74 



Our Bird Fr/ends. 



orange-coloured 1)ill of the sitting bird protruding 

 beyond the edgr. Waterhens occasionall}' hide 

 their homes in the most ingenious manner. When 

 nesting amongst reeds, they bend some of them 



down, as shown 

 in our ilhistra- 

 tion, so as lo 

 prevent tlie 

 eggs from being 

 seen from 

 above, instead 

 ot'lraviiig ihciii 

 ])l;nnly \isiMo 

 as tliey weTc in 

 tlie nest shown 

 on the o})j)o- 

 site page. My 

 brother and I 

 once had tlie 

 most convin- 

 cing proof of 

 tlic usefuhiess 

 of this httlc 

 dodge. Wo 

 found a nest so hidden one morning, and, returning 

 later in the day to photograph it, were dismayed 

 to see half-a-dozen boys wading up and down 

 in search of Waterhens' nests. ^Ve watched 

 them fi'oin lehind a blackthorn bush, and were 

 delightetl to see each of them wade within a 



WATiaUUIN 



M.ST IN HElilijH. 



