In the Neighbourhood of Salisbury. .2^9 



dissatisfied feeling to arise within me ; inasmuch as I lost a specimen 

 which I had had given me from Berkshire, together with some 

 other forty skins of various birds, through the negligence of a bird- 

 stufTer at Taunton ; and further, because I failed to make the most 

 of an opportunity of securing some specimens of these birds, when 

 a little more patience might have brought success. I was out 

 Rook-shooting in the parish in May, 1865, when the old "drowner," 

 knowing that I was a lover of birds, called out to me and said, 

 " There be some main funny birds down in Sixteen Acre ; there IVe 

 been fifty year or more in the meadows, and ne'er saw any like 'em 

 before — and they've bided there by the water this three or four 

 days. I seed 'em now, just as I come along." This was enough 

 for me, Leaving the Rooks to their fate, I sallied down to the 

 Sixteen Acre, and sure enough descried three birds, standing quite 

 still by the margin of a flooded " drawing." They were evidently 

 wide-awake, and the question was how to get near them. I saw, 

 however, that by making a detour of some half-mile or more, I could 

 get behind a small piece of hedge that had been left standing in 

 the meadows, and from which I judged them to be about fifty yards 

 off, and after some delay I reached it in safety. On peering through 

 there were the birds, exactly as they were when I first saw them, 

 not moving a muscle, as we should say were we describing a man's 

 face. They were evidently just out of shot of me, and what was to 

 be done ? After waiting hal£-an-hour or more, and they making 

 no sign, my patience became exhausted, and thinking that by good 

 luck I might possibly cripple one, I aimed high and let fly. The 

 shot peppered the water all around and beyond them, but, alas ! with 

 no effect, and off they flew, being saluted with my second barrel, 

 as they passed high over my head, but with a similarly nil result. 

 I watched them till I lost sight of them, and in high dudgeon I 

 was preparing to leave the scene of action, when to my utter 

 astonishment I saw them once more descending with wonderful 

 velocity, and throwing themselves violently from side to side to 

 break the impetus of their fall, they expanded their wings to 

 their full extent, and alighted exactly in the same place from 

 whence they had risen. It was a regular case of " Slap bang. 



