CONCEALMENT. 75 



vary with circumstances. If it is a made fitment, 

 carried for the purpose, this point cannot be too 

 strongly borne in mind at the time of its design. 

 An old umbrella top, with the point and nearly all 

 the stick cut away, and supported by three or 

 four stout sticks, makes a simple and very portable 

 contrivance, but it is not very adaptable to vary- 

 ing needs, and sooner or later will wholly fail 

 to fit into the requirements of a particular site, 

 and, therefore, not greatly to be recommended. I 

 have tried many elaborate contrivances, but 

 found none so generally serviceable as the 

 simplest a few lengths of stout cane. These 

 can be thrust into the ground so as to form a 

 framework of any size or shape, and when tied 

 together at the top are very firm, an important 

 matter in windy weather. If canes of a good length 

 are procured at first, there need be no scruples 

 about cutting pieces off them afterwards as need 

 arises, their initial cost being only a few pence. 



Concealing the Tent. 



A point, the significance of which is liable to be 

 overlooked, is, that while the tent completely 

 hides the operator, it has, in turn, itself to be con- 

 cealed, otherwise it is nearly as alarming to the 

 bird as the camera standing naked and alone. To 

 aid in this concealment, it is handy to have little 



