XV111 PREFATORY MEMOIR. 



handy form will now, it is hoped, in the words of the Author, 

 prove " worthy of the favour which, as a Handbook of Scottish 

 Sports, has for so long been accorded to it." 



John Colquhoun, the author of ' The Moor and the Loch,' 

 was born at Edinburgh on 6th March 1805. His father 

 was Sir James Colquhoun, Bart, of Luss, and chief of the 

 Clan Colquhoun. His mother, Lady Colquhoun, was a re- 

 markable woman in the religious circles of her generation, 

 and her example and teaching largely influenced her family. 

 At a very early age John Colquhoun displayed that love of 

 nature and of sport which continued to characterise his life. 

 The scenes of his boyhood were well calculated to foster his 

 special tastes. 



" As was natural," writes his eldest daughter, " the Eossdhu 

 boys loved the free wild life in the beautiful scenery by which 

 they were surrounded ; and it was no small grief to them 

 when, each season, they were torn from the shores of Loch 

 Lomond to pursue their studies in Edinburgh. From his 

 childhood, natural history was a passion with John. There 

 was not a wild song-bird whose note was not familiar to him, 

 nor a creature whose habits he did not discover. The child of 

 nature, his knowledge was all gained from personal observa- 

 tion, and not from the brains of others ; and it was this, per- 

 haps, as much as anything, which gave such a charm to the 

 man and to his writings. 



" Strange pets there were in those days at Eossdhu, the 

 very same which John Colquhoun encouraged his own children 

 to have in later days. Squirrels, owls, brown and white, were 

 amongst them ; tortoises, hedgehogs, and, best loved of all, (non- 

 poisonous) snakes, sent as highly valued presents from the 

 south of England ; while the nurseries and schoolrooms were 

 full of rare and common birds, to the grief of the nurses and 

 tutors ! " 



Educated by private tutors, and for a short period at the 



