1891.
Aug. 29
Scotland.
Edinburgh to the Trossachs: - A superb day, cool with
brilliant sunshine, sparkling air and occasional
light showers.
  Left Edinburgh at 12 M. and reached Callenden
at 2 P.M. The railroad traverses a broad, open,
fertile river valley, the country rolling and
broken, grass alternating with grain fields
the latter chiefly, if not wholly, oats now
ready for the reapers some of which, indeed,
were at work with old-fashioned sickles.
On either side this valley was bounded by
high ridges with an occasional mountain
looming in the distance. From the cars
I saw occasional flocks of Rooks nearly all
of which contained numbers of small, white-
headed Gulls, doubtless L. canus, which, with
their sable companions, were feeding on grassy
pastures, ploughed fields or gain stubbles. One
of these flocks comprised at least 1000 birds
of which about five percent were Gulls. I
saw no Herring Gulls among the latter. In
one place three Lapwings rose from a meadow
as the train passed.
  At Callenden we took coach for the Trossachs,
a drive of eight miles. As we were passing
through a street shaded with great elms
a bird quite new to me sang in a tree
directly overhead. Its notes were loud, clear
and very melodious. I cannot imagine what
it could have been unless possibly a Linnet!
  Our way lay up a narrow valley with