THE GREAT CUTHBERT ROOKERY 71 
tripod, which now served me admirably, as rigidity of the 
apparatus is the prime essential in telephoto work. 
All the nests of these water-birds are mere platforms of 
sticks in a crotch, usually unlined with any soft material. 
The ibises, however, line their nests with green mangrove 
leaves, but, despite this, their nests are the liimsiest of them 
all. Just a few sticks are laid across one another in the 
crotch, some leaves are placed upon them, and the two or 
three greenish eggs, beautifully mottled with brown, are then 
TELEPHOTO PICTURE OF AN IBIS AND A LOUISIANA HERON 
