iz6 ADVENTURES AMONG BIRDS 



Salt, who had studied the birds of the district all his 

 life. But not in books ; he did not read about birds, 

 he observed them for his own pleasure and it was a 

 pleasure to him to talk about them, but it went no 

 further. He did not even make a note ; • bird-watch- 

 ing was his play — a better outdoor game than golf, 

 as it really does get you a little forrarder, and does 

 not make you swear and tell lies and degenerate from 

 a pleasant companionable being to an intolerable bore. 

 It was through his advice that I went to stay on Axe 

 Edge, where I would find all the birds I wanted to 

 watch, and where it seemed to me on first going on to 

 the moor that about five-sixths of the bird life consisted 

 of two species — cuckoo and meadow pipit. At the 

 low-roofed stone cabin where I lodged a few wind-torn 

 beeches had succeeded in growing, and these were a 

 great attraction to the moorland cuckoos and their 

 morning meeting-place. From half-past three they 

 would call so loudly and persistently and so many to- 

 gether from trees and roof as to banish sleep from that 

 hour. And all day long, all over the moor, cuckoos 

 were cuckooing as they flew hither and thither in their 

 slow, aimless manner, with rapidly beating wings, 

 looking like spiritless hawks, and when one flew by a 

 pipit would rise and go after him, just to accompany 

 him, as it appeared, a little distance on his way. Not 

 in anger like some of the small birds, even the diminu- 

 tive furze-jack who cherishes a spite against the cuckoo, 

 but in pure affection. For the meadow pipit is like 

 that person, usually a woman, whom we call a " poor 



