  CHAPTER I. PAGE Primroses and Daisies in early March—“The Posie”—Burns—“The Ancient Mariner”—William Tennant, Author of “Anster Fair”—Hebridean Epithalamium—A Bard’s Blessing—A Translation—Macleod of Berneray, 1 Autumnal Tints—Solomon and the Queen of Sheba—Sortes SacrÆ—Sortes VirgilianÆ—Charles the First and Lord Falkland—Virgilius the Magician—Thomas of Ercildoune, 8 An old Gaelic MS.—“The Bewitched Bachelor Unbewitched”—Fairy Lore—Lacteal Libations on Fairy Knowes, 18 Transit of Mercury—Improperly called an “Eclipse” of—November Meteors—Mr. Huggins—Spectrum Analyses of Cometary Light—Translation of a St. Kilda Song, 23 Bird Music—The Skylark’s Song—Imitation of, by a French Poet—Alasdair Macdonald—Scott, 29 Severe Drought—The Drive by Coach from Fort-William to Kingussie—Breakfast at Moy—Where did Scott find Dominie Sampson’s “Pro-di-gi-ous!”?—Professor Blackie’s Poem on Glencoe, 33 O the Barren, Barren Shore—Brilliant Auroral Display—Intense Cold—Birds—Glanders—Scribblings on the Back of One Pound Notes, 39 A Wet February—A Good Time coming—Sir Walter Scott—Mr Gladstone—Death of Sir David Brewster, 44 Long-Line Fishing—Scarcity of Fish—Their Fecundity—Large Specimen of the Raia Chagrinea—The Wolf Fish—The Devil Fish, 50 Birds—Contest between a Heron and an Eel, 54 Sea-Fishing—Loch and Stream Fishing—“Brindled Worms”—Rush-Lights—Buckie-Shell Lamps—The Weasel killing a Hare—Killing a Fallow Deer Fawn, 58 Extraordinary aspect of the Sun—Sunset from Rokeby—Mr. Glaisher—“Demoiselle” or Numidian Crane at Deerness—The Snowy Owl in Sutherlandshire—Does the Fieldfare breed in Scotland?—The Woodcock, 66 Extraordinary Heat and Drought—Plentifulness of Fungi—Cows fond of Mushrooms—Shoals of Whales—A rippling breeze, and a Sail on Loch Leven, 70 Herrings—ChimÆra Monstrosa—Cure for Ringworm—Cold Tea Leaves for inflamed and blood-shot Eyes—An old Incantation for the cure of Sore Eyes—A curious Dirk Sheath—A Tannery of Human Skins, 73 The Ring-Dove—A Pet Ring-Dove—Its Death—Shenstone—The Belone Vulgaris or Gar-Fish—A Rat and a Kilmarnock Night-cap—Extraordinary Roebuck’s Head at Ardgour, 79 The “Annus Mirabilis” of Dryden—1870 a more wonderful Year in its way than 1666—Winter—Number of Killed and Wounded in the Franco-Prussian War—Battles of Langside, Tippermuir, Cappel—Carrier Pigeons—The Velocity with which Birds fly, 86 Signs of a severe Winter—The Little Auk or Auklet—The Gadwall—Falcons being trained by the Prussians to intercept the Paris Carrier Pigeons—Ballooning—The King of Prussia’s Piety—John Forster—Solar Eclipse of 22d December 1870—The Government and the Eclipse—Large Solar Spots—Visible to the naked eye—Rev. Dr. Cumming—November Meteors, 94 November Rains: 1500 tons per Imperial Acre!—Rainfall in Skye—An old Gaelic Apologue—The Drover and his Minister—Grand Stag’s Head—Scott as a Poet—Mr. Gladstone and Scott—An old Lullaby from the Gaelic, 99 Winter—Auroral Displays in the West Highlands always indicative of a coming Storm—Corvus Corax—Wonderful Ravens—Edgar Allan Poe, 106 Along the Shore after Birds—An Otter in pursuit of a Fish—Tame Otter at Bridge of Tilt: Employed in Fishing—His hatred of all sorts of Birds—“The Otter and Fox,” a translation from the Gaelic, 114 Storms—An “inch” of Rain—Atherina Presbyter—Lophius Piscatorius—Mr. Mortimer Collins’ misquotation from the Times, 121 Aurora Borealis—Unfavourable weather for Birds about St. Valentine’s Day—The Water-Vole in the Rhi—In the Eden in Fifeshire—In the Black Water, Kinloch Leven—Does it feed on Salmon Fry and Ova?—The Kingfisher—Character of the Water-Vole—Note about the Hedgehog, 127 March—The Story of a Spanish Dollar—The Spanish Armada—The “Florida”—Faire-Chlaidh, or Watching of the Graveyard—Molehill Earth for Flowers, 133 The Beauty of the West Highland Seaboard—Dr. Aiton of Dolphinton—Dr. Norman Macleod—Specimen of Turtle-Dove (Columba Turtur) shot in Ardgour—The belief on the Continent of its value as a Household Pet—Bechstein—Male Birds dropping Eggs in confinement, 140 Thunderstorm—Potato Field in Bloom—The Hazel Tree—Hazel Nuts—Potato Shaws for Cattle—Ferns for Bedding Cattle—Marmion—Scott, 144 Harvest—Scythe and Sickle v. Reaping Machines—Potatoes—Garibaldi and Potatoes at Caprera—Fishing—Platessa Gemmatus, or Diamond Plaice—Mushrooms—The Poetry of Fairy Rings—Harvest-Home, 150 The disappearance of the glories of Autumn, and the advent of Winter—Innovations and Innovators—New Version of the Scriptures—The Milkmaid and her Fairy Lover, translated from the Gaelic, 159 Wild Birds’ Nests in early April—Rook stealing Eggs frightened and almost captured—The Domestic Cock—What he was, and what he is—Sadly demoralised by intermixture with “Cochin-Chinas” and “Bramahpootras,” 165 The Vernal Equinox—Beauty of Loch Leven—Astronomical Notes—How an old Woman supposed to possess the Evil Eye escaped a cruel death, 172 Midges and other Bloodsuckers—The Tsetse of South Africa—The Abyssinian Zimb—Livingstone—Adders and Grass Snakes—Lucan’s Pharsalia—Celsus—Legend of St. John ante Portam Latinam, 178 The Leafing of the Oak and Ash—Splendid Stags’ Heads—Edmund Waller—Old Silver-Plate buried for preservation in the ’45—Mimicry in Birds—An accomplished Goldfinch, 185 Potato Culture—Sensibility of the Potato Shaw to Weather changes—The Carline Thistle—Burns—The true Carduus Scotticus—The old Dog-Rhyme, 192 A non-“Laughing” Summer—Rheumatic Pains—Old Gaelic Incantation for Cattle Ailments, 199 Early sowing recommended—Vitality of Superstitions—Capnomancy—Hazel Nuts: Frequent References to in Gaelic Poetry—How best to get at the full flavour of a ripe Hazel Nut, 204 Strength of Insects—Necrophorus Vespillo, or Burying-Beetle—Foetid smell of—How Willie Grimmond earned an Honest Penny in Glencoe, 210 Seaweed as a Fertiliser—Homer, Horace, Virgil—November Meteors—Gaelic Folk-Lore—A Curfew Prayer—A Bed Blessing—A Cattle Blessing—Rhyme to be said in driving Cattle to Pasture—“Luath,” Cuchullin’s Dog—Notes from the Outer Hebrides, 217 The Delights of Beltane Tide—Bishop Gawin Douglas—His Translation of the Æneid—The Fat of Deer—“Light and Shade” from the Gaelic—Mackworth Praed—Discovery of an old Flint Manufactory in the Moss of Ballachulish, 225 Warm showery Summer disagreeable for the Tourist, but pastorally and agriculturally favourable—Xiphias Gladius, or Sword-Fish, cast ashore during a Mid-summer Gale—Garibaldi dining on Potatoes and Sword-Fish steaks at Caprera—The General’s Drink—Medicinal virtues of an Onion—Nettle Broth—Translation of a New Zealand Maori Song, 233 Mountains—The Lochaber Axe, Ancient and Modern, 238 Sea-Fowl—Weather Prognostics—Goosander (Mergus Merganser, Linn.)—Gales of Wind—January Primroses—Lachlan Gorach, the Mull “Natural”—A Dancing Rhyme, 244 Plague of Thistles in Australia and New Zealand—How to deal with them—Cnicus Acaulis, Great Milk Thistle, or Stemless Thistle—Fierce Fight between two Seals, “Nelson” and “Villeneuve,” 250 Wounds from Stags’ Antlers exceedingly dangerous—The old Fingalian Ballads—Number of Dogs kept for the Chase—Dr. Smith’s “Ancient Lays” of modern manufacture—The Spotted Crake (Crex Prozana) at Inverness—Its Habits, 258 Whelks and Periwinkles—An Ossianic Reading—The Sea-shore after a Storm—The Rejectamenta of the deep—An amusing Story of a Shore-Searcher—Severity of Winter—Wild-Birds’ Levee—Woodcock—Snipe—Blue Jay, 264 A “Blessed Thaw” after a Severe Frost—Longevity in Lochaber—A ready “Saline draught”—A probatum est Recipe for Catarrh and Colds—Egg-shell Superstition—Curious old Gaelic Poem, 272 “Albert,” a famous Labrador Dog—As a Water Dog—His intelligence—Takes to Sheep-Stealing—Death! 278 An old Fingalian Hero—His keenness of Sight and sharpness of Ear—Foresters and Keepers—Foxhunters—Donald MacDonald—His Dogs—Sandy MacArthur the Mole-catcher, 286 Autumnal Night—Meteors—The Spanish Mackerel—Professor Blackie’s Translations from the Gaelic—The “Translations” of the Gaelic Society of Inverness, 293 Crops—Potato Slug—Fern Slug—Brackens: How thoroughly to extirpate them—The Merlin, Falcon, and Tringa, 299 The Hedgehog an Egg and Bird Eater?—Bird-catching—“Old Cowie”—Mackenzie—Lanius Excubitor—The Butcher-Bird or Shrike—Tea-Drinking and Sobriety, 305 Superstition amongst the People—Difficulty of dealing with it—Examples of Superstitions still prevalent in the Highlands—Cock-crowing at untimely hours—Itching of the Nose—Ringing in the Ears—The “Dead-Bell”—Sir Walter Scott—Hogg—Mickle, 313 Welcome Rain in May—Plague of Mice in Upper Teviotdale—Arvicola Agrestis—Field-Mice in Ardgour—How exterminated—A Singing Mouse—Farmers’ Mistakes—Mackenzie the Bird-catcher, 319 Tourist Grumblers; how to deal with them—Sea Fishing—Superstition about a Gull—Josephus—Story of Mosollam and the Augur, 327 Heat in Mid-August—Early Planting and Sowing—Over-ripening of Crops—MedusÆ—Stinging Jelly-Fish—The amount of solid matter in Jelly-Fish, 334 Approach of Winter—Contentedness of the People—Poets and Wild-Bird Song—Differences in the Colouring and Markings of Birds’ Eggs—Late Nest-building—Anecdote of Provost Robertson of Dingwall, Mr. Gladstone’s Grandfather, 341 Spring—Hood’s Parody of Thomson’s Invocation—The excellence of Nettle-Top Soup—Cock-crowing—Birds’-nesting—Professor Geikie—Curious Story of an old Pipe-Tune, 348 Rain in Lochaber—An Apple Tree in bloom by Candle-light—Mackenzie the Bird-catcher—A Badenoch “Wise Woman” spitting in a Child’s Face to preserve it from the Fairies, 355 Caught in a Squall on Loch Leven—Potatoes and Herrings: How to cook them—A day in Glen Nevis—A visit to Uaimh Shomhairle, or Samuel’s Cave—The Cave-Men, 361 Showers in Harvest Time—Magnificent Sunset—Night sometimes seeming not to descend but to ascend—Death of M. Leverrier—The Discovery of Neptune—Pigeon cooing at Midnight—The Owl at Noon—Cage-Birds singing at Night, 370 October Storms—Cablegram Predictions—Indications of coming Storms—Geordie Braid, the St. Andrews and Newport Coach-driver—The Naturalist in Winter—Drowned Hedgehogs: Spines become soft and gelatinous—Lophius Piscatorius—Disproportion between head and body in the Devil-Fish a puzzle—An Itinerant Fiddler, 379 A Trip to Glasgow—Kelvin Grove Museum—Highland Association—A run to Rothesay—Rothesay Aquarium, 387 Overland from Ballachulish to Oban on a “Pet Day” in February—Story of Clach Ruric—Castle Stalker: an old Stronghold of the Stewarts of Appin—James IV.—Charles II.—Magpies—Dun-Mac-Uisneachan, 394 Nest-building—Cunningham’s objection to Burns’ Song, “O were my Love yon Lilac fair”—Birds and the Lilac Tree—Rivalries of Birds—Birds and the Poets—The Nightingale, 402 March Dust—Moons of Mars—Planetoids—Occultation of Alpha Leonis—Zodiacal Light—Snow Bunting—Old Gaelic Ballad of “Deirdri:” Its Topography, 410 |
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