204 



breathed faster than normal but she made no move to get 

 away and even opened her bill as though to pick my fingers 

 when I touched the nest. 



Her confidence and courage were amazing, considering 

 tliat it was the first formal visit I had made. With a small 

 stop in the lens, I made two pictures of her as slie sat on 

 the nest. As I did not wish to frighten her away, I simply 



Fig. 173. I managed to keep two of them on a twig long 

 enough to get his picture, feeding them; they were so active that 

 this ivas almost a hopeless task. 



wound my coat and focussing clotk about the tripod legs 

 and went to another part of the woods, leaving the camera 

 there. As I had hoped, when I returned an hour later she 

 had left her nest, which, I now saw, held five eggs, and gone 

 after food. So I stretched myself on the ground with just 

 my head and shoulders concealed \nider the small tent 

 formed b}' the covered tripod legs and, with bulb in hand, 

 awaited her return. 



It was a very clear, sunny da)' in the middle of June. 

 The sun's rays were verj' warm, in fact I never before rea- 



