NEST-PHOTOGRAPHY. 41 



long as they find support, but keep the camera itself 

 square. If, when all is ready for the exposure, a 

 tripod-leg happens to be resting on the same 

 branch as yourself, it is better, unless the branch 

 is a very thick one, to climb up or down a little 

 and work the shutter pneumatically from your new 

 position, as otherwise the slightest movement on 

 your part will send a tremor along the branch, 

 vibrating the camera and causing a blurred picture. 

 When striving to get into some position from which 

 to obtain a view of the eggs, it is very tempting to 

 tilt the nest or to depress the near side of it, and 

 thus expose its contents ; in fact I think there 

 will be few who have never availed themselves 

 of this expedient. It is, however, a bad practice 

 to adopt, and the result will be more natural and 

 therefore more pleasing if the nest is left in its 

 proper position, even if only one egg and portions 

 of one or two others are visible. 



Nests in Water. 



Nests in cliffs will hardly be attempted by a 

 beginner, and are dealt with fully in a later chapter. 

 There is, then, but one other class of situation 

 which calls for special mention that chosen by 

 many water-loving birds. This really might almost 

 come under the heading of the ground-nest, though, 

 in truth, some have little connection with terra 



