7 o Wild Birds 



It is always a good plan to adhere to one kind which has proved 

 satisfactory. One piece of advice should not come amiss, which 

 is to always use fresh plates, and all of the same emulsion if 

 possible, and if any doubt as to their age exists, to test them 

 before starting on an expedition. Old plates blacken along 

 their edges in a characteristic manner when placed in the de- 

 veloper, and if deterioration passes this stage the whole plate 

 will fog. The dusting of plates, slides, and holders before 

 reloading, and the carriage of all unused plates in a dust-proof 

 bag, are as much a necessity now as ever. 



Much of my own work has been done in the country with 

 dark room and base of supplies close at hand. Under these 

 conditions it is not necessary to carry more than two or three 

 dozen plates at a time. By developing on the day of exposure 

 it is possible to correct errors or fill up the gaps on the day 

 following. 



When time exposures can be given, orthochromatic plates 

 offer advantages which should not be neglected, but when the 

 exposure is necessarily rapid, the ordinary and cheaper plate 

 is equally good. 



Flash Light. The Ideal Flash Gun (size No. 2) has been 

 highly recommended for use either at night or on dull days. It 

 burns luxo powder, a powerful compound, which should never 

 be confined in an ordinary flash-lamp, and must be handled 

 with exceptional care. 



Record of Observations. It is perhaps unnecessary to suggest 

 that all records of observations should be systematically made 

 on the spot and with great care. Experienced students gener- 

 ally develop a system of their own, which in many cases suits 

 their needs so well as to leave little to be desired. I venture, 

 however, for the possible benefit of a few, to describe my 

 own plan, which has the merits of extreme convenience and 

 simplicity. 



All field records and notes of every description are made on 

 punched, and generally ruled, sheets, of uniform size, measuring 

 3| by 6J inches. These are temporarily "bound" in stiff card- 

 boards so as to open the long way, by means of adjustable rings 



