HUNTING BIRDS WITH CAJMERA 



dog." The Ruffed Grouse is all too apt to run away 

 as the hunting dog approaches, and flush from a dis- 

 tance. The Wilson's Snipe of the meadows lies closely 

 enough some days, but on others sneaks off, and flies 

 wildly to safety. The Bob-white, or Quail, is a fine 

 bird to hunt with the dog. Sometimes I have had 

 almost to kick them up before they would fly. But the 

 closest squatter of them all is Sir Woodcock, and he i^ 

 king without a rival, with our friend Bob White, Es- 

 quire, as a close second. These are the four real game 

 birds of eastern districts and the subjects of this chap- 

 ter. We shall see what sort of game they make for 

 hunting with the camera. 



In this hunting, as well as in the other. Woodcock is 

 king. Though he does not seem to be particularly a 

 proud bird, yet he does have great confidence in himself, 

 in his ability to escape the prying eyes of enemies, and 

 rightly so, for his colors and markings are so closely 

 like those of his surroundings in the woods and swamps 

 that he can defy most eyes to detect him. Naturalists 

 call this "protective coloration," and a splendid pro- 

 tection it is. So the Woodcock learns that all he has to 

 do, ordinarily, to be safe, is just to keep still, and well 

 has he learned the lesson. 



One April day Ned and I were following along a 

 brook which flows through a pasture and is fringed with 

 alders. "Hullo," said I, "I wonder what sort of a 

 last year's nest that is on that low bush over there!" 

 So I went over to see, and stooping over to examine it, 



14. 



