TNVEREKNE. 63 



standing all this noise, did not move so much as one of her paws, 

 but remained perfectly motionless, with her eye fixed on mine. 

 The moment 1 took my eye off' her (which T had not done all this 

 time) she darted off, and springing through the only spot free from 

 her numerous enemies, she was over the brow of a hill in two strides. 



A hare will allow a person to pass within a yard or two 

 of her when sitting, as long as the man's direction does not seem 

 likely to lead him exactly over her, and as long as she fancies she 

 is unobserved. In cover, hares steal away at some distance 

 off much more frequently than they do in an open place ; but 

 different hares act very differently in this respect in the same 

 ground and on the same days, some lying close and others 

 stealing away wildly with no apparent reason. 



November 2Qth. Saw five wild swans. 



November 27 'th. Several flocks of swans seen passing to the 

 bay. It is an invariable fact that all the flocks of swans, when 

 they first come, are seen arriving from the southwards, although 

 we well know that they must visit this country from the north. 

 It appears to me that they must alight on some of the lochs 

 on Strathspey, or in that district, and that they turn northwards 

 to Findhorn Bay, from where they distribute themselves amongst 

 the lakes where they feed, such as Lochlee, the Loch of Spynie, 

 etc. Judging from the sudden appearance of -these birds, I have 

 no doubt that we shall have a storm of snow in a day or two. 



November 28th. The ground, as I anticipated from seeing 

 the swans, is covered with snow, deeper than I ever saw it at 

 this season. No swans to be seen in the bay, but an infinity of 

 wild ducks, etc. Shot several mallards and one dun diver (mergus 

 castor linnceus). This bird is much smaller than the female 

 goosander (for which it is sometimes taken), though evidently 

 quite full grown and well plumaged the cream colour of the 

 breast, and peculiarly clean and beautiful, and the curiously 

 serrated bill of a bright red colour. It brought up twenty-five 

 of the small fish we called sticklebacks and a small eel, all quite 

 recently caught, The edges of the bill are so formed that a fish 

 or other slippery prey easily goes into his mouth, but owing 



