i6o WILD NATURE'S WAYS. 



By the assistance of two farmer's sons, I 

 managed to find a nest belonging to this species, 

 but, alas ! it was in a small partly wooded pasture 

 tenanted by a huge bull, of threatening aspect 

 and sullen demeanour. "Slorc than one dangerous 

 experience having taught me never to risk an 

 unauthorised interview with one of these ferocious 

 brutes without a reliable lethal weapon in one 

 pocket and a cheque-book in another, I sought 

 hard and long, but in vain, for a wood wren's 

 nest in quarters affording greater personal safety. 



It was obvious that I could not take my tent 

 or any other hiding contrivance, such as the 

 stuffed ox, into that pasture — for had the bull 

 come along whilst I was in situ ohscura, he would 

 have had me at considerable disadvantage — so, 

 donning my reversible jacket and cap mentioned 

 in the opening chapter of the present work, and 

 care full}' loading a heavy army re\'olver, I sallied 

 forth. 



When I reached the place where the nest was 

 situated, on a green grassy bank running up rather 

 sharply from a small stream, on the farther side 

 of which a number of tall larch trees grew, the 

 bull was nowhere to be seen or heard. Noise- 

 lessly fixing up the camera, I focussed a hazel 

 twig purposely stuck in the ground near the 

 wren's nest for her to alight upon, put a plate in, 

 and, covering the whole apparatus with a grass- 



