n6 WILD NATURE'S WAYS. 



within ten minutes, the brave mother-bird thrust 

 her long bill through the trailing rushes behind 

 her chicks, and began to call them in all sorts of 

 endearing little notes, of which I did not pre- 

 viously think the species vocally capable. As 

 they did not immediately respond to her maternal 

 blandishments, she crept through into the open, 

 and, depressing her tail and elevating her breast, 

 invited them to come under her by all sorts of 

 affectionate signs and sounds. As soon as she 

 had succeeded in getting them beneath her 

 sheltering plumage she sat with the proverbial 

 boldness of brass, and allowed me to photograph 

 her over and over again. 



My surprise had been great when the female 

 came along so readily under discouraging cir- 

 cumstances, but it was still greater when the 

 male bird boldly walked up with a supply of 

 food, the precise nature of which I could not 

 very well make out, owing to the accommodating 

 length of his bill and the restricted character of 

 my peep-hole of observation. As soon as he had 

 divided his dietary treat between the chicks 

 under his mate's approving supervision, he took 

 charge of one, and she the other, and they sat 

 for ten minutes side by side, Darby and Joan 

 fashion, looking a veritable picture of matri- 

 monial felicity. 



This action on the part of the male snipe 



