THE OLD ROCK. 269 



deficiency is made up by the great variety of birds, 

 especially seabirds, which literally swarm. Certainly 

 in no district within the limits of the British Isles are 

 there equal facilities for studying bird life. 



Then of marine plants and animals of the lower 

 orders, there is also great variety: so that a Naturalist 

 has here an admirable field for the prosecution of what- 

 ever may be his particular department of science. 



Shetland is also rich in legend and antiquarian lore, 

 although little has as yet been done to explore these 

 fields. 



Here also the artist, professional or amateur, will 

 find no lack of subjects for brush, pencil, or camera 

 — in great stretches of moorland and heather, in 

 magnificent and fantastically shaped rocks, in old ocean 

 in all his moods, in sunrises and sunsets unsurpassed 

 anywhere, in old Brochs, old mills, fishermen's huts, 

 semi-wild ponies and sheep. 



But to the sportsman no less than to the scientist, 

 the antiquarian and the artist, does the Old Eock 

 afford manifold attractions. It is true we have no 

 deer and no foxes ; but we have seals and otters, 

 whales and porpoises. A whale-hunt is most exciting 

 sport; and seal-hunting, I hesitate not to say, is in 

 no respect inferior to deer-stalking. We have no 

 grouse, no pheasants, no partridges, and only a very 

 few hares in one or two localities. But we have 

 great numbers of snipe, and of golden plover, many 

 species of wild duck, rock pigeons, wild geese, wild 

 swans in spring and autumn, and rabbits in abundance 



