n8 OUTDOOR LIFE IN ENGLAND 



in a field behind me. There was something in 

 the note which seemed familiar to me, but I was 

 puzzled as to what kind of bird it could possibly 

 be. Sticking my rod in the ground, I walked in 

 the direction whence the sound proceeded, and 

 could just discern by the fading light a large bird, 

 craning its neck and uttering the most peculiar call, 

 much like that of a peacock, but less grating and 

 powerful. On seeing me it rose and flew away in 

 a straight line very close to the ground, across 

 the river, and disappeared in the darkness. There 

 were no houses or cottages near, and I was more 

 perplexed than ever. I racked my brains to try 

 and imagine what bird it could be, and concluded 

 it must be either a peacock or a bustard. In 

 size it more resembled the latter, yet in such a 

 district it was quite as unlikely to be the one as 

 the other. I was troubled in mind and not a little 

 vexed that I could not come to any definite con- 

 clusion. 



Some few days later I chanced to meet an 

 acquaintance who lived in the neighbourhood, 

 and on my mentioning the circumstance to him, 

 he solved the mystery by explaining that one of 

 the cottagers, who lived further down the valley, 

 possessed a young peahen which was in the 

 habit of straying far away from home. This, 

 then, was my rara avis. The district was a 

 wild one, and I, of course, never thought it 

 probable or possible that such a bird should be 

 roaming about, especially so late in the evening. 



