﻿38 
  

  

  INTRODUCTION. 
  

  

  kinds, 
  and 
  constitute 
  resting-places 
  for 
  our 
  annual 
  migrants, 
  

   and 
  among 
  them 
  are 
  obtained 
  such 
  of 
  the 
  lower 
  vertebrates 
  

   as 
  our 
  district 
  affords. 
  As 
  we 
  advance 
  from 
  the 
  western 
  

   end 
  of 
  Dee, 
  the 
  ground 
  generally 
  becomes 
  of 
  less 
  elevation, 
  

   as 
  also 
  do 
  the 
  hill 
  ranges, 
  consequently 
  there 
  is 
  more 
  ground 
  

   under 
  tillage, 
  and 
  along 
  the 
  whole 
  east 
  end 
  cultivation 
  has 
  

   been 
  carried 
  to 
  a 
  high 
  degree 
  of 
  perfection. 
  

  

  At 
  one 
  time 
  it 
  would 
  seem 
  that 
  the 
  lower 
  parts 
  of 
  Buchan 
  

   and 
  Formartine, 
  which 
  form 
  a 
  considerable 
  portion 
  of 
  our 
  

   coast 
  line, 
  had 
  been 
  a 
  continuous 
  peat 
  moss, 
  prior 
  to 
  which 
  

   the 
  country 
  had 
  been 
  closely 
  covered 
  with 
  oaks, 
  the 
  roots 
  

   of 
  which 
  trees 
  are 
  still 
  " 
  firmly 
  fixed 
  in 
  the 
  clay 
  which 
  seems 
  

   to 
  have 
  been 
  to 
  them 
  a 
  congenial 
  soil." 
  In 
  the 
  eastern 
  and 
  

   more 
  particularly 
  in 
  the 
  middle 
  portion 
  of 
  our 
  area, 
  there 
  

   are 
  numerous 
  woods 
  and 
  birch 
  thickets, 
  very 
  favourable 
  to 
  

   Black 
  Game 
  and 
  resorts 
  of 
  our 
  feathered 
  summer 
  visitors. 
  

   Large 
  portions 
  of 
  "Dee" 
  are 
  well 
  suited 
  to 
  the 
  wants 
  of 
  

   our 
  wild 
  quadrupeds 
  ; 
  but 
  these, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  belief 
  that 
  

   they 
  were 
  inimical 
  to 
  the 
  interests 
  of 
  game 
  preservers, 
  and 
  

   owing 
  to 
  the 
  general 
  use 
  of 
  fire-arms, 
  have 
  almost 
  dis- 
  

   appeared. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  few 
  districts 
  in 
  Scotland 
  where 
  the 
  lover 
  of 
  

   the 
  picturesque 
  can 
  find 
  finer 
  scenery 
  than 
  in 
  "Dee." 
  In 
  

   many 
  places 
  the 
  towering 
  mountains, 
  and 
  the 
  deep, 
  dark, 
  

   corries 
  — 
  often 
  snow 
  -patched 
  throughout 
  summer 
  — 
  have 
  a 
  

   stern 
  grandeur 
  that 
  can 
  only 
  be 
  properly 
  understood 
  by 
  

   those 
  who 
  visit 
  them. 
  In 
  other 
  localities 
  throughout 
  our 
  

   district 
  nature 
  has 
  decked 
  the 
  lower 
  glens 
  with 
  graceful 
  

   birch, 
  flowers, 
  ferns, 
  and 
  many 
  coloured 
  mosses. 
  These, 
  

   combined 
  with 
  beautiful 
  waterfalls, 
  compose 
  pictures 
  that 
  

   are 
  truly 
  delightful; 
  and 
  yet 
  again 
  there 
  are 
  solitary 
  moors 
  

   of 
  vast 
  extent, 
  far 
  from 
  the 
  ordinary 
  haunts 
  of 
  men, 
  where 
  

   the 
  visitor 
  may 
  wander 
  for 
  days 
  without 
  meeting 
  a 
  fellow- 
  

   creature, 
  and 
  where 
  little 
  or 
  no 
  life 
  is 
  visible. 
  Still, 
  

   such 
  scenes 
  are 
  calculated 
  to 
  foster 
  contemplation 
  in 
  the 
  

  

  