50 WILD LIFE AT HOME. 



before; but it was not in us to be heartless 

 enough to trample upon an old man's enthusiasm 

 and hurt his feelings by refusing to go and see 

 an object which he thought would interest us ; so 

 away we ah 1 coasted in our two little boats through 

 the reeds. 



AVhen we arrived at the small circular island 

 on which it was situated, I allowed my guide to 

 approach the wild duck's nest alone, as he was not 

 quite certain of its exact locality, whilst I stood 

 at a point of vantage and kept my eyes open. 

 Directly he got close up to her, the bird rose with 

 a great clatter, and took her departure. She had 

 not flown more than three yards before I observed 

 a male bearded tit rise from beneath her, and 

 make off to some tall reeds thirty or forty yards 

 away, where he was immediately joined by his 

 mate. We searched the place where he rose care- 

 fully, but in vain ; and our native companions were 

 both quite sure there couldn't be a nest. The fact 

 of the tit getting up in the way it did, and being 

 joined immediately by its mate, aroused my sus- 

 picions ; but its sex puzzled me and weakened my 

 faith in its having come from a nest to some ex- 

 tent. However, we each took up points of vantage 

 round about the place, and began to wait and 

 watch. By-and-by a sedge-warbler flew in, and 

 alighting near the wild duck's nest, began to hop 

 about leisurely amongst the broken-down reeds and 

 tangled masses of coarse brown dead grass. It was 



