AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 87 



gust of wind blew the focussing cloth over the end of the camera.. 

 This was something for which she was not prepared and with a rush of 

 wings she was up and over the tops of the bushes, doubling and turn- 

 ing in her hurry to get away, while the shower of leaves that had risen 

 with her fell back over the ground, and left four eggs exposed to view 

 These like the bird matched the color of the surroundings so well that 

 they would stand little chance of detection among the leaves. I wished 

 to see the bird when she returned to the nest, so instead of going away 

 and allowing her to return when she chose, I moved the camera into 

 the clump of ferns mentioned previously, focussed carefully on the nest 

 and then concealed myself in the same clump beside the camera. 



The long . wait that followed was fully taken up in watching the 

 numerous other birds that thronged the place. In just about an hour 

 from the time she left the nest I caught sight of her slowly and cau- 

 tiously coming up the bed of the brook. Every few steps, she would 

 pause and listen as though not quite certain that I had gone. When 

 she reached the point in the brook directly opposite and about fifteen, 

 feet from me she paused for fully five minutes. She looked very in- 

 tently in all directions and especially towards the nest, and I fancied 

 she was looking at me although I was positive that she could not see 

 me; yet I was relieved when she started up the slight incline from the 

 brook, towards me. She walked with her body in a horizontal posi- 

 tion, neck well shortened, and with the bill pointed straight ahead. 

 Her gait was a little awkward; almost a waddle like a duck. I could 

 not but wonder as she approached step by step, her apparently black 

 eyes looking fearfully about her, if, were some of the sportsmen that I 

 know in my place, watching this innocent bird returning, faithful to the 

 charge which she had deserted only at the last extremity and not yet 

 certain but what she was walking into a trap, would they in the fall 

 tramp the country all day long in search of Woodcock, returning at 

 night happy in proportion to the number of birds that they had slain. 

 I am positive- that they would not if they could have witnessed the 

 scenes that transpired at the nest for the next five hours, as I did. 



Once again she stopped and waited a long while when just beside me 

 and not more than four feet away. She acted as though she thought 

 that all was not just right but did not discover me, although I feared 

 that she would every moment. A minute later and she was beside the 

 nest. She seemed to lean over and caress the eggs for a moment, then 

 arranged some of the leaves to better suit her fancy and settled down 

 upon the nest. She turned about a couple times to get a comfortable 

 position, and I was afraid she would settle down in a position unfavor- 

 able to my purpose. At last she assumed her final position nearly side 



