CONTENTS. ix 



THE ALPINE OE WHITE HAKE, 



SOMETIMES CALLED THE BLUE HARE. 



Its playful look when started Times of changing colour The 

 brightness or dinginess of its coat a criterion of the severity or 

 mildness of the winter Their snow-burrows Great increase of 

 hill-hares Eagle and hill -hare Strong position of the Alpine 

 hare in presence of the foe Miniature stalking, . . .112 



WOODCOCKS AND SNIPES. 



Kegularity of flight Prefer open ground at first Come to the covert 

 Spring at dusk Shooting woodcocks Irregular belts of plan- 

 tation Narrow strips Large tangled copses on the steep hillside 

 Woodcocks breed in the islands of Loch Lomond Their even- 

 ing flight Mire-snipes Jacks, . . . . .118 



SEA-FOWL SHOOTING IN THE FIRTH OF FORTH. 



Driving with beaters The true sportsman May the month for sea- 

 fowl shooting Bewildering number of birds Eider-shooting 

 Great northern diver Cormorants The Fiddery coast The 

 hooded merganser The black guillemots A voyage to the May 

 The inland lochs THE BASS ROCK Its appearance when first 

 seen Numerous varieties of sea-fowl Raven and peregrine 

 Martyr's cells The look down A ponderous son of Vulcan 

 floored A pithy smuggler Cliffmen Old Jack Canty Bay- 

 Cruise after eider-ducks, . . . . . .124 



WILD-FOWL SHOOTING ON THE HIGHLAND LOCHS. 



The squire and the clod No fantastic shooting-suits or black New- 

 foundlands allowable An awkward allowance A wild-fowl 

 shooter must be hardy Suitable dress His gun and shot Wild 

 geese Suitable retriever Gruff How to approach fowl When 

 about to fire To leeward of ducks and widgeon if possible Their 

 noses, however, " not worth a straw " Springy drains A shot at 

 ducks in March Morillons The golden-eye When several are 

 diving together When the flock is large When the water is 

 shallow Dun-birds How to manoeuvre them Tufted and scaup 

 ducks Goosander, red-throated diver, &c. Wild swans Wid- 

 geon and teal-shovellers A large loch The harvest moon The 

 winter storm Open weather Misty frost Sitting shots the only 

 proof of skill Winter sports, ..... 146 



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