The Visors. 225 



go free. It had a black lamb, and was itself black. 

 As soon as it found itself at liberty it began to bleat 

 on its lamb, which was about two hundred yards ofT 

 with the others, anxiously running about in search of 

 its own dam. It now heard and responded to the 

 calls of its mother, and came running towards her 

 with all speed till within a few yards of her, when it 

 stood and looked at her in bewilderment at the 

 strange appearance she presented. But the well- 

 known bleat of the mother reassured it, and the next 

 minute it was engaging as well the parental protection 

 as a good drink of the maternal milk. 



The farmers are now introducing a larger breed of 

 sheep, but it is said that the wool is not so fine nor 

 so suitable for the knitting work as that of the old 

 Shetland breed. 



In July the nights in Shetland are so short that 

 practically some trace of daylight is never wholly 

 wanting. The Robertsons, finding the nights as 

 pleasant as they were short, were often out till after 

 the break of day. They remarked that in these early 

 hours the lark was never heard as they had heard it 

 in the south of Scotland just before the grey light of 

 coming dawn was discernible. They supposed that 

 in Shetland, when all the twenty-four hours of the 

 day were more or less luminous, the lark found no 

 opportunity for greeting the sun's return with a 

 matutinal song. 



One evening, after taking tea with Mr. and Mrs. 

 Gatherer, they had some agreeable chat with them 

 on the customs of the Shetlanders. Among those 

 described that of the Visors was the most striking. 



Q 



