120 ORNITHOLOGICAL RAMBLES. 



dress, being continued down the centre of the same. 

 Pressing onwards, with measured stride, for nearly 

 four hours, and discovering no clue or trace of the 

 existence of these birds, I decided to confine my atten- 

 tions to higher ground, and accordingly commenced the 

 ascent of a considerable hill to my right. Much of the 

 ground I had just traversed was perfectly " honey- 

 combed " with rabbit-holes, over which the heather had 

 grown so thickly that they were completely screened 

 from sight, and the footing was thereby rendered pre- 

 carious and difficult. I sprang several snipe on the 

 lower ground, but could not succeed in discovering the 

 slightest indications of their nests. After another 

 half-hour's hard walking, my endeavours being still 

 fruitless as to the object of my search, I was suddenly 

 startled from a short reverie into which I had fallen by 

 the barking of a " colley " dog, quickly followed by the 

 animal itself irate and noisy. Looking about me for 

 his master, I perceived two boys herding sheep upon 

 the brow above, one of whom informed me that he 

 knew of a nest some distance off on the eastern side of 

 the hill. Persuading him to accompany me, we 

 pushed on for another three-quarters of a mile down 

 the eastward slope, until, on approaching a spot where 

 the ground assumed a more peaty nature, and was' 

 watered by a gushing spring, one of the long-sought 

 birds rose from the fern ; but, in my excitement, I 

 fired a little too soon, and it fell (a female) rather 



