Tent and Camera 63 



Protective Screens or Nets. Whenever the nest is in a ver- 

 tical trunk of wood, as in the case of Woodpeckers, Chickadees, 

 or the little House Wrens, and this is mounted on a pivot, the 

 whole may be easily defended from cats and other enemies by 

 means of a flange of zinc or tin-plates, encircling the stump at 

 the proper height, or projecting from the block to which the 

 trunk is secured. 



A circular enclosing net may also be used, and this is neces- 

 sary whenever a horizontal branch is supported on stakes. For 

 this purpose there is nothing better than the common galvan- 

 ized iron wire-cloth netting of one quarter inch mesh. It 

 should stand at least three feet high, and should be pinned 

 close to the ground by wire staples. To this an overhang one 

 foot wide (of looser " poultry " netting), must be added all the 

 way round. Such a screen is warranted to stop the cat, as 

 well as every rodent and snake, large or small. 



Camera. Any good long-bellows camera with reversible back 

 will answer, the size and weight being the considerations of 

 greatest moment. Most naturalists and sportsmen, who travel 

 long distances and carry their own traps, find a camera which 

 takes a 4 x 5 plate the most convenient and economical. I 

 commonly use this when working with the tent, but often 

 prefer the 5x7 size because it gives a larger and better picture 

 of the object sought. The large camera with a heavy lens may 

 be a drag on the mind and body of the most enthusiastic pedes- 

 trian, but one is usually amply repaid for the greater trouble 

 involved. For long journeys, however, the lightest possible 

 outfit is decidedly preferable. In general field work, moreover, 

 a hand-camera, carrying film of the 3^x4^ inch, size, is always 

 in demand. 



In working at short range with lenses of moderate focus the 

 long bellows is a necessity, and at the same time enables one to 

 take full-sized pictures of small objects, as well as to use the 

 telephoto lens should this be desired. The reversible back, 

 making it possible to reverse the position of the plate without 

 moving the camera and often without disturbing the bird, is 

 an adjunct of the greatest convenience. 



