BIBDS m A VILLAGE. 
49 
basket. Although thus having the appearance of 
being very much occupied, he would always stop 
for a few minutes' talk with me ; and by-and-by 
I began to suspect that he was a very social sort 
of person, and that it pleased him to have a little 
chat, but that he liked to have me think that he 
met me by accident while going about his work. 
One sunny morning as I came past his field he 
came out bearing a huge bundle of green grass on 
his head. " What ! " he exclaimed, coming to a 
stand, " you here to-day ? I thought you'd be 
away to the regatta." 
I said that I knew little about regattas and cared 
less, that a day spent in watching and listening to 
the birds gave me m.ore pleasure than all the 
regattas in the country. " I suppose you can't 
understand that ? " I added. 
He took the big green bundle from his head and 
set it down, pulled off his old hat to flap the dust 
out of it, then sucked at his short clay. " Well," 
he said at length, " some fancies one thing and 
some another, but we most of us like a regatta." 
During the talk that followed I asked him if he 
knew the wryneck, and if it ever nested in his 
orchard. He did not know the bird; had never 
heard its name, and when I had minutely described 
its appearance, he said that no such bird was known 
in the village. 
E 
