120 PHOTOGRAPHY FOR BIRD-LOVERS. 



is the essence of modern business, but in Science 

 the trail has to be ferreted out carefully step 

 by step. 



The chief merit of the photograph taken direct 

 from wild life is that those who were not present 

 at its taking may later see in it exactly and in 

 every detail how Nature planned the thing. 

 Everything thereon represented is just as she or- 

 dained (hence the importance of not disturbing the 

 surroundings before taking the picture), and we 

 know we may safely adopt any facts it portrays and 

 read any lessons it suggests so far as the one example 

 is concerned. But once we catch the bird, though 

 only for a short time, and place it among surround- 

 ings of our choice, then all deductions as to habits, 

 and even actions, must be made with caution, 

 for they may be affected or entirely induced by 

 the new environment, and it is, therefore, necessary 

 to state the facts. 



The great value of these pictures of specimens 

 in confinement lies in the accurate representation 

 of the bird as a creature, of its markings and its 

 form: it is the photographic equivalent of the 

 text-book drawing, and to such it is immeasurably 

 superior. It is not often that the work of the 

 pencil can serve as a model for the camera, but 

 in this case these drawings are the key to what is 

 required in our work. We want a large bold 



