CONCEALMENT. 63 



When the camera had been carefully fitted into 

 the middle of the little bush we had moved up, 

 only the lens was visible, protruding from its 

 midst. Then a fine line was led out from the 

 lever of the shutter, over the grass down to the 

 stones, across the river and up the other bank into 

 the gorse thicket by the wall. The plan worked 

 excellently, and before I had been in hiding long 

 I had the satisfaction of seeing the trim little 

 Sandpiper making her way hesitatingly along the 

 line of drift-wood, and within a few minutes of her 

 first appearance she was contentedly sitting on 

 her eggs. A day or two later, while still working 

 at this Sandpiper, I saw for the first time definite 

 proof of the release-line attracting the attention of 

 birds. (Since this I have observed it on other 

 occasions.) I had been waiting long for the Sand- 

 piper's return, when suddenly there was a commo- 

 tion on the beach on my side of the river. At 

 first it sounded like two birds fighting, but the 

 noise steadily increased in volume and intensity. 

 Curiosity proving stronger than discretion, I raised 

 my head high among the gorse-bushes and could 

 then see on the beach beneath and in the shallow 

 water, a little group of Lapwings excitedly examin- 

 ing and occasionally pecking the shining silken line 

 which, in the gentle breeze, was alternately kissing 

 and leaving the surface of the water and making 



