FEBEUAKY 33 



place diving as if their lives depended upon it (as 

 indeed they do), perpetually scratching their heads 

 under the irritation of parasites, from which all aquatic 

 birds suffer so much, and evincing marked aver- 

 sion to being spied. On this occasion they took no 

 notice of me as I stood in full view upon the lake 

 shore. 



It looked like courtship : all the elements were there 

 the lady and the rivals but at most it can only 

 have been a rehearsal ; harmless flirtation is unknown 

 among birds ; when they begin they mean business ; the 

 suitor is terribly in earnest, the lady becoming coy but 

 quite wide awake, with practical views about a suitable 

 establishment ; but the golden-eye is a late nester, and 

 has never been known to breed in this country. It 

 migrates in spring to northern latitudes, where the 

 female lays her eggs generally in a hollow tree. The 

 scene described above took place more than three 

 months before these birds ought to contemplate matri- 

 mony. I should greatly like to ask these gallants 

 whether their intentions were strictly honourable. 



Since this little episode we have had experience of a 

 fierce little winter a sharper after-bite than usual 

 more, however, in the way of blizzard than of intense 

 frost. Very beautiful some of these days were, as I 

 witnessed them, in Helmsdale, which is the name the 

 Norse invaders of the tenth century gave to that fine 

 valley which the original Gael of Sutherland called 

 Strath Ullie. It was not intensely cold, for the dale 

 retains most of its primeval birch wood, greatly appre- 

 c 



