V ° 1 i907 :iV ] Bent > The Marbled Godwit. 163 



While driving across a low, wet meadow, towards a reedy lake, 

 on June 8, 1905, and when about two hundred yards from the lake, 

 we were surprised to see a Marbled Godwit nutter out from directly 

 under the horse, which was trotting along at a leisurely pace. We 

 stopped as soon as possible, and found that we had driven directly 

 over its nest, which barely escaped destruction, for it lay between 

 the wheel ruts and the horses foot prints, one of which was within a 

 few inches of it. The nest was in every way similar to the first one, 

 the bird having beaten down the short grass to form a slight hollow 

 in which the four handsome eggs had been laid in plain sight. We 

 photographed the nest and collected the eggs, which are now in the 

 collection of Rev. Herbert K. Job. On this same meadow, and 

 on the edge of the prairie near it, we also found two nests of the 

 Wilson's Phalarope, and a nest of the Bartramian Sandpiper, each 

 containing four eggs. 



On June 9, 1906, we visited the locality where the first nest was 

 found, and 1 enjoyed a most interesting experience with an unusu- 

 ally tame individual of this normally shy species. While walking 

 across the flat meadow near the creek, I happened to see a Marbled 

 Godwit crouching on her nest beside a pile of horse droppings. 

 She was conspicuous enough in spite of her protective coloration, 

 for the nest was entirely devoid of concealment in the short grass. 

 Though we stood within ten feet of her, she showed no signs of 

 flying away, which suggested the possibility of photographing her. 

 My camera was half a mile away in our wagon, but I soon returned 

 with it and began operations at a distance of fifteen feet, setting 

 up the camera on the tripod and focussing carefully. I moved up 

 cautiously to within ten feet and took another picture, repeating 

 the performance again within five feet. She still sat like a rock, 

 and I made bold to move still closer spreading the legs of the tripod 

 on either side of her and placing the camera within three feet of 

 her; I hardly dared to breathe, moving very slowly as I used the 

 focussing cloth, and changed my plate holders most cautiously; 

 but she never offered to move and showed not the slightest signs of 

 fear, while I exposed all of the plates I had with me, photograph- 

 ing her from both sides, and placing the lens within two feet of her. 

 She sat there patiently, panting in the hot sun, apparently dis- 

 tressed by the heat, perhaps partially dazed by it, and much annoyed 



