CHAPTER III. 



Instructions in General. 



IN this chapter we wish to group some little advice on 

 the use of the apparatus described in the previous one. 

 These hints are intended primarily for the assistance 

 of the novice who may derive some help from them 

 until such time as he is able to supplant them, in whole or in 

 part, by a new code of rules based on his own experiences. 

 Even the experienced photographer may possibly find 

 amongst them something new. Many of the matters 

 referred to in this chapter may be found to be repeated in 

 the chapters describing our experiences. They are col- 

 lected here, however, for the sake of convenience. 



It may first be mentioned that the photography of birds, 

 as we carry it out, is practicable, as a rule, only during the 

 nesting season, and in the vicinity of the nest or young of 

 the subjects. This follows from the fact that some strong 

 influence is necessary to attract the bird to a position a 

 few inches only from the camera. On occasions we have 

 been able to obtain pictures without any such influence, 

 but these instances are always rare. It is an advantage, 

 therefore, for the photographer to have at least some 

 knowledge of the time and place at which nests of the 

 different species are likely to be found. With this idea 

 in mind we have included in the chapters which follow as 

 many observations as has been possible on the habits of the 

 different species. 



The ordinary nesting season in Victoria extends from 

 about August to December, although many nests will be 

 found both earlier and later than these months. As to 



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