12 WILD LIFE AND THE CAMERA 



Thus far I have seldom found any that, while 

 on the nest, would not, after a few attempts, 

 allow the camera to be brought fairly near. For 

 this reason, combined with the fact that they may 

 be found so abundantly in the vicinity of dwellings, 

 and that their nests are usually placed at a con- 

 venient height, they are most useful to the bird 

 photographer. The birds themselves are so hand- 

 some and their markings so conspicuous that they 

 show to the greatest advantage in a photograph, 

 while such birds as the Baltimore oriole, the 

 cardinal and others of equally brilliant plumage 

 are very disappointing, as they lose greatly 

 when shown in black and white. Take away 

 their gorgeous colouring and we scarcely re- 

 cognise them, while the wood thrush is unmis- 

 takable, whether depicted in black and white or 

 in colour. 



As an example of how a bird tries to conceal 

 itself by means of its protective colouring, I will 

 mention the case of a wood -thrush which I recently 

 photographed. From the moment when she saw 

 me coming towards her, armed with the camera, 

 she never changed her position, but stood im- 

 movable, as though she were part of the natural 

 growth, evidently believing herself to be unseen. 

 At a distance of about seven feet I placed the 

 camera, and throughout all the movements inci- 

 dental to the focussing and arranging of things, 

 she never moved, and I was therefore able to 

 give the fairly long exposure that was made 

 necessary by the strong light and shade. During 

 the many times I visited her, only this once 



