326 WITH NATURE AND A CAMERA. 



much in need of medicine, but the wind and sea 

 were rising to such an alarming extent, in addition 

 to the fact that night was coming on, that there 

 was no hope of sending any over that day. The 

 little sufferer's father was, however, equal to the 

 emergency, and suggested that one of his homing 

 pigeons should be taken from the loft and the 

 medicine made up in the form of a powder 

 attached to its tail. This was done, and in a little 

 while the anxious parents had the satisfaction of 

 seeing the faithful bird drop from the clouds with 

 the much-needed physic, which, it is pleasant to 

 relate, saved their child's life. 



We have met many people who entertained 

 very curious notions in regard to the possibilities 

 of the camera. My brother one day photographed 

 a man who had done us some trifling service, and 

 when he sent him the picture, it elicited the inform- 

 ation that his wife liked it very much indeed, 

 and had authorised him to say that she would be 

 happy to pay a moderate price for three more 

 prints, provided my brother would turn down the 

 too much upturned trousers legs of her spouse. 



During our travels we have generally met with 

 considerable difficulty in obtaining anything like 

 up-to-date intelligence of the bird-life of a locality. 



The following verbatim report of a conversation 

 which took place between myself and a farm lad 

 I met one day in a Hertfordshire lane illustrates 

 in an admirable manner the want of definite 

 notions in the rural mind about such important 

 things as time and space. 



"Have you heard any hooting owls about here, 

 young man ? " 



"Oh yes!" 



"Where?" 



