BIRDS AND MAN 63 



making swoops, screaming all the time. Immedi- 

 ately all the other swallows and martins came to 

 the spot, joining in the cry, and continued flying 

 about over my head, but not darting at me like 

 the first bird. For some moments I was very 

 much astonished at the attack ; then I looked 

 round for the cat — it must be the cat, I thought. 

 This animal had a habit of hiding among the 

 gooseberry bushes, and, when I stooped to pick 

 the fruit, springing very suddenly upon my back. 

 But pussy was nowhere near, and as the swallow 

 continued to make dashes at me, I ^thought that 

 there must be something to alarm it on my head, 

 and at once pulled off" my hat and began to 

 examine it. In a moment the alarm cries ceased 

 and the whole gathering of swallows dispersed in 

 all directions. There was no doubt that my hat 

 had caused the excitement ; it was of tweed, of 

 an obscure grey colour, striped or barred with 

 dark brown. Throwing it down on the ground 

 among the bushes it struck me that its colour 

 and markings were like those of a grey striped 

 cat. Any one seeing it lying there would, at the 

 first moment, have mistaken it for a cat lying 

 curled up asleep among the bushes. Then I 



