15 



besides the usual shore birds — sandpipers, redshanks, 

 snipe, etc. 



Wild swans, both the whooper (Cygnus musicus) 

 and the smaller Bewick's swan (G. Bewicki), have 

 become much more rare in these islands than of yore, 

 owing to the incessant warfare, waged on them by 

 professional wild-fowlers. I can't think what becomes 

 of those that are bagged, for I do not recollect to have 

 seen one exposed in a game-dealer's shop, and, judging 

 from the consistency of the flesh of an old wild-goose 

 (a year-old wild-goose is excellent), I hanker not for 

 roast whooper. Still, a wild swan is prized by the 

 punt-gunner much as a royal stag is by the deerstalker. 

 So long ago as 1852, before the era of breechloaders, 

 Charles St. John wrote : ' I saw eight pure white swans 

 arrive on the Loch of Spynie on September 20. . . . 

 Short as their time must have been in this land of 

 firearms, I could plainly distinguish a large mark of 

 blood on the side of one of them, staining its snow- 

 white plumage.' It would be vain to try and persuade 

 the gunner to hold his hand against these fine birds. 

 Some years ago, when fishing No. 3 beat on the Thurso, 

 I disturbed a pair of whoopers on the pool below Brawl 

 Castle. They did not fly far, alighting at Gerston 

 dam just above Halkirk, and I had much difficulty in 

 dissuading my gillie from going for a gun, which I 

 assured him nothing should induce me to use against 



