388 BIRDS OF THE WEST OF SCOTLAND. 



of this Highland chief and his two unusual followers. Ten days 

 afterwards, when crossing the Minch, in a vain attempt to reach 

 Dunvegan with a rent mainsail, I thought, and not without a 

 certain feeling of bitterness, of the utter impossibility of making 

 any such ornithological observations. I have been on rough seas 

 on many occasions, -but a more tumultuous body of water than the 

 Minch presented on that occasion could hardly be conceived. It 

 was certainly a mistake to leave Lochmaddy and the crews of a 

 dozen wind-bound vessels wondering at our temerity. The sea was 

 too rough for even the Manx shearwater, several of which I saw 

 steering for the narrow entrance to the loch as we left it. Three 

 hours afterwards, on returning crippled to our starting point, I saw 

 the wise birds enjoying their shelter, and a host of plunging gannets 

 playing at their old game of " follow my leader." " Everything 

 comes in here when it's coorse," said the skipper; and on getting 

 into the snug inn I had left in the morning, with a feeling of 

 relief at my escape, I thought Lochmaddy not such a bad place 

 after all. 



THE LONG -TAILED DUCK. 



FULIGULA GLACIAL1S. 



Eun buchuinn. 



THE Long-tailed Duck, or Northern Hareld of British authors is, 

 to the greater number of their readers, one of the rarer species, 

 whose habits and history appear to have received less consideration 

 than they merit. Since the time of Willughby these have been 

 but lightly treated, one writer having handed down what another 

 had written before him, without adding a word from personal 

 observation. Hence, this most interesting and beautiful bird holds 

 a place among the feathered tribes of our country as an uncommon 

 visitor, its occurrence on our coasts being merely records of where 

 the bird was found and by whom it was shot. Yet in many parts 

 of Scotland the species is tolerably well known, as it returns regu- 

 larly each season to its accustomed haunts, where food and other 

 causes make the locality attractive. In the winter season, from 

 October till March, it is very common in the Sound of Harris in 

 the Outer Hebrides, and is likewise met with in considerable 

 numbers off the coasts of Skye, Mull, and Islay, but southwards of 



