244 WILD NATURE'S WAYS. 



conspicuous black and white plumage, orange- 

 coloured bill, and purple legs at once attract 

 the attention of the observer, even if it does not 

 advertise its whereabouts by loud and oft-repeated 

 vocal effort. Whilst campaigning in the Outer 

 Hebrides last summer, I determined to try to 

 photograph this shy and wary fowl at home in 

 its native wilds, and succeeded beyond my most 

 sanguine expectations, although circumstances 

 compelled mc to set about my task with the 

 camera only nine feet away from the '^ sitter." 



The extremely rocky nature of the shore, upon 

 which I found several scattered pairs of birds 

 breeding, made it quite plain that it would be 

 impossible to fix my little hiding-tent up any- 

 where near a single one of their pebble-paved 

 nests. Some kind of hiding contrivance of the 

 most effectual character for both camera and 

 operator was, however, an imperative necessity, 

 and as I had not my artificial rock with me, the 

 next best thing that suggested itself to my mind 

 was a rough stone house. I accordingly selected 

 a site which would give me the greatest distance 

 from the nest and yet preserve a good view of its 

 contents, and, doffing my jacket, promptly com- 

 menced building operations. 



Although it was a case of stones, stones 

 everywhere, nothing but stones, few of those 

 near at hand were suitable for my purpose. I 



