204 



breathed faster than normal but she made no move to get 

 away and even opened her bill as though to pick m}^ fingers 

 when I touched the nest. 



Her confidence and courage w^ere amazing^ considering 

 that it was the first formal visit I had made. With a small 

 stop in the lens, I made two pictures of her as she sat on 

 the nest. As I did not wish to frighten her away, I simply 



Fig. 173. / managed to keep two of them on a twig long 

 enough to get his picture, feeding them; they ivere so active that 

 this was almost a hopeless task. 



wound my coat and focussing cloth about the tripod legs 

 and went to another part of the woods, leaving the camera 

 there. As I had hoped, when I returned an hour later she 

 had left her nest, which, I now^ saw, held five eggs, and gone 

 after food. So I stretched myself on the ground with just 

 my head and shoulders concealed under the small tent 

 formed by the covered tripod legs and, with bulb in hand, 

 awaited her return. 



It was a very clear, sunny day in the middle of June. 

 The sun's rays w^ere very warm, in fact I never before rea- 



