162 



Pictures of Bird Life 



Lapwing {l-'aiicZ/iis cristatits) sitting. 



will only crouch closer and remain motionless, though keenly 

 obser^'ant all the while of e^'ery movement on your part. 



The quiet heroism shown by birds while incubating or 

 brooding over tlieir young is Aery touching. Tlie slightest 

 noise or rustle may mean some cruel and ruthless enemy ; 

 yet they never move, tliough it is so easy for them to 

 spring up and fly away. But imless you blunder on to 

 them Avith sudden noise and crash of broken branches, tliey 

 will remain sooner than betray the whereabouts of their 

 nest. 



The hen Pheasant is another example of the protectively 

 coloured and close-sitting bird. One was almost trodden on 

 before I saw the markings on her russet plumage hidden 

 among the dried grasses under my feet. After photograph- 

 ing her from four different positions, she only left her egg^ 

 eventually on my attempting to pull up by tlie roots some 

 of the grass which hid her from view ; and e^en then, 

 instead of flying off, she ran towards me with all her feathers 

 fluffed out, hissing like an angry goose. The Pheasant will 



