356 WITH NATURE AND A CAMERA. 



thickly with old sacks, so that the bird might not 

 hear the crunching of the photographer's feet upon 

 it when he approached. 



My brother went down, and, placing his camera 

 in the box, focussed the favourite twig through the 

 hole our friend had cut, brought his pneumatic 

 tubing behind the door, and retired to wait in our 

 friend's sitting-room, which commanded a good 

 view of the pond. As the bird only came three 

 or four times a day, and did not stay long on any 

 occasion, no opportunities were to be lost, and 

 while photographic light lasted he kept constant 

 watch, even having some of his meals brought to 

 him, for fear of missing a chance. Six days spent 

 more or less in patient waiting and watching re- 

 sulted in his obtaining a series of studies, one of 

 which is reproduced on the opposite page. 



We have suffered a few minor accidents result- 

 ing in sundry bumps and sore bones, and the 

 smashing of our apparatus, but nothing of a serious 

 character. 



On one occasion my brother reared a ladder 

 against the trunk of a tree which was too thick 

 to swarm, with the idea of getting amongst the 

 branches by its aid. He had nearly reached the 

 top, when one side of the contrivance suddenly 

 snapped with a loud crack about a yard from its 

 upper end, and three or four rungs flew high in 

 the air as if cast by a juggler. The climber's 

 head came in violent contact with the tree, and, 

 losing his footing and balance at the same time, 

 he spun half round and fell, but in passing what 

 remained of the ladder he snatched at it from 

 beneath, and, arresting his descent, swung himself 

 back again, and thus, by a gymnastic feat, averted 

 what might have proved a nasty accident. 



