118 



against the sides or in the middle of old stumps. The four 

 greenish-blue eggs loom up prominently in the deeply-cup- 

 ped nest; probably for that reason the bird does not leave 

 the nest unless she is seen, for to do so would expose the 

 brightly colored eggs to view and result in discovery while 

 she can usually escape notice. 



Although I have taken many pictures of Wilson Thrushes 

 in many different locations, the one chosen for this sketch 



Fig. 101. VEERY RETURNING TO NEST. 



illustrates one of my very first attempts at bird photogra- 

 phy. This nest was situated at the base of a clump of black- 

 berry vines, and contained four eggs. The bird proved to 

 be more shy than usual and in two weeks time I was able 

 to secure but two satisfactory pictures of her. 



The day following its discovery an attempt was made to 

 23icture the Thrush returning to the nest. The camera was 

 set with the lens but two feet distant from the eggs and I 

 was concealed in a heap of brush twenty feet away. The 



