CHAP, xxiv.] WILD SWANS AND WIDGEONS. J93 



lochs : they consist of three pieces of water, the largest about 

 three miles in length and one in width ; the other two, which 

 communicate with the largest, are much smaller and narrower, 

 indeed scarcely two gunshots in width ; for miles around them, 

 the country is flat, and intersected with a mixture of swamp and 

 sandy hillocks. In one direction the sea is only half a mile from 

 the lochs, and in calm winter weather the wild fowl pass the 

 day-time on the salt water, coming inland in the evenings to 

 feed. As soon as we were within sight of the lochs we saw the 

 swans on one of the smaller pieces of water, some standing high 

 and dry on the grassy islands, trimming their feathers after their 

 long journey, and others feeding on the grass and weeds at the 

 bottom of the loch, which in some parts was shallow enough to 

 allow of their pulling up the plants which they feed on as they 

 swam about, while numbers of wild ducks of different kinds, par- 

 ticularly widgeons, swarmed round them and often snatched the 

 pieces of grass from the swans as soon as they had brought them 

 to the surface, to the great annoyance of the noble birds, who 

 endeavoured in vain to drive away these more active little depre- 

 dators, who seemed determined to profit by their labours. Our 

 next step was to drive the swans away from the loch they were 

 on ; it seemed a curious way of getting- a shot, but as the old man 

 seemed confident of the success of his plan, I very submissively 

 acted according to his orders. As soon as we moved them, they 

 all made straight for the sea. " This wo'n't do," was my remark. 

 " Yes, it will, though ; they '11 no stop there long to-day with this 

 preat wind, but will all be back before the clock chaps two." 

 " Faith, I should like to see any building that could contain a 

 rlock, and where we might take shelter," was my inward cogita- 

 tion. The old man, however, having delivered this prophecy, 

 ;;et to work making a small ambuscade by the edge of the loch 

 which the birds had just left, and pointed it out to me as my 

 place of refuge from one o'clock to the hour when the birds 

 would arrive. 



In the mean time we moved about in order to keep ourselves 

 warm, as a more wintry day never disgraced the month of 

 October. In less than half an hour we heard the signal cries of 

 the swans, and soon saw them in a long undulating line fly over 

 the low saiid-hills which divided the sea from the largest loch, 



o 



