ORNITHOLOGY 



The birds arrived at the swamp on 

 the seventeenth of last May, and im- 

 mediately began the construction ot 

 their homes. 



On the twenty-ninth, the nest which 

 I had chosen for my photographs was 

 completed, and June fifth it contained 

 four beautiful, light green eggs, thick- 

 ly marked with irregular scrolls of 

 chocolate around the larger end. 



The following day I started for the 

 swamp with a five by seven camera, 

 folates, tripod, long hose, and rubber 

 waders. The location proved most dif- 

 ficult for camera work, but in a short 

 time I had my outfit arranged and se- 

 cured the study of the nest and eggs 

 here given. 



My next attempt was for a study of 

 the female brooding, so I attached the 

 long tubing to the shutter, went off 

 fifty feet and waited ; the bird was ex- 

 tremely shy of the camera, regardless 

 of the fact that I had concealed it with 

 reeds. She knew it was no natural 

 part of the landscape, and she simply 

 would not go to the nest. In fear that 

 the eggs would chill, I removed the 

 camera and came to the conclusion 

 that a picture of her was possible only, 

 when the eg-gs were farther advanced 

 in incubation, or when the young had 

 hatched. 



In twelve days, I paid the birds a 

 second visit and, as I approached the 

 swamp ; on a swaying cat-tail was 

 perched the female, with what ap- 

 peared to be an insect in her bill, and 

 I knew that in all probability the 

 young birds had hatched. Leaving 

 the camera on the bank, I carefully 

 worked my way toward the nest. As 

 I neared it, the female flew from one 

 cat-tail to another, uttering her harsh 

 "click—click," while the male, perched 

 in the top of a nearby tree, occasion- 

 ally sent forth his clear "con-quer-ee 

 — con-quer-ee— . On reaching the 

 nest, my expectations were realized, 

 for it contained three young birds, and 

 one unhatched egg. AVith all possible 

 haste I arranged the camera, focussed 

 sharply on the nest, attached the long 

 tubing, throwing the bulb back to the 

 edge of the bank, and concealing my- 

 self as much as possiple, I waited. 



It was one-half hour before the fe- 

 male showed the slightest signs of 

 feeding the young. At last, she flew 

 to an adjoining field, and in the 



"INSTANTLY UP WENT THREE GAPING 

 MOUTHS AND LONG SCRAGGY NECKS." 



course of a few minutes, returned, 

 with a grasshopper in her bill. Flying 

 from one reed to another, and each 

 time going a little nearer, she at last 

 flew to a cattail stock to which the 

 nest w^as attached. Here, she medi- 

 tated, scanned the surroundings, and 

 seemingly finding things to her satis- 

 faction, flew to the rear of the nest; 

 instantly up went three gaping mouths 

 and long scraggy necks. I squeezed 

 the bulb, and the click of the shutter 

 sent her flying to the nearest fence 

 post. This all happened in an instant, 

 but in that instant I secured the like- 

 ness of the bird here given. 



On the following day I made a sec- 

 ond attempt at . picturing the bird in 

 some desirable attitude in her domes- 



