PHOTOGRAPHING BIEDS 31 



quets, probably the last of the kind. Poor Paroquets ! I 

 saw their finish. 



With few exceptions the illustrations in this book are 

 photographs, made by the writer, of living wild birds in 

 their natural surroundings, in full possession of their 

 freedom and uninjured before or after the pictures were 

 procured. The picturing of two or three small migrants 

 was made possible by trapping the birds, administering 

 chloroform to keep them quiet while the pictures were 

 being taken, then resuscitating them and returning them 

 to their freedom, none the worse for their forced chemi- 

 cal restraint. I have repeatedly resorted to this same 

 procedure with poisonous reptiles, minus the resuscita- 

 tion. 



No permanent resident or brooding or feeding bird, 

 has ever sustained an injury from my association with it, 

 or making pictures of it. 



It is no easy task to make good photographs of birds, 

 as all who have seriously taken up this work will testify. 

 It may be an easy thing to get a picture of a Robin on 

 the lawn in your front yard, but the taking of a ''close- 

 up ' ^ of a Bald Eagle at the nest-side is fraught with diffi- 

 culties and dangers not easily avoided. 



Far more skill is required, and a greater feat is ac- 

 complished, in getting a close-up bird picture than in kill- 

 ing that same bird with a gun, at a distance of a hundred 

 yards. 



In order to be of educational value a picture of a 

 bird must be an actual photograph showing details, and 

 can be made only in close proximity to the subject. I 

 trust that every bird picture in this volume will act as a 

 true-to-life pictorial appeal in behalf of the conservation 

 of these, our feathered friends. 



There is no limit to the ''bag'^ or law violations by 

 gunners in trespassing on *'No hunting" posted estates. 

 In fact, the landowner welcomes you and your camera, 

 as he realizes you are his and his bird- tenants ^ best 

 friend. 



The enthusiasm engendered by the taking of a series 

 of successful bird pictures is far more pleasurable and 

 lasting than the memory of a ruthless slaughter of these 

 harmless and beneficial little creatures. After the photo- 



