74 OUT WITH THE BIRDS 



went off with a bang, she was gone like lightning, 

 but in a few minutes was quite ready to return 

 again. I thus made several exposures, and went 

 away confidently, to learn a few hours later that 

 there was not a trace of mother shrike on any of 

 those negatives. The nest was there, but it was 

 empty. I tried several times again before I suc- 

 ceeded in making even an exposure. Then as the 

 day favored me, I speeded the shutter to a five- 

 hundredth part of a second, sat down at the foot 

 of the tripod and tapped it incessantly with a 

 stick till the bird got accustomed to the noise, and 

 in this way made several exposures. On one of 

 these I secured a picture, on another an extended 

 wing; the rest were blanks. 



Such dexterity at kodak dodging seemed mar- 

 velous. A scientific friend who rather doubted 

 my story figured that it was impossible for a bird 

 to beat such speed; the makers of the machine 

 backed him; but I had spoiled a dozen plates. 

 Probably we were both right ; and the real expla- 

 nation was that the bird could hear the curtain 

 shutters starting to roll before the actual expo- 

 sure was made; or her marvelous eye may have 

 detected the little swinging arm as it moved to 

 release the shutter. Acting lightning-like on her 



