A Nighthawk Incident 



127 



was setting when we reached the flat rock on which her eggs had been 

 laid and young hatched and where she had last been seen; but a frag- 

 ment of egg-shell was the only evidence that the bare-looking spot had 

 once been a bird's home. The grass had lately been mowed and there 

 was no immediately surrounding cover in which the bird might have 

 hidden. It is eloquent testimony of the value of her protective coloring, 

 therefore, that we should almost have stepped on the bird, who had 

 moved to a near-by flat rock, as we approached the place in which we 

 had expected to find her. 



Far more convincing, however, was her faith in her own invisibility. 

 Even the presence of a dog did not tempt her to flight, and when the 



MCHIHAWK ()\ FENCE 



camera was erected on its tripod within three feet of her bod\', scjuatting 

 so closely to its rock\' background, her onl\ moNcment was occasioned by 

 her rapid breathing. 



I here was other cause, however, besiile the belief in her own incon- 

 spicuousness to hold her to the rock: one httle dowin chick nestleil at 

 her side and with instinctive obeilience was as motionless as its parent. 



So they sat while picture after picture was made from \arious points 

 of view and ^rili md movement, until the jiarent was lightly touched, when, 

 starting (]uickl\ , she spread her long wings and sailed out o\er the fields. 

 Perhaps she was startleil and deserted her voting on the impulse of 

 sudtlen fear. I'ut in a few seconds slu- recovered hersi-lf and, circling, 

 returned and spread lu-rself out on the grass at m\ feet. Then followeil 

 the evolutions common to so manv birds but wonderful in all. With 



