UNOBTAINABLE PICTURES 169 



likely to bring its reward in my seeing them come 

 out. 



What a difficult thing it is to obtain a picture 

 of a Moor-hen on her nest ! How I have tried, 

 and tried again, to effect this, but have never 

 been successful, although I have spent more time 

 during the last three nesting seasons over these 

 birds than over all others put together. 



Last year there was a nest by a small waterfall 

 on which the hen seemed to sit closely. I placed 

 my camera on some rubbish that had accumulated 

 in the water and covered it over with dead reeds, 

 sticks, and other things, and then retired with the 

 pneumatic tube to the top of a tree, where I 

 thought I should be free from observation, while, 

 at the same time, I should obtain a very good 

 view of all going on below. Some time elapsed, 

 but the Moor-hen would not enter her nest 

 although keeping near. I waited until I was 

 fairly cramped in my uncomfortable position ; 

 and patience had almost done her perfect work, 

 when, suddenly, success seemed to be within 

 measurable distance, for the bird was on the 

 point of entering the nest. Just at the critical 

 moment, however, a Wild Duck, with her in- 

 teresting brood, came flapping over the waterfall 

 and scared my Moor-hen away. 



