140 The Birds of Albany County 



thirty feet from railroad tracks. I approached very cautiously 

 and to my amazement the sitting female allowed me to come 

 within four feet of the nest. I knelt down until my face was 

 within two feet of the mother bird, and she still remained 

 unmoved. 



With a gentle movement of my hand I shooed her from 

 the nest. She arose slowly, with no show of alarm, walked 

 to a small rock about six feet away, mounted it and turned 

 and looked me over. There was something very dainty and 

 elegant in her manner which excited my admiration to the 

 utmost. But wishing to test her equanimity further I exclaimed 

 aloud: "Well, you are a cool one; don't you know that I 

 may be a murderer?" For answer she calmly preened her 

 wings, fluffed up her feathers, cocked her head to one side, 

 and looked at me as much as to say: "O, I don't know; I 

 guess you are harmless." I waved my hand again and gave 

 a "shoo." She walked down off the rock, strolled leisurely 

 across a short open space, passed under a barbed wire fence, 

 and mounted another rock on the other side. After a further 

 survey of the nest, I arose and walked away about two rods and 

 had the satisfaction of seeing her return to the nest in the same 

 deliberate manner in which she had left it. I never visited 

 my Bob-white again, but I trust she reared her brood in safety 

 and that the whole family dodged the wily gunner in the Fall. 



