34. THE HOME-LIFE OF 
seldom feeds them, she does not caress them—she just 
wants to be near them, and gaze upon them. 
One day I had the good fortune to make some intimate 
studies of an Osprey that was as devoted a bird-mother 
as I have ever known. She had no imposing nest to be 
proud of; it was just a mass of rubbish, scattered indis- 
criminately on the ground. But that nest contained a 
downy youngster, which was more to her than the loftiest 
and most ancient domicile along the beach! And every 
moment she was not standing at his side, she was unhappy. 
I had been attempting to photograph the owner of a tall 
nest not far away, but the bird was “cranky ” and preferred 
patronizing a stake in the water, to standing on her nest 
in front of that hideous, mysterious blind. During 
the intervals of waiting, and my attempts at urging her to 
change her mind, I observed the loving and constant 
attention of the Osprey i in the humble nest among the grass 
close by. Slinging my camera over my shoulder, I drew 
from the ground the supporting rod of my umbrella blind, 
and, without emerging, started to walk slowly over to the 
new nest. ‘The owner gazed in astonishment at the 
approaching apparition, and, as it came nearer, sprang into 
the air in terror. I continued to stalk onward, fully 
developed in the folds of the blind, until I was within 
twelve feet of the nest, when I thrust the rod once more 
into the ground and opened-up my camera. 
Round comes the bird well above the nest, suspiciously 
eyeing the blind (Plate 20). The next time she swings 
gracefully injias if about, toilsettle: (Plate® i21).7 ¢Butyno, 
there is that strange and motionless monster standing so 
close, and checking herself she hovers, kestrel-like—gazing 
apprehensively at the blind (Plate 22). Her courage fails 
her; she turns in the air and passes on (Plate 23). The 
mental struggle between the instincts of self-preservation 
and love for her offspring is almost pathetic; but’ the 
latter is destined soon to triumph, for after the usual 
wide detour, she again comes up the wind, this time deter- 
