202 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. xiv. 



this Avocet was brooding, a Black Tern came flying low over 

 the nest — not with any evil intent — she sprang at him, 

 jumping straight from the ground into the air, about two feet. 

 The male Avocet is very attentive to his mate and jealously 

 guards the nest and young. He does most of the fighting, 

 though both birds drive at any human intruder. I think it 

 is the males only who meet in little companies to chatter 

 and show off and fight. 



Early in June I marked down an easily accessible family, 

 which looked as if they could be photographed without 

 much trouble, and such would have been the case, but for 

 the male. Their feeding area was close to a spit of mud, 

 just about large enough to take my tent. During the two 

 days it was erected, the male stood, or walked up and down, 

 six feet away and kept the young ones at a distance. Every 

 time the}^ wandered within range of my lens, he uttered a 

 sharp " Kluit," and mechanically they retraced their steps. 

 But as soon as I took away the tent they all paddled inshore 

 as usual. That was my last visit to the colony. I took 

 leave of them and of their guardian, the Dutch farmer, and 

 his family, very regretfully. We could not converse, but the 

 farmer's wife always anticipated my wants. Not the least 

 delightful of my recollections is the tea which was always 

 ready for me in the farmhouse kitchen, the men's faces, 

 half in shadow, with the fire-light playing upon them, and 

 the pleasant, homely-looking women and children- — all might 

 have stepped out of the canvas of some sixteenth century 

 Dutch Master. 



