THE WILD birds' PROTECTION ACT OF 1894. 47 



birds being practically preserved, the interest of collecting will 

 cease, and the oologist of the future must go elsewhere for his 

 specimens, and look for other means for recording his home work. 

 He will find in photography a ready helpmate, as a glance at 

 some of the numerous books on British Birds' Nests and Eggs 

 just published will show. Before these books were printed, 

 many lovers of birds had been quietly working on these lines, and 

 from personal experience we can testify to the enjoyment and 

 interest which is to be found in bird-nesting with a camera. 



Wanderinoj at will over moorland and mountain, through forest 

 and by stream, along the calm lake shore and on wild ocean's 

 rim, we can search out the nesting haunts of the birds, and bring 

 back pictures of their nests with all their varied surroundings, 

 we can depict the eggs and young, and sometimes even the sitting 

 birds themselves may be portrayed. Excellent as are some of the 

 photographs already obtained, there is much room for improve- 

 ment. The difficulty of obtaining good results is exceptionally 

 great, owing to the cramped and limited conditions under which 

 the pictures have so often to be taken ; but it must be borne in 

 mind that one occasional success in a life-subject, the opportunity 

 of even seeing which may never occur again, is ample compensation 

 for many and many a failure. 



[This paper was followed by an exhibition of lantern-slides illustrating 

 British Birds' Kests. — See the account of the Society's Proceedings, 

 under date 23rd February, 1897.] 



