28 ^yILD NATURE'S WAYS. 



my uncle's house, but that temporary incon- 

 venience was not half so important as the lesson 

 I had learnt in regard to the folly of waiting for 

 a shy bird perfectly aware of my presence in 

 such close proximity to her nest. 



The following morning my uncle accompanied 



CURLEW 



SITTING WITH HALF-CLOSED EYES 



me to the scene of action, and after tucking me 

 up and placing a stone or two on the top of the 

 artificial rock so as to make it look more realistic, 

 walked ostentatiously away across the pasture 

 with a couple of collie dogs at his heels. He had 

 not taken his departure more than fifteen minutes 

 before the curlew was, to my unbounded delight, 

 walking sedately on to her eggs. Just before 

 sitting down, the bird stood and gazed thought- 

 fully at all that could be seen of the lens, whicli 



