Birds by Land and Sea 



undertaking a four-mile walk with the avowed in- 

 tention of "observing" birds at the end of it, 

 cast upon common objects that glamour in which 

 " things are not what they seem." 



It is an open question if we were to be regarded 

 as fortunate in having lighted first upon a gold-crest, 

 a bird at once somewhat rare in our parts, and easily 

 recognizable ; since, the elation we experienced in 

 watching the tiny creature with the golden slash 

 along its crest, and the satisfaction we felt at our 

 ability to identify it, may have unfitted us for equally 

 reliable observation in the sequel. 



Be that as it may, we continued to advance by 

 the side of a bramble-covered ditch in which the 

 gold-crest had flitted to and fro beneath our eyes, 

 until we came to a row of high beeches lining the 

 farther side of the ditch, with a farmstead in view a 

 furlong ahead of us. 



" Look ! " I exclaimed suddenly ; for, at the foot 

 of one of the trees, the dried grass had been pressed 

 down to form a circular ground-nest a foot in 

 diameter, and in the centre of it, exposed to the view 

 of the whole countryside, lay one great cream- 

 coloured egg. 



I am afraid that at that time we should have 

 considered such a prize legitimate scientific plunder 

 in the closest preserves, and in a moment we had 

 leaped the fence, and appropriated it as the first 

 specimen for a prospective cabinet. 



As we were crossing the ditch to return, we 



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