BIRDS AND THE CAMERA 65 



in a fancy cabinet. These fly-catchers I had watched 

 ever since their arrival into the world. Their 

 nursery, so carefully made, was placed inside the 

 dead branch of an old apple tree. With full 

 consideration for the comfort of the prospective 

 family of six, the parents had gathered a quantity 

 of pine needles, and of these entirely was the 

 actual nest made ; a few feathers were added as a 

 lining that would keep the nestlings warm in their 

 earliest babyhood. 



During the first few days of their lives the 

 youngsters were by no means objects of beauty ; 

 rather were they grotesque, with their large heads 

 and small pinkish bodies, loosely covered with 

 wrinkled skin, and entirely innocent of feathers or 

 any other covering whatever. Watching their 

 extremely rapid growth, I decided that by July 4th 

 some, if not all of them, would be nearly ready to 

 be launched out into the great world of many 

 enemies ; so it was on that day the family posed 

 for me. 



It usually happens that in a brood of birds there 

 is a weakling, so I was not surprised to find upon 

 close examination that one of these fly-catchers was 

 smaller than he really should have been ; and not 

 only was small, but much undeveloped. While the 

 others were almost able to fly, he could not even 

 keep his balance, so for that reason I was unable to 

 place him on the apple branch that formed the perch 

 for his brothers and sisters. They were strong and 

 well developed, but of unmanageable dispositions. 

 Though perfectly able to sit on the branch, it was 

 a long while before I could induce them to do so. 



W.L.C. F 



