166 Pictures of Bird Life 



and perfectly exposed to A'iew : and on this they will })rood 

 o\'er their young. Sometimes the second nest is made of 

 sticks, placed athwart a fallen branch or tree ; and these are 

 often of such a length and thickness as to cause surprise 

 at the birds being al)le to manipulate them. 



The hours I have spent trying to photograph A^^lter- 



hens Ivdxe been generally wasted. Hiding up at one which 



seemed to be well placed for tlie purpose, though I was 



carefully liidden under a thick busli, one of the birds quickly 



found me out. Hearing a slight rustle behind me, I turned 



cautiously, and she flew away from close behind me. As 



there was no other hiding-place within reach, I climbed a 



tree, and sat there. After a time — comparatively short, 



perhaps an hour — one of them swam out from round the 



corner, and proceeded straight to the nest, immediately below 



me. This should have resulted in a successful photograph, 



but for some stupid mistake in arranging the camera. On 



trving the same plan again, however, the birds must have 



seen me descending, for they refused to approach a second 



time, though I waited patiently for hours. Finally I was 



obliged to give up any further attempt, for my hiding-place 



was discovered by some boys. Unfortunately the road 



^y'ds near, and one of them on their way home from school 



"spotted" me up tlie tree while they were all looking over 



the fence for some mischief to do. I heard one say, " There s 



a rabbit!" and another, "There's a man up a tree ! "" "I 



can see his ears move ! " — that nnist have been the rabbit s, 



I presume. Then they saw my bicycle on the ground, and 



