Bird-Photo£raphy for Women 



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the marsh birds, where I have a tiny house-boat and do my own cooking. I 

 owe much of my success to the ungrudging and faithful service of one man — 

 James Vincent, the head-keeper. 



Three years ago, he was bringing me back to my boat on a warm June 

 day. The journey meant an hour's strenuous punting each way. We were 

 discussing my work and recalhng old times, suddenly I sat up and exclaimed: 

 "Jimmy, if only I'd been a man, I'd have made things hum a bit." He stopped 

 punting and looked at me in a startled manner, then said: "Law Miss, do 

 you think I'd have slaved away night and day as I did in the old days, if you'd 

 bin a man — not me." I next remarked — "Well, then I wish I was four inches 

 taller." To this he cheerfully made answer: "Oh but just think how much more 

 rubbish it would have taken to cover you up!" an aspect of the ques- 

 tion entirely new to me, and the justice of which I admitted. 



The greater part of one's photographic work is necessarily done during 

 the short period of the breeding-season. Photographs of birds on their nests, 

 however, do not exhaust the possibilities of this branch of nature work. At 

 all times of the year birds have their regular rendezvous, where they congregate, 

 either to feed, bathe, or amuse themselves generally. A hiding-tent left stand- 

 ing near one of these avian recreation- grounds may produce unexpected and 



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