AN EXCITING FORENOON 



somewhat the look and build of an oyster-catcher, 

 I said to myself, though the bill was not long 

 enough nor stout enough, nor the bird himself 

 large enough. Certainly he was neither of the 

 oyster-catchers that I knew. 



But there was a third one, Frazar's by name, 

 rare and not rightfully falling within our limits, 

 a bird that I had never seen, and had never ex- 

 pected to see, and of which I remembered not a 

 word of description. Could the bird before me 

 be by any possibility of that species ? On all ac- 

 counts this was most unlikely, or better to say, 

 impossible. But if he was not an oyster-catcher, 

 what could he be ? 



In plain words, I was at my wits' end. The one 

 thing I was sure of was that here was something 

 the like of which I had never set eyes on till 

 this minute. 



Like the plover he stayed a brief while, ex- 

 tremely restless, too, like the plover, as he had 

 abundant reason to be ; and then, as soon as he 

 could pull himself together, it seemed, off he 

 went, with harsh cries not in the least resem- 

 bling the plover's smooth, melodious whistle. 



What would turn up next on the few square 

 feet of that prolific mud-bar, out of which birds 

 seemed actually to be born for my delectation 

 and puzzlement ? A flamingo, perhaps. 



65 



