OnacoolJuneeveningin2009,afterperforminga
concertatLondonsRoyalAcademyofMusic,twenty-year-oldAmerican
flautistEdwinRistboardedatrainforasuburban
outpostoftheBritishMuseumofNaturalHistory.Home
tooneofthelargestornithologicalcollectionsinthe
world,theTringmuseumwasfullofrarebird
specimenswhosegorgeousfeatherswereworthstaggeringamountsof
moneytothemenwhosharedEdwinsobsession:the
Victorianartofsalmonfly-tying.Onceinsidethemuseum,
thechampionfly-tiergrabbedhundredsofbirdskins--somecollected
150yearsearlierbyacontemporaryofDarwins,Alfred
RusselWallace,whodriskedeverythingtogatherthem--andescaped
intothedarkness.