26 FIELD-NOTES FOR THE YEAR. CH. XXIL 



ivory, which driven in by the full strength of the bird's 

 head and neck, must penetrate like a wedge into the 

 shell of the strongest shell-fish found on these shores. 



Beautiful, surpassingly beautiful, is the view 

 before me, as I rest myself on a height of the sand- 

 hills facing towards the north. The bright and 

 calm sea close at hand, and the variously-shaped 

 and variously-coloured cliffs and rocks of Cromarty 

 and Boss-shire, at a distance in reality of twelve or 

 fifteen miles, but which, as the sun shines full upon 

 them, appear to be very much nearer, and all these 

 are backed by mountains of every form and outline, 

 but of a uniform deep blue tipped with white peaks. 

 The sea as smooth as a mirror except where some 

 sea-fowl suddenly splashes down into the water, 

 making a few silvery circles, which soon disappear. 

 Every here and there is a small flock of the long- 

 tailed duck, diving and sporting in the sea, and 

 uttering their strange but musical cry as they chase 

 each other, swimming rapidly in small circles or 

 taking short flights close above the surface ; the 

 whole flock dropping all at once into the water as 

 if shot, not alighting gradually like the mallard 

 and other ducks. 



The heavy but handsome velvet ducks ride 

 quietly on the sea in small companies, at the dis- 

 tance of about two hundred yards from the shore, 



