8 PHOTOGRAPHY FOR BIRD-LOVERS. 



the market the various orthochromatic plates and 

 light - filters. Most of these are very excellent, 

 and their use cannot be too strongly advocated 

 in this work where greens and ruddy brown are 

 so often present in the subject. They may with 

 much advantage be used continuously for all 

 subjects, without exception, for when their em- 

 ployment is really unnecessary they are in no way 

 detrimental. Nothing is lost and much is gained 

 by their constant use. 



And now a word as to the nature of the photo- 

 graphs and of the subjects. It does not matter 

 which of the two " schools " is being unconsciously 

 followed, the pictures will be all the more interest- 

 ing and valuable if they contain a suggestion of 

 some act or incident, if, in fact, they embody a 

 little story pictorially told. The object of the 

 bird-photographer should not only be to secure 

 portraits of the creatures he loves in stiff statuesque 

 postures the living prototypes of the dwellers 

 in glass cases. Though such are useful, he should 

 go further, and try to portray the living bird in 

 some characteristic pose or action suggestive of 

 its daily life, or else in some unwonted and peculiar 

 posture telling its own particular story. An 

 appreciation of such matters demands an intimate 

 acquaintance with the creature, and calls into 

 account all the latent information stored up in a 



