INVERERNE. 9 1 



May 9th. Rainy mist from the east. Great numbers of 

 martins, etc. The common river flies, such as the stone fly, etc., 

 are very backward in appearing this year. Mallards in flocks, 

 the ducks beginning to set. The oyster-catchers are now in 

 larger flocks than at any other season. 



May 10th. Caught some fine sea trout with small black 

 gnats. I killed some land-rails to-day. The land-rail is a 

 curious mixture of cunning and simplicity, at one time gliding in 

 the most hidden arid cunning manner through the grass, so as to 

 appear more like a weasel than a bird, and then standing upright 

 within a few yards of its pursuer, uttering its loud and hard 

 croak. I have seen one standing actually between the legs of a 

 cow croaking as loud as it could, and seeming perfectly to dis- 

 tinguish the cow from its dreaded enemy the dog. 



May 12th. W. Stuart caught a salmon of 22 Ib. ; a very 

 rare fish in this river, the general size of salmon being from 7 

 to 10 Ib. in the Findhorn. The banks of the river are now very 

 beautiful, the bird-cherry and other flowering shrubs being in 

 full bloom. Corncrakes numerous. 



May 17 th. Wind N.E. Cold and wintry. The water very 

 cold. Fly fishing to-day I caught a martin, who dashed at the 

 artificial fly. I do not understand why the oyster-catchers remain 

 in large flocks about the shore, as 1 should" suppose that they 

 must now be laying. Young thrushes and robins have already 

 left the nest. P. Gumming dined here. The mountains have as 

 white a covering of snow as they have had all the winter. 



May 18th. Found a partridge's nest with five eggs in a 

 clover-field. The nest, etc., carefully covered with dry grass. 



May 19th. I find that the large black-backed gull, as well 

 as the smaller kinds, feed on grain whenever they find it in the 

 fields, also on turnip. 



May 21st. Harry caught a grilse to-day of 2^ Ib. 



May 23rd. The land-rails already have several eggs, as 

 have the whitethroats and other late-coming birds. 



May 2oth. Left Invererne for Nairn. 



May 26th. At Nairn to-day the fisherman found a fine 



