24 MEMOI& 



In 1848 and 1849 he spent some time in Edinburgh, 

 making excursions from thence to Newcastle on the one hand, 

 and into Sutherland on the other. From his early residence at 

 Kosehall, Sutherland had always interest with St John. But 

 no one could live an open-air life on the coast of Moray without 

 being attracted powerfully to the most picturesque outline of the 

 Sutherland shore. The country was then little known. Its 

 mountains, seen across the great firth, are most peculiar and 

 picturesque in outline, suggesting ideas of great insulated moun- 

 tains and precipices, of different structure from the continuous 

 ranges of our midland highlands. There were rumours, too, of 

 eagles, land and water eagles, now exterminated elsewher-e, still 

 holding their ancient reign there, and it was known that the line 

 of limitation of the breeding of several birds of passage ran 

 through the northern peninsula, which gave it much additional 

 interest with a naturalist who studied and desired to collect 

 eggs as well as birds. , All these things were inducements with 

 St John, and led to his recording his wanderings across the 

 Moray Firth, in two pretty volumes, which, for some reasons not 

 worth pointing out, have not been so popular as his earlier work. 

 One chapter of that book a vivid description of hill sport in 

 winter forms the last chapter of " Sport in Moray ; " another, 

 without date, but which seems to embody his recollection of life 

 at Kosehall, I have been induced to add as an appendix to this 

 Memoir. In the autumn of 1849 he established his family at 

 " The College " beside Elgin a most convenient and pleasant 

 residence for a sportsman with a family to educate. The house 

 was large enough, and there was a big wild garden with some 

 great old trees and surrounded by an old ivy-grown wall, which 

 served as a secure retreat for the pets of himself and his boys. 

 There is a pleasant society in and round the old cathedral city, 

 embracing some men of science and students of nature, with 

 whom St John soon became a favourite. The children had the 

 advantage of good schools ; and for sport and the study of 

 the habits of animals, was there not the Loch of Spynie and the 

 rocks of Covesea, where the peregrine breeds ? St John's 



