2Z6 



RECREA TION. 



his long, pointed wings over his back 

 as high as he can put them, directly 

 after alighting. As there are hundreds 

 of these birds, all about, constantly in 

 motion it is a pretty sight to see the 

 white-barred wings glinting over the 

 meadow for an instant after the birds 

 drop into the grass. 



On the right of the pond-hole, 

 where I sat, there was a short stretch 

 of sandy beach. Directly back of this 

 rose a tussock of tangled grass, and 

 about this, for some distance, was scat- 

 tered the flotsam of winter floods — 

 bits of drift-wood, broken reeds and 

 rubbish from the marsh. 



On my arrival I startled a pair of 

 willets from this spot, and after set- 

 tling the blind to my notion, I investi- 

 gated among the drift. 



A short search revealed a tunnel 

 among the sedge-stalks, and in this 

 passageway was the nest — a slight de- 

 pression in the ground. It contained 

 2 eggs, similar in marking to, but 

 larger than, those of the meadowhen. 

 The tunnel ran on to an exit on the 

 farther side, under the mass of debris 

 which formed its root. 



It was so damp, down there in the 

 twilight among the reed stalks, I could 

 but think of chills and fever, and won- 

 der if the little willets, so soon to ap- 

 pear, would not be born with " that 

 tired feeling " so characteristic of ma- 

 larial affections. 



Returning to the blind I awaited de- 

 velopments. Presently Mrs. W. ap- 

 peared, flying low, almost brushing 

 the grass as she circled silently about 

 me. Twice, 3 times, she went round; 

 but as she swung over the nest for 

 the third time, she dropped, and van- 

 ished. Silently had she come, and as 

 silently disappeared. It was actually 

 " spookey," the way she managed it! 



How different the action of Will! 

 Here he comes, sailing along, noisy 

 as usual. Pitching on the little strip 

 of sandy beach, he touches his wings 



above his back, making a graceful bow 

 with his head, as though in salute. 



For a time he stood motionless, with 

 head erect, and every sense on the 

 alert. Then, evidently satisfied with 

 himself and his surroundings, he 

 strode, with much dignity, back and 

 forth, as if doing sentinel duty. 



Then began one of the prettiest lit- 

 tle scenes of domestic bliss I have ever 

 seen among my feathered friends. 



After parading back and forth for 

 several minutes, the little fellow 

 turned his head toward the spot (not 

 10 feet away) where he knew his wife 

 was brooding. He hesitated for an 

 instant and then continued his walk 

 up and down. Presently I heard a sin- 

 gle note, so soft, so liquid and so ten- 

 der, I could hardly believe him ca- 

 pable of voicing it: but yes! he halts, 

 and again it floats on the air. 



"Are you there, old lady?" it 

 seemed to say. Whether she replied, 

 I cannot say; but he evidently felt she 

 heard him, for now he stands facing 

 toward her, and in a series of musical 

 notes, flutes his love messages to the 

 little wife in the sedge. Like a good 

 Moslem, he bowed toward his Mecca 



while he told his love. 



* * * 



No, sir! I did not get a bird; and as 

 I went back to the yacht, in the golden 

 sunshine, I was happy beyond meas- 

 ure at having witnessed this pretty lit- 

 tle love passage between the willets. 



Later, as I sat on deck with my pipe, 

 the cackle of the meadowhens filled 

 the air; and once I heard the hoarse, 

 salty laugh of a gulf gull, or skimmer, 

 as he passed on noiseless wing, his 

 dark form sweeping across the path of 

 moonlight which silvered the water 

 astern: but my thoughts were away 

 yonder in the darkness of the marsh- 

 land, and they wandered to the little 

 nest among the sedge-grass. Then 

 once again I seemed to hear Will say, 

 " Are you there, old lady? " 



