LETTER XXIV. 



173 



powder, while quantity is not superior to quality, as his list 

 includes birds which are barely recognised as Scottish. One of 

 these, a male Gadwall, he contrived to send to me (though this 

 was difficult where there was a post only once a month or six 

 weeks). The Stilt, Spoonbill, and Osprey figure, while Eagles 

 seem as common as Sparrows ; every house keeps a tame one, and 

 my friend soon had a young Sea Eagle on his staff, which became 

 almost tame, though it resented being poked with an umbrella by 

 breaking the stick in three bits and scattering the silk to the winds. 



On the 17th January Mr M'Vean writes from the Eoss of 

 Mull : " The only new thing in the bird way is that since we 

 brought our tame geese over to this side (mainland side of lona 

 Sound) they at once took to Loch Potii, which as usual is fre- 

 quented by wild- fowl. In a few days they were joined by a 

 White-fronted Goose (I have no doubt whatever as to the species, 

 for I shot one last winter in lona, and had him stuffed in Edin- 

 burgh). This rare bird became quite attached to the tame geese, 

 and came with them to be fed at the window. It was so tame 



