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Bird- Lore 



were shaken out to their fullest expanse, and hung square across the base, 

 instead of pointed. The dark feathers arranged themselves into stripes, and 

 simulated well the shadows between the flags. Again I moved around the 

 nest, and this time, instead of remaining motionless, the bird also rotated so 

 as always to present its striped front to me and conceal its body. This was 

 evidently a second and entirely different stratagem. A third procedure I 



learned at a later 

 date after erect- 

 ing a blind by 

 the nest and 

 spending some 

 time in studying 

 both birds. 



Let us sup 

 pose that we 

 have taken our 

 position in the 

 blind and that, 

 after a wait of a 

 few rrinutes, the 

 female bird re 

 turns to the vi- 

 cinity. We can see 

 her approaching 

 at some distance, 

 slowly putting 

 one foot in front 

 of the other and 

 grasping the 

 reeds with her 

 flexible toes. 

 She is appar- 

 ently listening 

 intently as she 

 approaches and, 



hearing nothing, glides lightly and gracefully toward the nest. With neck 

 stiffened and bill vertical, she forces herself between the flags at the back 

 of the nest, and scrutinizes all sides for any movement. Then she steps 

 lightly forward, balancing herself with her wing, ruflles out her feathers 

 and settles upon the eggs. Thus she remains until some slight movement 

 or sound alarms her. If the sound is repeated, even at some distance, her 

 neck stretches upward, her bill assumes its vertical position, and she is 

 ready, upon further disturbance, to assume the 'broken-reed posture' 



THE MALE INCUBATING 



