THROUGH THE BIG SWAMPS 



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places, lakes and lagoons, usually flies low and in an 

 indolent manner, as if there were no reason to hurry; 

 but it is capable of smart wing w r ork. The Swamp 

 Hawk's food consists chiefly of small birds, reptiles 

 and mice. 



SWAMP HAWK'S NEST AND EGGS. 



After inspecting the Coots' nest, which held a 

 clutch of five fresh eggs, we moved on to seek that of 

 a pair of White Ibises [Ibis molucca}. A platform 

 of rushes and grass, slightly hollowed, the nest was 

 hidden in a clump of reeds. There were three white, 

 oval-shaped eggs, on which the female bird was sit- 

 ting. She rose with a whirr of wings, and soared 

 until she appeared no bigger than a pigeon, a white 

 form floating in the blue. I was busy with the 

 camera when a Bittern "boomed" from the reeds, not 



