306 BIRD LIFE GLIMPSES 



doubtless, was addled, and as I never could clearly 

 make out more than two chicks together, I suppose 

 this must have been the case with another of them, 

 too. If so, however, it seems strange that this one 

 should have disappeared, whilst the birds continued, 

 for some time, to sit on the other. 



On the 1 8th of the following August I found 

 another nest, in which was one chick, together with 

 three eggs still unhatched. It lay but just off the 

 bank, and cover was afforded by some spreading 

 willow-bushes. It was only by standing amidst 

 these, however, that I could just see the nest, 

 beyond a thin fringe of reeds, which guarded it. 

 This was not very comfortable, so as the willows 

 were too thin and flexible to climb, and my house 

 was not very far off", I walked back, and came, again, 

 after dark, with a pair of Hatherley steps, which I 

 set up amongst the willows, where it remained for 

 the next three weeks, and made a capital tower of 

 observation, from which I could look right down 

 into the nest, at only a few yards distance. At 

 these very close quarters, and never once suspected, 

 I was witness, day by day, of such little scenes as I 

 have described, so that if I had been one of the 

 birds themselves, I could hardly have gained a more 

 intimate knowledge of them, as far as seeing was 

 concerned. My near horizon was, indeed, limited 

 almost to the nest itself, but by mounting the steps 

 higher, or by standing on them, I could get a very 

 good view, both up and down the stream, and was 

 yet so well concealed that once a flock of doves 

 flew into the bushes, just about me, and remained 

 there quite unsuspicious. These steps, indeed, 



