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THE WILD BIRDS’ PROTECTION ACT oF 1894. 47 
birds being practically preserved, the interest of collecting will 
cease, and the oologist of the future must go elsewhere for his 
specimens, and look for other means for recording his home work. 
He will find in photography a ready helpmate, as a glance at 
some of the numerous books on British Birds’ Nests and Eggs 
just published will show. Before these books .were printed, 
many lovers of birds had been quietiy working on these lines, and 
from personal experience we can testify to the enjoyment and 
interest which is to be found in bird-nesting with a camera. 
Wandering at will over moorland and mountain, through forest 
and by stream, along the calm lake shore and on wild ocean’s 
rim, we can search out the nesting haunts of the birds, and bring 
back pictures-of their nests with all their varied surroundings, 
we can depict the eggs and young, and sometimes even the sitting 
birds themselves may be portrayed. Excellent as are some of the 
photographs already obtained, there is much room for improve- 
ment, The difficulty of obtaining good results is exceptionally 
great, owing to the cramped and limited conditions under which 
the pictures have so often to be taken; but it must be borne in 
mind that one occasional success in a life-subject, the opportunity 
of even seeing which may never occur again, is ample compensation 
for many and many a failure. 
[This paper was followed by an exhibition of lantern-slides illustrating 
British Birds’ Nests.—See the account of the Society’s Proceedings, 
under date 23rd February, 1897.] 
