32 Wild Life in a So^ttJlern County 



but lifted up into the air the hill grown into a mountain. 

 A second and longer gaze failed to discover the explana- 

 tion of the apparition : the eye was completely deceived, 

 and yet the mind was not satisfied. But upon getting up 

 into the gap of the hedge, so as to obtain a better view from 

 the mound, the cause of the illusion was at once visible. 



Looking through the gap was like looking through a 

 narrow window, only a short eection of the hill being 

 within sight ; from the elevation of the mound the whole 

 range of hills could be seen at the same time. Then it 

 became immediately apparent that on either side of this 

 great mountain the continuation of the down right and left 

 remained still at its former level. Upon the central hill a 

 cloud was resting, and had for the time taken its exact 

 shape. The ridge itself was dark, and the dark grey vapour 

 harmonised precisely with its hue ; so that the real hill and 

 the cloud merged into each other. Either the barn and 

 clump of trees were reproduced or perhaps enlarged and 

 distorted by the refraction : the seeming column of smoke 

 was a fragment of a blacker colour which chanced to be in 

 a nearly perpendicular position. Even when recognised as 

 such, the illusion was still perfect ; nor could the eye sepa- 

 rate the hill from the unsubstantial vapour. 



As I watched it, the apparent column of smoke bent, 

 and its upper part floated away, enlarging just as smoke, 

 its upward motion overcome by the wind, slowly yields to 

 the current. Soon afterwards the light breeze stretched 

 out one end of the mass of cloud, began to roll up the 

 other, and presently lifted it, revealing the real ridge 

 beneath, which grew momentarily more distinctly defined. 

 Finally the misty bank hung suspended over the down, and 

 slowly sailed eastwards with the wind. Some time after- 

 wards I saw a similar mirage-like enlargement of the down 



