Field-glasses and Telescope 33 
it easy readily to pick up birds on the wing and keep on them. 
I personally use aluminium glasses of about five diameters and with 
2-inch object-glasses, which weigh in their case 1 lb. 7 oz. 
But these alone are not sufficient for the birdsnester. When 
a bird has been sighted and watched to its nest or elsewhere, the 
glasses are put aside and a telescope brought into use. Of course 
the best sort, where bulk is of no account, is a good stalking-glass 
but I have for over twenty years done all my work with a naval 
‘watch officers” telescope. This is extremely powerful and, 
having only one pull-out, is rapidly focussed, a great point. The 
popular objection to it that it is too long to carry is all nonsense ; 
my own in its leather sling case is only 18} inches in length and 
weighs under 1 |b. 12 02. 
In carrying field-glasses for bird-watching, the great thing is to 
have them ever ready focussed so that they can be brought into 
use with the least possible delay. This can be provided for by the 
very simple expedient of having the leather case made long enough 
to hold them when focussed ready for use. Another most useful 
small addition is to have a U-shaped spring or clip fixed into the 
bottom of the case, into which the glasses are pressed when returned 
to it. In climbing or riding, should the case have been left un- 
strapped, the risk of the glasses falling out is by this means 
minimized, 
It is an excellent plan to have a stud sewn on to the case as well 
as a buckle, since either of these by itself is liable at times and 
under rough usage to fail. 
When birdsnesting in wild countries I always carry a compass, 
(of course, if any wag likes to say this is because I am the inventor 
of the Service Compass, he may) which I use both for general pur- 
poses of travel and to fix points of importance, such as cliffs, 
mountain tops, the trend of valleys, &c. Owing to the small scale 
of the maps usually procurable, it is the only means at times of 
locating one’s position. 
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