SEA-FOWL SHOOTING IN THE FIRTH OF FORTH. 135 



agreed to let my son see the lights put out. As this cere- 

 mony took place at four in the morning, I was too sleepy to 

 join it ; but my son affirmed that a more startling and brilliant 

 illumination he had never beheld. 



A loud rap at six next morning, and Kelly's voice imploring 

 us to leave our beds, roused me from a sound sleep. When 

 the tide was full they had run the fishing-boat into a sheltered 

 creek, but as it was ebbing fast we must embark in less than 

 an hour, failing which the boat must be moved out to sea, and 

 neither we nor our baggage might be able to get on board. 

 Kelly added carelessly, but slyly, " There is a queer bird 

 diving outside the creek where the boat is, that nane o' us 

 kens what it is." This was a master-stroke. We were down 

 in half the time stipulated, and immediately assured that the 

 unknown was still at his post. I was completely puzzled. 

 At first I fancied the bird a smew, but was corrected by the 

 telescope. Cautiously shoving nearer and nearer with the 

 boat-hook, the little diver at length began to sheer off. Now 

 was the time to fire, and it lay dead to my son's shot 

 a black guillemot, but in the light speckled plumage of 

 winter. 



The sails were scarcely hoisted, when, in the distance, but 

 flying towards us, I distinctly saw another of these guillemots, 

 but this one was black as ebony. He crossed between us and 

 the shore, about 300 yards from the boat. Both telescopes 

 were fixed, if possible to mark him down. He soon plumped 

 into the water, and every time the wave rose we had a full 

 view of the black speck on his crest. The jumble of the sea 

 made shooting uncertain, but I still preferred a long chance to 

 the probability of flushing the bird out of reach by coming 

 sharply down for a closer one. Kelly, as usual, steered to 

 perfection, and brought our craft down abreast of the prize 

 in the exact line I had pointed out. On the first wave lift- 

 ing the black prince into view my son fired, but he took wing, 

 and both of us shot at him flying. Kelly said he was hit, and 



