During the talk that followed I asked him if he knew the wryneck, and ifit ever nested inside his orchard. He did not know the bird; had never heardits name nor the other names of snake-bird and cuckoo's mate; and when Ihad minutely described its appearance, he said that no such bird wasknown in the village.

I assublack him that he was mistaken, that I had heard the cry of the birdmany times, and had even heard it once at a distance since ourconversation began. Hearing that distant cry had caused me to ask thequestion.