60 NATURE AND THE CAMERA 



lighting. The objection to this device (and there 

 is an objection to every device that I have seen) is that 

 for some reason or other it frightens the bird, which 

 usually flies immediately toward the lens and objects 

 to being replaced in its proper compartment. Then, 

 too, it is difficult to handle the bird with any degree 

 of comfort and convenience. It is a curious fact that 

 young birds brought up in captivity are usually wilder 

 and more difficult to manage than those taken in their 

 wild state. This sounds strange and may not be the 

 experience of others, but I have photographed a 

 great many birds both wild and in captivity, and I 

 can safely say that the greatest amount of trouble 

 was caused by the tame birds. A bluebird that I 

 had for several years (he now has a mate and a nest 

 near our house) was what might be termed absolutely 

 tame ; he would sleep inside my partly closed hand, 

 come when called, and in all ways but one would 

 show complete confidence. The one exception was 

 when the camera was in evidence. Then and only 

 then would he become bad and act wilder than the 

 wildest bird of the woods, and though I made re- 

 peated attempts I never succeeded in making a good 

 photograph of him after he attained his full growth 

 and plumage. 



Young birds taken directly from the woods when 

 they are just able to fly are, as a rule, fairly easy to man- 

 age. It is true that they sometimes "cut up'* a little to 



