itl ON THE HILL %i 



back over his shoulder at me, as much as to say, "Make has'e 

 down to me, here is some game." And sure enough up got a 

 snipe, which I killed. The report of my gun putting up a pair 

 of mallards, one of which I winged a long way off, " Hie away, 

 Shot," and Shot, who was licensed to take such liberties, 

 splashed in with great glee, and after being, lost to sight for 

 some minutes amongst the high rushes, came back with the 

 mallard in his mouth. " A bad lesson for Carlo that. Master 

 Shot," but he knows better than to follow your example^ We 

 now went up the opposite slope leaving Loch A-na-caillach 

 behind us, and killing some grouse, and a mountain hare,^ with 

 no white about her as yet. We next came to a long stony 

 ridge, with small patches of high heather. A pair of ravens 

 rising from the rocks, soared croaking over us for some time, 

 A pair or two of old grouse were all we killed here. But the 

 view from the summit was splendidly wild as we looked over a 

 long range of grey rocks, beyond which lay a wide and exten- 

 sive lake, with several small islands in it. The opposite shore 

 of the lake was fringed with birch-trees, and in the distance 

 were a line of lofty mountains whose sharp peaks were covered 

 with snow. Human habitation or evidence of the presence of 

 man was there not, and no sound broke the silence of the soli- 

 tude excepting the croak of the ravens and the occasional 

 whistle of a plover. " Yon is a fine corrie for deer," said 

 Donald, making me start, as he broke my reverie, and pointing 

 out a fine amphitheatre of rocks just below us. Not being on 

 the look-out for deer, however, I did not pay much attention to 

 what he said, but allowed the dogs to range on where they 

 liked. Left to themselves, and not finding much game, they 

 hunted wide, and we had been walking in silence for some time, 

 when on coming round a small rise between us and the dogs, 

 I saw two fine stags standing, who, intent on watching the 

 dogs, did not see us. After standing motionless for a minute, 

 the deer walked deliberately towards us, not observing us until 



' Lefu< alius, commonly known as the white or blue hare, has increased in numbers 

 considerably in many parts of Scotland, mainly owing to the destruction of vermin. 



This hare has increased of late years to a wonderful extent in some of the higher parts 

 of Scotland, becoming quite a nuisance both to the sheep-farmer and the grouse-shooter, 

 tainting the whole ground. Occasionally it descends from the high grounds, and I have 

 known it killed not only in the woods, but even as far from its horhe as the seashore near 

 Covesea, Spynie, etc. Change of dress in autumn caused by an actual change of colour in 

 the hair itself, without the shedding of the fur.— C. St. J. 



D 



