me now ; but it was real enough then to a 

 very small boy, alone in the dark woods, 



who met for the first t - me a large bird with 



an en0 rmously long bill and eyes 'way up on 

 the back of her head where they plainly did 

 not belong, a bird moreover that had no fear 

 and seemed perfectly well able to take care 

 of herself. So I went away softly and won- 

 dered about it. 



Next day I came back again. The 

 strange bird was there on her nest as be- 

 fore, her long bill resting over the edge of 

 the hollow and looking like a twig at the 

 first glance. She showed no fear whatever, 

 and encouraged at her quietness and assur- 

 ance I crept nearer and nearer till I touched 

 her bill with my finger and turned it gently 

 aside. At this she wiggled it impatiently, 

 and my first child's observation was one that 

 has only recently been noticed by natural- 

 ists, namely, that the tip of the upper bill 

 is flexible and can be moved about almost 

 like* the tip of a finger in order to find the 

 food that lies deep in the mud, and seize 

 it and drag it out of its hiding. At the 



