450 MISS E. L. TURNER ON THE COOT AND CRESTED GREBE. 
However, when Nudd, with that inimitable skill for which he 
is justly renowned, quietly punted me alongside my future 
hiding-place, so noiselessly, that neither Coot nor Grebe left 
its nest till I lifted my head to look at them, my spirits 
rose, and I became possessed with that determination to 
succeed which makes those who follow any kind of “sport ’’ 
utterly oblivious of discomfort or fatigue in attaining their 
object. 
Carefully screwing my camera to the board that does duty 
for a seat in most punts, and adjusting it, I laid down in the 
boat while Nudd screened me with reeds, leaving only a tiny 
peep hole, and waited. Scarcely half an hour elapsed before 
the Coot returned, and settled herself comfortably, without 
so much as a troubled glance in my direction, and not five 
minutes later, the Grebe jerked herself on to her nest, but 
not before she had carefully scanned my hiding-place with 
that quiet scrutiny that makes the guilty and nervous tremble. 
I let them sit for some time, partly because my excitement 
was so intense, and also, because the sight was so unique 
and beautiful, I was loath to disturb the serenity of these 
calm and stately birds. However, I secured three pictures 
within the four hours — four hours being, as a rule, the limit 
of my endurance at a stretch. 
The plates had to be developed at once while Nudd waited 
anxiously, all three plates turned out successfully, and there 
followed one of those moments worth living which every keen 
naturalist knows. 
The next day, Saturday, May 19th, I made my second 
attempt, from 3 p.m. onwards, these being the hours when 
the light was best for my purpose. This time, and during 
the subsequent days, I used my stereoscopic camera. In order 
to accustom the birds to two staring eyes instead of the one 
lens, I left a board with false lenses before the birds all night, 
carefully arranging it so that nothing but the glass showed, 
therefore whether I was actually hidden or not, the “ eyes 4 
were always fixed upon the nests, and I attribute much of 
my success to this simple contrivance. 
On that Saturday I secured the first picture in this series. 
