THE KILLDEER. 



641 



riie thciuglit 



nest becomes a ijeninsula. then an island, then a smaller islanc 

 of the little Killdeer muther losing her tirst tamil_\- is not comforting. The 

 eggs must be near hatching now, but it may take three or four days yet; and 

 the water has only a foot to tra\el \ertically. No, those eggs must be saved! 

 But how' They cannot be moved across the ground bv slow stages, U)r thev 

 are already ujion the highest point of the island. I ha\'e it. The bird must 

 travel up. 



Having first prepared four stout willow stakes, a slab a foot s(|uare, and 

 some rustic railing, I repair to the island in the canoe. An upturned kettle is 

 placed ovev the eggs to protect them while the stakes are dri\-en, inclining 

 outward at the bottom for strength, and the platform nailed on top. Then 

 with axe and hunting knife I cut out a deep sod containing the eggs, lift it 

 carefully, place it in the receptacle provided above, and retire to a distant liank 

 to await the issue. 



Great is the mystificatii>n and distress of the parent Killdeers upon finding 



their treasures removed. The little mother 

 gazes at the Ijlack hole in consternation 

 and walks round and rcnmd it with pitiful 

 cries. She even descends into the ca\ity, 

 but her babies are not there. Then both 

 birds sound the alarm and s_\-mpathizing 

 neighbors rush in with noisy condolences. 

 But the bereaved mother resents their of- 

 ficiousness and chases each inquiring in- 

 truder away from the hole. There is a 

 great pow-wow and much tcclcriiKi. Ijut 

 not a bird of them ever thinks of rising- 

 above the ground to look for a nest. By 

 and Iw the neighbors retire to their own 

 ii-eser\"es, the male Ijird comes across the 

 channel to watch me, and 

 the grie\ing UKitlier wanders 

 about aim- 

 lessly on the 

 island. 



It is inter- 

 esting to ob- 

 ser\-e the 

 male at this 

 juncture, iov 

 he is seized 

 h\ an idea — a 



THE THREESOf) ST.\GE. 



Plioto by the Author 



