52 FIELD-NOTES FOR THE YEAR. CH. XXIII. 



them scarce. Formerly, also, in the pools left by 

 the sea within the old bar of Findhorn, numbers of 

 seals were left at every ebb of the tide, and the 

 farmers occasionally went down and killed a few to 

 supply themselves with oil for the winter. 



Any unusual number of wild fowl in the 

 bay at this season generally prognosticates stormy 

 weather or snow. On the 27th I saw nearly 

 fifty wild swans swimming and flying between this 

 place and the town of Findhorn ; and some large 

 flocks of geese were passing over to the south. 

 The next day the groun I was covered with snow, 

 an unusual occurrence at this season. Of these 

 swans one flock of six located themselves in the 

 fresh-water lakes between this and Nairn, and the 

 rest wended their way to the south. The Ice- 

 landers hail the appearance of the wild swan in the 

 same manner as we do that of the cuckoo or 

 swallow ; it being with them the foreteller of 

 spring and genial weather ; whilst here they are 

 connected in our minds with storms and snow-clad 

 fields. 



The Loch of Spynie is another established winter- 

 ing place of the wild swan. A few years ago great 

 numbers remained both in that loch and in Loch 

 Lee during the whole winter. I know of no other 

 fresh-water lakes in this country where they now 



