LETTER V. 



63 



his assistance. In this 

 way I have often seen 

 Kestrels and Merlins miser- 

 ably hustled; and the lordly 

 Peregrine does not 

 pass without being 

 insulted. They 

 pursue the small 

 Hawks with great 



venom 



and 



fmy- 



:jet 



Os=s^^ 



one 



occasion 



I never saw 



a battle terminate 



have occasionally met with 



SSrSli;** their bones and carcases. 

 "-—" "" ^"3 r~'^~ ■'■ picked up a fine 



with- 



BE5 



^^^^^^^ — ^Sri===j Buzzard, only a few hours dead, 



—;!-/_ -^ ^ Z :='"==- mark of violence but a 



'^^ZIIIl 1^-=^^=""'" slight wound upon the head. How deceased 



'~I~^" " met with his death there was not sufficient evidence 



to prove, but I was tempted to return a verdict of wilful murder 



against some Hoody or Hoodies unknown. 



I was disappointed in my expectations of getting Widgeon 

 on the north-west parts of Mull, as they had got very shy since 

 the fine weather set in, though I saw some large flocks floating 

 about the lochs, but keeping far out of range, even of swanshot. 

 The only good fortune I had was while rowing through the Sound 

 of Ulva, where I saw a party of three Great Northern Divers 



