6 THE HOME-LIFE OF 



This remedied, I once more took up the role of water- 

 rat, and re-entered the tent. 



Nor had I long to wait. Very soon there was the 

 swish and vigorous flapping of a distant bird checking 

 its flight preparatory to alighting, and I saw the dangling 

 legs of the returning Spoonbills as they came dropping 

 clumsily on to their nests. 



One bird almost alighted on a nest, but, catching 

 sight of the lens, checked herself, and with a few un- 

 wieldy flaps reached another further away. Obviously 

 uneasy in her mind, she kept peering through the reeds 

 as though seeking something. In a few moments a 

 second came dropping on the same nest, immediately 

 followed by a third. Then began one of the wildest, 

 if bloodless, scenes it is possible to imagine. The two 

 last comers, doubtless the rightful owners of the nest, 

 set about the first whole-heartedly, and in a moment the 

 three were flapping wildly together. The one trying to 

 escape ; the others bent on punishment. In the narrow 

 space around the nest there was scarcely room for one 

 to take flight, and the three fell flapping in a mass into the 

 water and broken reeds. Here they fought indis- 

 criminately until exhausted, the owners of the nest as 

 often pecking each other as the intruder, and when at 

 length the fight was ended each was so draggled and 

 exhausted as to find flight impossible ; they just lay 

 there, half in the water and half out, looking sorrowfully 

 at each other. One by one they regained their breath, 

 and struggling on to the disputed nest, which had now 

 lost one of its eggs, with difficulty took wing. It may 

 here be said that this was the only quarrel or disturbance 

 that occurred, the Spoonbills throughout proving them- 

 selves the most gentle and docile of birds. 



The noise of the struggle had hardly died away before 

 there was a flapping close at hand, and in another instant 

 my bird had dropped quietly on to her nest. She busied 

 herself for some time rearranging the reeds at the nest 



