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CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
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,
CHAPTER II.
Autumnal Tints-Solomon and the Queen of Sheba-Sortes Sacra-
Sortes Virgiliana-Charles the First and Lord Falkland-Virgilius
the Magician-Thomas of Ercildoune,
CHAPTER III.
An old Gaelic MS.- -"The Bewitched Bachelor Unbewitched "-Fairy
Lore-Lacteal Libations on Fairy Knowes,
CHAPTER IV.
Transit of Mercury-Improperly called an "Eclipse" of-November
Meteors-Mr. Huggins-Spectrum Analyses of Cometary Light-
Translation of a St. Kilda Song,
CHAPTER V.
Bird Music-The Skylark's Song-Imitation of, by a French Poet-
Alasdair Macdonald-Scott,
CHAPTER VI.
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,
CHAPTER VII.
O the Barren, Barren Shore-Brilliant Auroral Display-Intense Cold-
Birds-Glanders-Scribblings on the Back of One Pound Notes,
CHAPTER VIII.
A Wet February-A Good Time coming-Sir Walter Scott-Mr
Gladstone-Death of Sir David Brewster,
CHAPTER IX.
Long-Line Fishing-Scarcity of Fish-Their Fecundity-Large Speci-
men of the Raia Chagrinea-The Wolf Fish-The Devil Fish,
CHAPTER X.
Birds-Contest between a Heron and an Eel,
CHAPTER XI.
Sea-Fishing Loch and Stream Fishing-" Brindled Worms "-Rush-
Lights-Buckie-Shell Lamps-The Weasel killing a Hare-Killing
a Fallow Deer Fawn,
CHAPTER XII.
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 Wood-
cock, .
CHAPTER XIII.
Extraordinary Heat and Drought-Plentifulness of Fungi-Cows fond
of Mushrooms-Shoals of Whales-A rippling breeze, and a Sail on
Loch Leven,
CHAPTER XIV.
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, .
PAGE
79
CHAPTER XVI.
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
CHAPTER XVII.
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
CHAPTER XVIII.
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,
CHAPTER XIX.
Winter-Auroral Displays in the West Highlands always indicative of a
coming Storm-Corvus Corax-Wonderful Ravens-Edgar Allan
Poe,
106
CHAPTER XX.
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
CHAPTER XXI.
Storms-An "inch" of Rain-Atherina Presbyter-Lophius Piscatorius
-Mr. Mortimer Collins' misquotation from the Times,
CHAPTER XXII.
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, .
121
127
CHAPTER XXIII.
March-The Story of a Spanish Dollar-The Spanish Armada— The
"Florida "—Faire-Chlaidh, or Watching of the Graveyard-Mole-
hill Earth for Flowers,
CHAPTER XXIV.
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 House-
hold Pet-Bechstein-Male Birds dropping Eggs in confinement,
CHAPTER XXV.
Thunderstorm-Potato Field in Bloom-The Hazel Tree-Hazel Nuts-
Potato Shaws for Cattle-Ferns for Bedding Cattle-Marmion—
Scott,.
133
140
CHAPTER XXVI.
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,
CHAPTER XXVII.
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,
144
150
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
CHAPTER XXIX.
The Vernal Equinox-Beauty of Loch Leven-Astronomical Notes-
How an old Woman supposed to possess the Evil Eye escaped a
cruel death,
CHAPTER XXX.
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,
CHAPTER XXXI.
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,
CHAPTER XXXII.
Potato Culture-Sensibility of the Potato Shaw to Weather changes-
The Carline Thistle-Burns-The true Carduus Scotticus-The old
Dog-Rhyme,
CHAPTER XXXIII.
A non-"Laughing" Summer-Rheumatic Pains-Old Gaelic Incan-
tation for Cattle Ailments,
172
178
185
192
199
CHAPTER XXXIV.
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