Wi'LD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS 



also watched the habits of feeding, etc., of all, from the golden 

 eagle to the golden-crested wren, from the wild swan to the 

 teal, and have had opportunities of so doing which perhaps no 

 other person has had." 



Independently of the charm of St. John's writing, what at 



present renders his Wild Sports especially valuable is that 



Scotland and the Scotch fauna have considerably changed 



during the last half-century. The variety and abundance of 



wild life here described can never again be seen. Fortunately 



a true picture of that departed past is preserved in St. John's 



vivid narratives. Population has increased ; and railways, 



driven far into what in his days were wastes of trackless bog 



and heather, now admit countless sportsmen and tourists to 



the most retired districts. An increasing taste for shooting and 



fishing, and the charm of a freer life during the beautiful 



northern summer than can be found in great cities, have 



planted castles and shooting lodges all over Scotland. Sport 



of any kind can now only be obtained at a considerable cost. 



For economical reasons, all lovers of Scotland must rejoice at 



this tendency of the age ; but it has pressed with great severity 



upon all wild life. Indeed, where they have not been specially 



protected, several kinds of birds and beasts, such as the osprey, 



the kite, and the marten, have either died out or are rapidly 



approaching extinction. Were it not for legal restrictions and 



private watchfulness others would be seriously endangered, or 



linger on remaining scantily represented. 



Thus many animals and birds which were sufficiently 

 common in St. John's time are now rare and seldom seen. It 

 has been thought advisable, therefore, in this edition to add a 

 few notes in order to illustrate the instincts or traits of these 

 creatures, their prevalence or scarcity. Some more general 

 remarks have also been appended here and there to clear up 



