Editorials 



lOI 



iiirti^Eore 



A Bi-monthly Magazine 

 Devoted to the Study and Protection of Birds 



OFHICIAL ORGAN OF THE AUDUBON SOCIETIES 



Edited by FRANK M. CHAPMAN 

 Published by THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 



Vol. IV 



Published June 1, 1902 



No. 3 



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COPYRIGHTED, 1902, BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN. 



Bird-Lore's Motto: 

 A Bird in the Bush is IVorth Two in the Hand. 



We published this month an article by 

 Prof. Francis H. Herrick, whose book 

 'The Home Life of Wild Birds, A New 

 Method of the Study and Photo<iraphy of 

 Birds ' — now in its second edition — has 

 aroused much interest among bird students. 



Professor Herrick 's "new method" con- 

 sists largely in what he has termed "control 

 of the nesting site," that is, when a nest is 

 so situated that it cannot be photographed 

 to advantage, he removes it, with the limb 

 on which it is placed, and erects it within a 

 few feet of a tent designed to conceal him- 

 self and his camera. "This sudden dis- 

 placement of the nesting hough," Professor 

 Herrick remarks, "is of no special impor- 

 tance to either old or young, provided 

 certain precautions are taken." "With some 

 species," he adds, "it is possil)le to make the 

 necessary change without evil consecpiences 

 when there are eggs in tlie nest; with others 

 we must wait until the young are from four 

 to nine days olii. ... If wc know little of 

 the lial)its of the birds in question it is safest 

 to wait until the seventh to the ninth day 

 after tiie yoimg are hatched." . In 



ctfe<t, iiowever, this method of i)irii study 

 and bin! pliotography appears to be largely 

 limited to the [H-riod covering the latter part 

 of the nest -life of the young. -At tliis time 



the parental instinct is sufficiently strong to 

 bring the adult bird to the nest in spite of 

 its changed surroundings. "If very shy," 

 Professor Herrick writes, "like most Cat- 

 birds, they will sometimes skirmish about 

 the tent for two hours or more before touch- 

 ing the nest. The ice is usually broken, 

 however, in from twenty minutes to an 

 iiour. . . ." 



There is clearly much to say both for and 

 against the method thus briefly described. 

 That its practice permits one readily to 

 secure an unlimited number of photographs 

 of voung birds and their parents at the nest 

 and to observe their habits at short range, 

 Professor Herrick's illustrations and test 

 prove beyond question ; that it may be 

 attended by fatal results to the young is 

 equally undeniable, as Professor Herrick 

 frankly admits. 



In cutting the knot of the difficulties 

 imposed by situation, nest-life photography 

 and study is so greatly simplified that lit- 

 tle need be said in favor of tliis manner 

 of controlling the nesting site. We turn, 

 therefore, to its objections. These are: 

 (i) Change in the character of the nest 

 surroundings, producing artificial condi- 

 tions; (2) possible death of young follow- 

 ing; {a) exposure to elements; {b) lack of 

 food while the parents are becoming accus- 

 tomed to the nest in its new situation; (f) 

 exposure to attack from bird enemies. 



Premising that Professor Herrick's method 

 is restricted almost entirely to the habits of 

 young birds and their parents at the nest 

 after the former are several days old, and not 

 to a record of nesting site, nest-building, 

 or incubation, we see no reason to doubt 

 that when the parents become accustomed to 

 their new surroundings the life of the nest 

 progresses as before. It is true that the 

 pictures secured do not possess the charm 

 and interest attached to those made under 

 wholly natural conditions where the skill 

 and ingenuity of the photographer aiid not 

 a little to the pleasure with which we regard 

 the results of his labors. This, iiowever, is 

 not the scientific point of view, and it 

 shoulii be clearly understood that Professoi 

 Herrick's studies are eminently scientific. 

 His aim has not been In secure pleasing 



