74 TOUR IN SUTHERLAND. CH. V. 



food to birds of prey. In the winter tlie eagles and 

 hawks feed greatly upon them. The eider-ducks 

 also breed on these islands ; and are so tame when 

 nesting that they allow themselves to be lifted off 

 their nest, and the down of which it is formed to be 

 taken away without deserting it. I saw a few eider- 

 ducks swimming about in the bay, amongst numerous 

 cormorants and other birds. The rocks along the 

 coast are inliabited by a gi-eat number of wild cats, 

 otters, &c., who live here in tolerable peace, as the 

 game is not much looked after excepting in parti- 

 cular localities. Indeed, the ground near the coast 

 here is not well adapted for grouse. The keeper 

 showed me at his house an immense cat, which he 

 said was bred between a tame and a wild cat ; and 

 though such an occm-rence is very rare, I am sui'e 

 that he was correct in this instance. The animal 

 showed certain peculiarities of his wild father's race, 

 in the size and shape of his head, the shortness and 

 roughness of his tail ; and in other points had a like- 

 ness to the wild cat, which, though difficult to explain, 

 was unmistakeable. I have seen this resemblance 

 to both parents in mules of different kinds, such as a 

 mule between blackcock and pheasant, or pheasant 

 and common fowl, in all which birds something 

 catches an accustomed eye which immediately 

 points out what the parents were. The cat, too. 



