PREFACE x1 
conceal yourself and camera as cleverly as 
you may, and wait like Patience on a Monu- 
ment and still as a stone statue if you will, 
the birds, with their keen senses of hearing, 
sight and smell, detect the near presence of 
danger, even the click of the shutter causing 
them to start, though they are impelled to 
return to their’ duties of incubation and 
feeding their young by the paternal and 
maternal instincts that Nature has given 
them, and it is then that the photograph is 
taken. The movements of the birds, too, 
necessitate generally a quick exposure, often 
too short to render the details well. These 
difficulties, of course, disappear when you 
have a motionless subject, and can control 
your light and exposure at will. 
The pictures of the vests in this work are, 
with a few exceptions, from actual specimens 
photographed where found and im _ sztu. 
Those of the birds are photographs of 
characteristically stuffed typical individuals 
placed in natural surroundings, illustrating 
as nearly as possible the conditions under 
which they were observed. Some incidental 
scenes and botanical notes are also introduced 
to add interest to the text. 
