BIRDS IN A VILLAGE 69 



lutely described its appearance, he said that no such 

 bird was known in the village. 



I assured him that he was mistaken, that I had 

 heard the cry of the bird many times, and had 

 even heard it once at a distance since our con- 

 versation began. Hearing that distant cry had 

 caused me to ask the question. 



All at once he remembered that he knew, or 

 had known formerly, the wryneck very well, but 

 he had never learnt its name. About twenty 

 or five-and-twenty years ago, he said, he saw the 

 bird I had just described in his orchard, and as 

 it appeared day after day and had a strange ap- 

 pearance as it moved up the tree trunks, he began 

 to be interested in it. One day he saw it fly into 

 a hole close to the ground in an old apple tree. 

 "Now I've got you I" he exclaimed, and running 

 to the spot thrust his hand in as far as he could, 

 but was unable to reach the bird. Then he con- 

 ceived the idea of starving it out, and stopped 

 up the hole with clay. The following day at the 

 same hour he again put in his hand, and this time 

 succeeded In taking the bird. So strange was it 

 to him that after showing it to his own family 

 he took it round to exhibit it to his neighbours. 



