but rarely succeeding in 

 capturing anything but very small eels. Every now 

 and then a shadow, like a little cloud, would pass 

 overhead, and a heron would sail through the still 

 air or flap heavily along the surface of the water 

 until he took up his position among the shallows 

 in the distance. After watching this peaceful 



K 2 



