THE BEARDED TITS NOTE 227 



height, and I was thus able to focus the nest. I 

 waited expectantly for either of the Tits to enter ; 

 but they did not apparently like the appearance 

 of the " big round eye " as the lens must have 

 appeared to them. Over the side of the boat I 

 saw that they seemed determined not to return, 

 although they kept on creeping round about in the 

 reeds at the back of their nest. 



At this point patience had done its work in the 

 case of my friend at the other nest, for the birds 

 there did not seem likely to return at all, so that 

 he thought there was nothing to be done but to 

 go back to our yacht. But as I 'had decided to 

 remain all day, if need be, I soon returned with 

 some necessary supplies of food. 



The camera was again placed in position, and 

 I lay at full length in the punt, so that the birds 

 should see no more of me than was possible. In 

 or about an hour the hen came close enough for 

 a snap-shot to be taken of her as she sat on a reed, 

 while the cock, meanwhile, was sitting quietly on 

 the other side of the clump. Each time the hen 

 came near, after just looking into the nest, she 

 mounted a tall reed-stem, and then, with a loud 

 fluttering, flew away with her mate, calling chiang, 

 chiang, chiang, until they had reached a distance 

 of about twenty yards ; then they again entered 



