248 Pictures of Bird Life 



were not wortli any attempt at recovery, as the water would 

 liave utterly spoilt them. 



After this another nest was foiuul better situated for our 

 purpose, where the camera could be effectually hidden on 

 a heap of piled-up reeds level with tlie water and co\'ered 

 over with wet sedge and rubbish. The nest beino- made of 

 reeds, a dry reed-stem was used as the lever of the switch, 

 and was placed across the nest. After leaving this for a 

 few hours, we were delighted to find, on our first visit to it, 

 that the bird had returned and had sprung the shutter. 



The first impression was tliat, instead of tlie Heron 

 herself being recorded on the plate, we had succeeded in 

 photographing a ]Marsh-harrier in the act of stealing eggs ; 

 for we had left fom^ ^^g^ hi the nest, and foiuid but three, 

 while the reed-stem serving as a switch was broken short 

 off, and the nest itself smeared with blood. In connection 

 with these marks of disorder, the sight of a JNIarsh-harrier 

 rising from the reeds as we approached appeared to be 

 rather suspicious. Further investigation, however, showed 

 us that the Heron herself nuist ha\e broken the reed and 

 her own egg at the same time, for we found it eventually 

 in the water below the nest. The plate, too, on de^ elop- 

 ment. showed the Purple Heron in the act of stepping on 

 to her nest in a most typical and characteristic attitude, 

 the reed-stem plainly visible imder one u})lifted foot. 



Two other exposures were subsequently made by this 

 same bird, to my great satisfaction, as proving that for 

 parti cidarly shy birds this method is really practicable in 



