70 PHOTOGRAPHY FOR BIRD-LOVERS. 



these hiding-places made of branches are admirable, 

 but it is when working directly at close-quarters 

 that they fail. They have, too, a subtle and 

 disastrous habit of withering up under a few hours' 

 burning sun, and a screen that was but just now 

 reasonably opaque soon becomes a mere lattice- 

 work of branches as the leaves shrivel up. 



A Hide of Rock or Turf. 



Such solid things as turf or rocks can be built 

 into most excellent hides. Though the labour in- 

 volved in their erection is considerable, they have 

 the advantage of contrasting but little with their 

 surroundings, and if slowly brought together cause 

 the birds a minimum of alarm. After one has built 

 a screen or two with rocks, one will readily accord 

 the " dry-waller " of the North Country dales a 

 liberal credit for his craft. The mischevious way in 

 which the stones obey the call of gravity is most 

 exasperating. We try three different stones, each 

 on all its faces, for the one place, and still not one 

 will " bed " aright. There is a mystery in this 

 art, but we shall find great help if we use in layers 

 at intervals, earth or thin turf in which to set the 

 stones. This gives rigidity, a novel characteristic 

 in amateur dry-walling, and, moreover, in many 

 cases it tends to make the structure look less 

 strange and staring. The walls may be slightly 

 corbelled inwards on every side, and then spanned 



