ORNITHOLOGICAL RAMBLES. 3 



down the Clyde. As \ve rounded the point of land 

 upon which Roseneath Castle is situated, it was evi- 

 dent, from the few isolated patches that met the eye 

 on the summits of the neighhouring hills, that the 

 snow was still lying thick and unmelted upon the 

 mountains of the more northern Highlands. This I 

 soon discovered to be the case. The view up Loch 

 Fine was new to me, and the effect was exceedingly 

 picturesque. 



While proceeding along the Crinan Canal, I heard 

 the well-known cry of the corncrake for the first time 

 this season, and, while steaming up towards Oban, I 

 observed three or four rock-pigeons, and shortly after a 

 tolerably large flight of puffins. At eight o'clock in 

 the evening I reached Banavie, at the commencement, 

 of the Caledonian Canal a capital inn and on 

 returning from a walk I was delighted to find two 

 large salmon lying in the hall, one of which weighed 

 33 Ibs. and the other 14 Ibs. ; the former a most mag- 

 nificent fish, in the primest condition, extremely clean 

 and fresh run. They had both been taken with the 

 fly in the river Lockey, about five miles from the inn 

 the capturer's first day's sport. Not a bad com- 

 mencement ! 



The scenery around here, on this occasion, offered a 

 most dismal and wintry appearance. The ever snow- 

 clad summit of Ben Nevis towered above the sur- 

 rounding mountains, all of which had their white 



B 2 



