Photography for Naturalists 19 



AMicii liiddeii up with tlie ciuiieni, as when using' tlie 

 tclc-plioto lens, you may sometimes expose a dozen plates 

 one after the other witliout haAino- to alarm the bird by 

 betrayino- your hidino-plaee, and there is })esides more ehoiee 

 of pose, and the birds mo\'ements ean be followed without 

 your beint)' restrieted to one partieular spot, and when there 

 is time the foeus ean be ()l)tained with more certainty. Too 

 often, howe\'er, the bird is on the moye, and the time for 

 consideration is of the shortest. 



On these occasions self-effacement must be studied as a 

 fine art. ^Vll animals do their best to shun the attention of 

 mankind, for yery excellent reasons of their own : and the 

 photographic enthusiast, though he may oAcrfiow with bene\'o- 

 lence towards the whole animal creation, is \iewed with just 

 as much suspicion as the prowling gunner — with more, in fact, 

 inasmuch as iiis weapon is so much more Indky and dangerous 

 in appearance. 



It is quite possible, howeyer, to get gradually on familiar 

 terms with l)irds indiyidually, and to gain their confidence, 

 if you can spare time to spend a day or two at tlieir house — 

 I should say, their nest. I haye succeeded in making friends 

 Ayith se\'eral pairs of Nightingales, Whinchats, A\^hitethroats, 

 and other timid birds. By constantly yisiting them and by 

 moving quietly and gently, they soon lay aside all fear, and 

 appear to recognise one as a friend of the family, who may 

 safely be trusted not to betray the confidence placed in his 

 good faith. When they have once arri\ed at this satisfactory 

 state of mind, the chief difficulties are removed, and work 



