174 BIRD-HUNTING 



cut to ribbons, and perfectly useless, having gashes 

 in them over a foot long, so that I had to finish the 

 work without them. 



On the first of these two days the hen bird came 

 to the nest, but in a very timid, hesitating manner, 

 first of all not actually on the nest, but a little way 

 behind it. She waited there a few minutes, and 

 then flew off, as if she didn't like the look of things. 

 An hour later she came again, but still on one side, 

 and I made one exposure. Two hours after that I 

 had another chance, after which she advanced right 

 into the nest and fed the young like a Spoonbill, 

 leaving before I could get another plate in. 



The young ones were very disappointed, and so 

 was I. Their note when they see their parents in 

 the neighbourhood of the nest, and when they alight, 

 sounds exactly like ' Be quick, be quick,' and in this 

 I quite sympathized with them. I knew that the 

 poor little beggars must be hungry ; and so was I 

 very hungry, and very wet, and very tired of stand- 

 ing there so long, and I was quite as anxious as they 

 were for her to ' be quick.' 



I was much annoyed by my men, two of whom 

 were waiting at the edge of the water, talking loudly, 

 and even singing, to pass the time, though I had 

 particularly told them to be quiet. The next day I 

 sent them back to the village in the boat, telling 

 them to come for me in the evening. I thus had 



