243 



As I have said, this nest was in a clearing where there 

 was not a particle of shelter, not even a spear of grass to 

 keep the sun's rays off at any time during the day. On ex- 

 ceedingly warm days^ I used often to think of this bird, sit- 

 ting there, panting, but faithful to her charges. Even 

 worse to endure than the sun, was the rain. At that time, 

 there occurred four days of the heaviest rainfall we had 

 ever experienced and I was very doubtful about her being- 

 able to stand it. However, when the sun shone on the morn- 

 ing of the fifth day, she slipped away from the nest, upon 

 my approach, none the worse for her drenching. Only one 

 who has been caught in the fields or woods, far from shel- 

 ter,, in a driving rain, can appreciate the hardships that 

 birds have to undergo at such times. 



Early one morning, I appeared with all my paraphernalia 

 for picture making. She slid off the eggs as usual and flew 

 down to the pond; she knew from experience that I would 

 not be deceived so she never now tried to feign lameness. 

 Just for an experiment, one morning later, I had a friend 

 approach the nest first and she tried her best to decoy him 

 away. Certainly this showed at least a ray of intelligence 

 for, while she knew that I was aware of her nest and rea- 

 soned that it would be useless to try and deceive me, she 

 tried it with everyone else. 



I used a green umbrella-tent placed so that the front edge 

 was about two feet from the eggs. This was covered with 

 Small pine branches, not to deceive the bird, but so as not to 

 attract much notice should anyone come that way, as they 

 frequently did. I soon had a camera focussed carefully on 

 the eggs and was lying comfortably on the ground awaiting 

 the return of my hostess. Presently I heard her approach- 

 ing, her calls sounding plainer and plainer each time the}^ 

 were repeated, finally she stood on a stone about twenty 

 feet away, 'teetering' as sandpipers always do, and eying 

 sharply the new addition to the landscape. 



