l spot!' There are some birds that
like dingy pools, where only coarse rushes grow, where there is
nothing but blight and mildew, where even carrion crows will not fly,
and at which men shudder."

Now this exactly described the places the Bittern prefers to all
others; but, as he really considered them very captivating, and hated
the very sight of mankind, he did not feel abashed by the Pelican's
stinging rebuke, and perhaps took it for a compliment; and there is no
knowing how long he would have staid there, if a frisky little Hoopoe
had not chanced to alight on a tree that had fallen across a foaming
brook not very far from the group of birds.

Not liking so much company, the Bittern stalked away. The Hoopoe
nodded so often to the birds that its beautiful tall crest trembled as
if a breeze stirred it, and having preened its prettily-barred
feathers for awhile, it began to talk as fast as ever it could.

"I have came from a long distance, and only stopped twice on my way to
get a meal of insects, which I can dig out of decaying wood with my
long curved beak, very fast, I can tell you. And what do you think I
saw in that place I came from? You would never guess. Why, men had
some pet Cormorants that they had trained to catch fish for them! Oh!
it was fun! And I heard these men say that in the days of Charles I.
of England (I hope you know who he is, for I'm sure I don't),
Cormorants were kept by nobles and kings for the purpose of catching
fish, and that there was attached to the Court an officer called the
King's Master of the Cormorants. Did you ever hear the like of that?"

[Illustration]

Although this was strictly true, the Cormorants had never heard of it;
but, before they could answer, a loud, deep voice cried; "Heigho! What
is all that?"

The startled birds turned towards the spot from whence the voice
proceeded, and there, perched on a lonely rock, a good distance to the
left of them, was a great bird with very large bright eyes and
powerful curved beak.

Neither the Hoopoe nor Pelican had ever before seen him, but the
Cormorants knew him very well. He was the Peregrine Falcon. And they
knew him because, like them, he chose rocky ledges, high and
inaccessible, for his nest. And although his nests were usually on
loftier crags than theirs, they were quite neighborly, especially as
they did not chase the same prey, the Cormorants drawing theirs from
the sea, and the Falcons finding theirs in the air.