SEA-FOWL SHOOTING IN THE FIRTH OF FORTH. 129 



in the bow, with my gun at my shoulder, I was several times 

 within long range ; but either this quick-eyed grebe dipped 

 down just as my finger touched the trigger, or his position was 

 unfavourable for shot to penetrate the oily feathers. At last, 

 however, I did get a fair chance at sixty yards, and the No. 3 

 dropped round him in perfect pattern. He was down in a 

 twinkling, and did not show again for some time. We followed, 

 but in vain, for each dive became longer the farther we pur- 

 sued and little did I think that this king of divers had his 

 death-wound, and would yet be mine. Two days after, some 

 poor fishermen found him dead ; and when he was skinned, 

 it was discovered that a No. 3 pellet had passed through one 

 side of the head, and lodged above the eye on the other. 



The chase after the Great Northern Diver had taken us out 

 to sea again, and brought us nearly opposite the second islet 

 of the group, named " The Lamb." The eastern rocks are a 

 favourite stance of the great cormorant, or " scart," called by 

 fishermen at the breeding season " Letter -o'- marques," from 

 the white patches on the top of each thigh. On the pinnacle 

 of one of these rocks, which rise abruptly out of the water like 

 the Needles in the Isle of Wight, three were seated in state, 

 sunning themselves luxuriously after their morning feed. 

 There was little hope of a shot from the sea, but no difficulty 

 in getting within seventy yards from the land. On gaining 

 the rocks I had an interesting inspection of the trio, who were 

 extending their long wings and preening their feathers in full 

 enjoyment of the noonday sun. 



Selecting the brightest-coloured of the group, I fired from 

 a rest, and the bird dropped into the waves, struggled for an 

 instant on the top, then recovered and plunged down, his com- 

 panions meanwhile flying out to sea. The boat being at the 

 other side of the island, was some time in coming round, and 

 either from the roughness of the sea, or from the cormorant 

 having found a hiding-place on the shore, we never saw it 

 again. 



I 



