Photographing Birds and tbeir Young 165 



they have not only come to their nest and young 

 while I was in close proximity, but have actually 

 perched upon my hand in order to feed their 

 offspring. This I have done repeatedly and 

 with different species, some of which have the 

 reputation of being among the shyest of all the 

 members of our avifauna. 



There is no describing the delightful sensation 

 which comes 

 over one 

 when one of 

 these diminu- 

 tive creatures 

 places such 

 confidence in 

 our friend- 

 ship as to ac- 

 tually alight 

 upon the 

 hand that 

 could crush it into a shapeless mass in an instant. 

 I do not think there is a person living so low and 

 mean that he could violate such a trust. 



I have found birds, at times, so fearless that 

 they were almost a nuisance. I remember once 

 that I wished to obtain a photograph of a nest 

 full of young field sparrows. While I was focus- 

 sing, the mother bird flew up and quietly settled 

 upon the nest, seemingly without so much as 



Field Sparrow on Nest. 



