248 THE PEAT ISLE. 



obtained a long right and left. The first I fired at sitting, 

 the other flying. The No. 4 flew all about the sitting 

 bird, but she did not seem hit ; the other fell dead, to 

 Dick's delight. Proceeding a little further, we were 

 encouraged by a distant view of the dun-birds busily at 

 work in Camstraddan Bay. A long, intricate, and danger- 

 ous crawl, from the birds being very scattered, brought me 

 within a run. Sorry to see that they were diving upon a 

 bank at an uncertain distance. Selected the nearest two, 

 and made my run. Fired the moment they topped the 

 water ; both fell, one dead, the other fluttered away into 

 the waves, and was soon lost sight of. Keeper, meantime, 

 had got his eye upon a solitary morillon, a short way off, 

 which was under water when I fired. The ice prevented 

 his getting so near the shore as he evidently wished. 

 Easily stalked him, and made the first dead miss since the 

 commencement of niy sport. Meant to shoot him on the 

 wing, but he would not fly until I was in the act of taking 

 a poking sitting aim ; spread his wings at the critical 

 moment of pulling the trigger, and, in fact, flew away from 

 the leaden shower before it reached him. Did not waste 

 my second barrel upon so worthless game, but had a good 

 laugh at his escape. When we returned to Eossarden, 

 two of the widgeon had fed pretty close to the shore, the 

 other remained in the deep. . Stalked the pair from Koss- 

 arden wood, and strung them both at a shot. 



Embarked for Inch Moan. When about a mile off, saw 

 two small flocks of moss-ducks, one on the north and the 

 other on the south side of the island. Of necessity, we 



