256 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS. [cwap. xxxu1. 
its grey and shadowy colour. ‘So also is the colour of the wild 
duck, partridge, and other birds who hatch on the ground, ex- 
actly similar in its shade to the dry foliage amongst which they 
sit—insomuch so, that even when they are pointed out to one by 
another person it is very difficult to distinguish these birds. 
How curiously quick is the instinct of birds in finding out 
their food. Where peas or other favourite grain is sown, wood- 
pigeons and tame pigeons immediately congregate. It is not 
easy to ascertain from whence the former come, but the house- 
pigeons have often been known to arrive in numbers on a new- 
sown field, the very morning after the grain is laid down; 
although no pigeon-house from which they could come exists 
within several miles of the place. 
Put down a handful or two of unthrashed oat straw in almost 
any situation near the sea-coast where there are wild ducks, and 
they are sure to find it out the first or second night after it has 
been left there. 
There are many almost incredible stories of the acuteness of 
the raven’s instinct in guiding it to the dead carcass of any large 
animal, or even in leading it to the neighbourhood on the near 
approach of death. I myself have known several instances of 
the raven finding out dead bodies of animals in a very short 
space of time. One instance struck me very much. I had 
wounded a stag on a Wednesday. The following Friday I was 
crossing the hills at some distance from the place, but in the 
direction towards which the deer had gone. Two ravens passed 
me, flying in a steady straight course. Soon again two more flew - 
by, and two others followed, all coming from different directions, 
but making direct for the same point. ‘“ ’Deed, Sir,” said the 
Highlander with me, “the corbies have just found the staig; he 
will be lying dead about the head of the muckle burn.” By 
tracing the course of the birds, we found that the man’s con- 
jecture was correct, as the deer was lying within a mile of 
us, and the ravens were making for its carcass. The animal had 
evidently only died the day before, but the birds had already 
made their breakfast upon him, and were now on their way to 
their evening meal. Though occasionally we had seen a pair of 
ravens soaring high over head in that district, we never saw more 
than that number; but now there were some six or seven pairs 
