32 PHOTOGRAPHY FOR BIRD-LOVERS. 



vesta to one of the eggs with clay and quickly 

 focus for the flame ; then stop-down as far as time 

 will allow, open the shutter and leave the camera 

 to do its work, and if it takes an hour or more, 

 what matter ? there is no likelihood of movement 

 in such a subject, but, of course, the bird must 

 not be allowed to return even should it be willing 

 to do so. 



Hedgerow-Nests. 



The homes of finches and like birds built in 



bush or hedge are often too high to be photographed 



from the ground in the ordinary way, while the 



branches may not be strong enough to allow us to 



climb. An inclined ladder with the base-board 



of the camera hooked over a rung at a convenient 



height may offer an easy solution of the difficulty, 



and it has the advantage of being very rigid. 



But ladders are not always obtainable, and even 



when they are, there may be nothing firm 



enough to lean them against. There is nothing 



for it then but to supplement the tripod-legs. If 



the height has only to be increased by some 



eighteen inches or two feet, then probably three 



strong straight sticks can be cut near by and bound 



securely to the ends of the legs. They must be 



very stout, as being green wood they will be 



inclined to bend, and the slightest tendency on 



their part to do so means a shaky camera up above 



a thing ever to be avoided. 



