112 WILD NATURE'S WAYS. 



was consequently in no hurry to face the ordeal of 

 resuming her work of incubation wnth an enemy 

 in such close proximity. She passed her time 

 in fl^'ing overhead suspiciously, crying peeweep, 

 peeweep in a \'oice much more raucous and less 

 musical than that of her mate ; or running about 

 agitatedly on the ground, pretending to pick up 

 food which had no existence except in her ima- 

 gination. Frequently she would stand in deep 

 meditation for a few seconds, and then suddenly 

 rise and wing her way to a neighbouring hill-top, 

 as if about to abandon the whole matter in despair. 

 But distance ministered not to her mind's unrest, 

 and she quickly came back again. 



At last I became convinced that my way of 

 contending with such great natural shyness was 

 vanity, and withdrew. 



My next attempt was made under such a 

 radical revision of tactics that the lapwing was 

 completely deceived. I induced a friendly shep- 

 herd to stand bv while I entered the place of 

 concealment, and then to walk slowly away in 

 purs'uit of his duties. \\'ithin hve minutes of 

 the time the anxious bird had escorted the man, 

 and his attention engaging dogs to a safe distance, 

 she was sitting contentedly on her nest, and I 

 had secured her portrait. 



So completely was the guileless creature taken 

 in by my shepherd ruse that she either did not 



