68 Camera Craft. "^isffuTy" 



Home Life of the Bronzewing- (Fliaps chulcoptcra). — On De- 

 cember lOlh, 1921, in the bush on the foothills of the Dandenong 

 Ranges, 1 saw an old nest of the Ring-tailed I'ossum. On kick- 

 ing the tree, a I>ronze\ving looked (ner the side. A short clinil> 

 revealed the I'igeon's nest — the usual frail structure— placed in 

 a depression on the old debris about twenty feet up. The two 

 white eggs were in an advanced stage of incvibation. 



On December 19th two heli)less nestlings covered with down 

 were in occupation. I si)ent nnich time in preparing for photo- 

 graphing the nest, a ladder being necessary to elevate the camera. 

 As no long ladder was available, two short ones were joined,, 

 but proved clumsy and unsafe. During these preparations the 

 bird sat tight, but w hen the ladder was raised, she left hurriedly. 



Next day arrangements were completed, and a leafy bough 

 was fastened to the ladder. In the afternoon I found all was 

 well and the camera was lashed to the top of the ladder. While 

 clearing branches away, the lens was removed. After covering 

 the camera with the focussing cloth and camouflaging it with 

 branches, I went away so as to allow the bird to become accus- 

 tf)nied to this formidable object near its nest. 



On December 21st I was pleased to see the bird on the nest 

 ai)parently unconcerned about the camera. The rei)lacmg of the 

 lens, however, scared the bird, and I left the locality to allow 

 her to cjuieten down. When I retm-ned, the bird was still absent, 

 and I climbed to the camera and had an uncomfortable wait of 

 fully two hours, but she did not return. I exposed a plate on 

 the nest and young, fearing the bird had deserted them. 



Late in the afternoon, as the young were showing the effects 

 of exposure, I removed the camera. 



On December 23rd, the bird was on the nest, and faced the 

 camera. A distance release for the shutter was fixed up, and the 

 camera was left all night. About 9 o'clock it was very dark, 

 and threatening rain, so I went to cover the camera with my 

 oilskin coat. Though I was very careful, the bird flashed off 

 the nest and awa}-. Howe\er. next morning she was again on 

 the nest. 



Early on the morning of the 25th I removed the cap of the 

 lens. When I returned later, the bird was absent ; evidently it 

 had not returned to the nest after my early visit, .\fter several 

 hours, I re-co\ered the lens and the bird returned. In the even- 

 ing I imcovcred the lens and left it uncovered all night, though 

 I was afraid nutistuve might settle on the lens and spoil the 

 picture. 



On [December 2r)th, 1 was delighted to see the sitting bird 

 before the lens at last. In the evening I polished the lens, the 

 bird leaving the nest while I climbed the ladder. Usually she 

 would allow me to climb only a short distance up the ladder 

 before leaving the nest. Generally she sat in about the same 

 y)osition. almost side on to the camera. The beautiful greenish- 

 brouT^c sheen on her wings shone in wonderful contrast with 



