THE NATURE PHOTOGRAPHERS 



3^9 



The Hermit Thrush. 



By Addison Ellsworth, Lestershire, New York. 



When shadows deepen and the gray of night, 



Creeps slowly down o'er the tired earth. 

 When the day-birds stop their noisy flight, 



And warblers cease their songs of mirth ; 

 Tl en quickly from out the evening hush. 



( )'er the darkning woodland, calm and mute. 

 Sounds the silvery notes of the hermit thrush, 



Like enchanting music from an elfin flute 

 Well 1 remember, in days of childhood, 



1 loved toleave themarts where people throng, 

 And wander alone in tangled wildwood, 



There to listen to thy marvelous sung. 

 But speeding years pass by on pinions fleet, 



Taking me farther from those happy days; 

 Yet still I love to seek thy lone retreat 



And revel in thy trilling roundelays. 

 Thou art of nature's rarest concepts, 



Oh, bird inimitable, supreme divine, 

 Thou mysterious sprite of sylvan depths. 



The solitudes of the forests are thine. 

 Apart from feathered clans of lesser birth, 



Perched high above the plebian throng; 

 On topmost limb, far from the earth, 



Pour forth thv soul in evensong. 



Two Expressive Photographs. 



BY K. R. HULBIRT, AZUSA, CALIFORNIA. 



No. [. This picture shows a quiet 

 little winter scene, and derives its chief 

 interest from the fact that it was taken 

 by moonlight one evening" about io p. M. 

 An ordinary kodak was used, and 

 an exposure of one hour was allowed. 

 Although the moon was shining so 

 brightly that an ordinary newspaper 

 could be read without difficulty, yet the 

 picture shows an entire lack of 



XO. 1: A PHOTOCRAPII [jY MOONLIGHT. 



XO. 2: A CAMERA RECORD OF A 

 REMARKABLE BEETLE. 



shadows. This is due of course to the 

 long exposure required and the shifting 

 of the shadows in that length of time. 

 To secure the best effect from this 

 picture, it should be viewed at a dis- 

 tance of not less than three feet. Moon- 

 light photography is interesting be- 

 cause a moonlight landscape presents 

 a uniform coldness which it is impos- 

 sible to produce by daylight. The sub- 

 dued light with absence of all shadows 

 gives a picture very different from an 

 ordinary landscape view. 



No. 2. The beetle shown in this 

 picture was a chance acquaintance 

 made during a stroll one day. They 

 are commonly known as road beetles 

 because they are frequently found 

 along dry and dusty roads. They have 

 a peculiar habit of humbly bowing 

 their heads to the ground at the ap- 

 proach of anything, and they will re- 

 main in this position for some time. 

 Whatever the reason is for this pecu- 

 liar behavior, it is clearly a protective 

 act. The ostrich will poke his head 

 under a bush and stand perfectly quiet, 

 believing himself effectually hidden 

 when his head is out of sight. Possibly 

 this beetle thinks himself hidden when 

 his head is thus partially concealed. It 

 is more probable that the hard black 

 pointed body which is presented in this 

 attitude of defense is not considered a 

 morsel by the roadrunners and other 

 birds. 



When I first saw this beetle, he 

 promptly took up his attitude of de- 

 fense. I watched him for several min- 

 utes. He evidently grew tired of wait- 

 ing for the attack, so he started for the 



