The Black-necked Stilt 
par excellence , and we 
shall see that it makes 
out very well with its 
extraordinary equip¬ 
ment. 
I know of nothing 
which admits a man 
more surely to the inti¬ 
mate wild of nature than 
the sight of a company 
of Black-necked Stilts 
feeding quietly along the 
sedge-grown margins of 
a shallow pond. One 
feels a delicious sense 
of privilege, as though 
he were being permitted 
to gaze upon some as¬ 
semblage of antedelu- 
vians. Concealment on 
the bird’s part is impos¬ 
sible, for his plumage is 
highly advertising. Bet¬ 
ter, though, if the 
observer have a blind 
or a tent or, at least, 
a covered automobile. 
Fancy automobiles at a 
Miocene spectacle! The 
birds are impossible; you 
have settled that in ad¬ 
vance. This will be a 
clownish performance 
with many a mishap of 
broken stilts or of 
damaged shins. But as 
we watch the deft celer¬ 
ity and alert confidence 
of these gifted waders, 
incredulity changes to 
wonder, and wonder to 
admiration. If the 
Taken yiear Los Banos 
DADDY LONGLEGS 
Photo by the Author 
