The Camera as an Aid in the Study of Birds 



13 



that the latter must be fairly grown, we decided to expose the nest 

 and complete our collection by securing the entire family. So care- 

 fully sawing awa\" the front wall of the cavity with a keyhole saw 

 carried for just such purposes, we gave the little fellows within their 

 first view of the outside world. I fear they must have thought the 

 manner of opening their second shell a rather rude one, and the out- 

 look somewhat forbidding. They were pretty little 3'oungsters, fully 

 grown, with clean, jaunt}' coats, and a grown-up ' chickadee-dee, ' just 

 like the old folks. Though somewhat dazzled at first by the sudden 

 flood of bright sunlight, the\' were, after a little coaxing, induced to sit 

 out on the veranda that had been improvised for them ; but, like youth- 

 ful sitters generally, they were hard to pose, and after many exposures, 

 we succeeded in getting no more than two of them at once. The 

 prettiest one of all, showing two of the little fellows as they finally 

 settled down contentedU' in the warm sunshine, was obtained at the 

 expense of much patient effort and a great deal of slushing back and 

 forth in mud and water between boat aad camera, and it was gratifying 

 to find that one at least of the negatives did fair justice to the situation. 

 The old ones came and went after the mutilation of their home, 

 just as before, and, indeed, apparently found the new arrangement 

 much more convenient than the old. In one of the photographs 

 here presented, domestic 

 affairs that had before 

 been entirely concealed 

 from view are fully re- 

 vealed, and had not the 

 plate been light- struck by 

 one of the many aggravat- 

 ing accidents likely to oc- 

 cur in the outdoor work of 

 the beginner, the picture 

 would have been the best 

 of the series. The cour- 

 ageous parent is attending 

 to her maternal duties im- 

 der circumstances which 

 must appear most appal- 

 ling. The little fellow sit- 

 ting so contentedly by has 

 undoubtedly had his share 

 of the huge juicy caterpil- 

 lars, and patiently recog- 

 nizes that it is not his turn. 

 ( To be concluded) 



CHICKADEE FEEDING YOUNG 



