BIRDS OF BROADLAND AND STREAMSIDE. 219 



the eye of my apparatus from the safety of her 

 reedy retreat behind the nest. She knew quite 

 well that the heat spontaneously generated by 

 tlie decaying mass of vegetation on and beneath 

 which her eggs were lying was doing everything 

 necessary for their well-being, and was therefore 

 in no hurry to return. 



At last, when the limit of human endurance 

 had almost been reached, she cautiously thrust 

 her head through the reeds behind her nest and 

 set all my dying hopes aflame. With a wildly 

 beating heart I watched her come forward, jerk 

 herself out of the water on to the nest, uncover 

 her eggs, and sit down. Then I made a terrible 

 discovery. I had accidentally burst the teat, 

 releasing the mechanism of my focal plane shutter, 

 and was therefore compelled to lie ^^•ith my arms 

 over the side of the boat, so as to be able to make 



REED-COVERED BOAT. 



WITH AUTHOR PEEPING FROM 

 HIS PLACE OF CONCEALMENT. 



