IN SEARCH OF SHELLS. 
27 
I have left the town behind me now, and as I turn a bend 
in the road I come in sight of Loch Lee bridge. A member 
of the feathered tribe occupies the parapet, and is busy 
hammering away at something which the distance prevents 
me from seeing. I take out my glass to have a look at him. 
It is a thrush, busily engaged in cracking what appears to be 
a shell. Apparently he has succeeded, for I can see his head 
go up as he gulps down the dainty morsel and Hies away. 
On arriving at the bridge the remains of the shell shows that 
he has been regaling himself with a Helix nemomlis. I peep 
over the parapet and a frightened water-ouzel darts away up 
stream. But what is that moving about amongst the withered 
bracken close by the side of the stream ? At first sight I 
thought it was a black water rat, but closer observation shows 
it to be a mole. It is not often one has the opportunity of 
seeing him above ground. He wanders about as if in search 
of something, and I notice he takes great care to keep himself 
hidden as much as possible. A cart is coming up the road, 
the noise frightens him, he bolts into a hole in the bank and 
I lose sight of him. I am sorry for this, as it will doubtless 
be some time before I again have the opportunity of observing 
his movements in the same manner. Along the road side in 
the hedges I notice a good many specimens of H . nemovalis 
and H. aspevsa. I pick out some of the H. nemovalis and find 
amongst them a few var. hybvida. I bag these, as I am in 
want of a few specimens, and proceed. 
The sun, which has been hidden all the morning by a dull 
leaden sky, has just come out, and it promises to be a fine 
day. Numerous butterflies begin to flutter about, and bird 
life becomes more active. I now branch off the high road, 
and follow the footpath which leads across the moor to Loch 
Whinyeon. The heather is just beginning to bloom, and in 
a few weeks all the surrounding hills will be clothed in purple. 
A covey of grouse gets up in front of me and fly away west¬ 
ward. I turn to watch their flight, and see them settle at 
some distance below me. Birds appear to be plentiful here, 
and sportsmen in this locality will doubtless have some good 
sport when the time comes round. Proceeding along the 
slope of the hill I notice, just a few yards ahead, an adder 
coming towards me in a most lazy and unconcerned manner, 
and I stand still to watch his movements. Apparently he 
disregards my presence, for he comes on as if determined to 
pass. He wriggles past within a few inches of my right foot 
without taking the slightest notice of me. I speedily check 
his onward career with a gentle tap from my walking stick on 
the head and tail, and then pick him up, and stow him care¬ 
fully away in a box until I got home, where I can examine 
him at leisure. 
