168 HOMING WITH THE BIRDS 



branch just above the lower edge of the nest, 

 bringing his full breast and underparts, the under- 

 part of his tail and under tip of his wings into view. 

 The butt of one shoulder and full line of one wing 

 appeared in the picture. His head was turned at 

 such an angle that his upper and lower mandible 

 were clearly cut; his eye shone like a bead of light; 

 while his bill closed on a small, wiry worm, extend- 

 ing beyond it perhaps an inch on one side, and 

 an inch and a half on the other. This picture I 

 regard as very beautiful as well as rare. 



Another of my favourites is a reproduction of 

 a brooding cuckoo. Mr. Black had trained the 

 bird with a soap box and coat by pretending to 

 take her picture until she was so tame that after 

 a few efforts with her, I was able to walk my camera 

 to a focus that brought the lens within six feet of 

 her, as she entered or left her nest. I cut my way 

 to her through a thicket at such an angle that I 

 pictured her broadside, including a full sweep of her 

 back from the curve of her beak to the utmost 

 tip of her long, graceful tail, in her eyes the calm, 

 meditative, reasonable expression that always 

 rests on the face of a cuckoo under natural con- 

 ditions. I achieved the triumph of stroking this 

 bird's wing without driving her from her nest, 

 after having made her picture. Then I urged her 

 by a slight push on her wing, to leave the nest 

 that I m ight r< >produ< -e her eggs. I was very sorry 

 the instant she went, because a nestling was just 



