PHOTOGRAPHING NESTS AND EGGS 27 



point. The great variety of the nests themselves 

 and the endless variety of the surroundings offer far 

 greater possibilities than are to be found with the 

 ground nests. All that has been said in regard to 

 sunlight holds good with these nests, a soft, diffused 

 light being in most cases the most effective. When 

 direct sunlight is used it is a good plan to throw up 

 a reflected white light that will soften the under 

 shadows. This may easily be done by taking a yard 

 or two of white muslin and fastening a stick at each 

 end. The sticks should be pointed at one end, so that 

 they may be put into the ground, and the cloth, 

 tightly stretched, will be held at such an angle that 

 the light will reflect from it upon the nest. A white 

 cloth placed on the ground beneath the nest will 

 reflect more or less light, and will in some cases be 

 found to answer the purpose. A difficulty that will 

 be the cause of frequent failures unless precautions 

 are taken is the moving of the nest. This may 

 sound strange, but it is nevertheless a fact that the 

 nest does move, or rather its support moves. Take, 

 for example, a nest built among the small twigs at 

 the outer end of a branch. With the slightest breeze 

 the branch sways slowly but surely, and the nest, 

 which may have been in perfect focus when you 

 looked on the ground glass, has moved several inches 

 one way or the other, and consequently is out of 

 focus. The most obvious way to prevent this is to 



