BIRDS AT THEIR BEST 13 



moral or hidden meaning in an age so en- 

 lightened as this ; yet oddly enough we do find 

 among us a delusion resembling that of the 

 villagers who thought they could convey sunshine 

 in a sack to light their dark church. It is one of 

 a group or family of indoor delusions and illusions, 

 which Mr. SuUy has not mentioned in his book 

 on that fascinating subject. One example of the 

 particular delusion I have been speaking of, in 

 which it is seen in its crudest form, may be given 

 here. 



A man walking by the water-side sees by 

 chance a kingfisher fly past, its colour a 

 wonderful blue, far surpassing in, beauty and 

 brilliancy any blue he has ever seen in sky or 

 water, or in flower or stone, or any other thing. 

 No sooner has he seen than he wishes to become 

 the possessor of that rare loveliness, that shining 

 object which, he fondly imagines, wiU be a con- 

 tinual delight to him and to all in his house, — 

 an ornament comparable to that splendid stone 

 which the poor fisherman found in a fish's beUy, 

 which was his children's plaything by day and 

 his candle by night. Forthwith he gets his gun 

 and shoots it, and has it stuffed and put in a glass 



