BIRD-PHOTOGRAPHY 163 



the camera at first. After a little they became so 

 accustomed to it that they came and went when 

 it was present as when it was absent. The chicka- 

 dees from the start paid no attention to it, nor did 

 the thrush, creepers, juncos, or myrtle warblers; 

 the nuthatches and blue jays showed quite a de- 

 gree of caution, but the backwardness of the 

 former was removed by closing the window, while 

 the latter seemed willing to trust themselves within 

 the range of the mysterious-looking object, only 

 when driven by hunger. The downy woodpecker 

 was the most obstinate of all, always eying the 

 outfit suspiciously, with a swinging motion of his 

 body from side to side ; and even when he was 

 within range of the camera he was so quick- 

 motioned that the pictures were nearly all spoiled. 

 It was only during the latter part of the winter 

 that he became sufficiently reconciled to the pre- 

 sence of the camera so that a respectable picture 

 was obtained. 



The hardest chase of all was given by the brown 

 creeper, not because he was alarmed at all at the 

 camera, but on account of his peculiar habits. He 

 seldom came more than two or three times a day 

 to the trough, and when he did come it was in 

 such a quiet, unobtrusive way, giving absolutely 

 no warning of his approach, that unless one kept 

 constant and close watch on the trough, he might 



