BIRD-NESTING WITH A CAMERA 189 



as lie proceeds. Sometimes it is necessary to hold 

 back an overhanging branch of a tree or bush, 

 and many a time my arm has ached and at last I 

 have had to let go through sheer exhaustion. 



Let me tell you about a Moorhen's nest we 

 photographed last Summer-time. The nest was 

 actually floating on the water, and was situate a 

 few feet from the land on a pond near which 

 hundreds of people passed, but not one chanced 

 to meddle with it ! 



Our photographer was a very careful young 

 man, but commendably persevering. Neverthe- 

 less, he was not particularly anxious to have a 

 ducking in the dirty pool where the Moorhens had 

 selected their nesting site, and his efforts to reach 

 the nest as he very gingerly trod upon a " raft " 

 he had constructed afforded keen delight to my 

 gamekeeper friends and myself. Arrived at his 

 destination without reaching a watery grave, our 

 intrepid photographer's next move was to fix his 

 camera securely and focus the nest. Then a 

 curious thing happened, and of this I must tell you 

 before proceeding further. When he reached the 

 nest there were nine eggs snugly ensconced within its 

 rush-covered bottom ; indeed, three minutes before 

 the photograph was taken, the nest contained nine 

 eggs. Before the photographer, however, had 

 time to expose his plate, four of the eggs hatched 

 out without any warning, and the chicks dived 



