348 



WITH NATURE AND A CAMERA. 



In the case of a nest which can be photo- 

 graphed from a neighbouring tree, my brother 

 ascends, and having selected a position from which 

 he can get a good view, drops one end of a rope 

 to me upon the ground, and I tie his apparatus to 

 it. He then hauls it up, and lashing the tripod to 

 the handiest branches, he makes his picture. 



The illustration 

 on page 345 was ob- 

 tained in this way, 

 and the ascent nearly 

 resulted in a serious 

 accident, from the 

 snapping of a rotten 

 branch. 



Once or twice 

 we have met with 

 nests far out upon 

 a branch, and as 

 they could not be 

 photographed either 

 from the tree in 

 which they were 

 situated or any sur- 

 rounding ones, we 

 have, with the assist- 

 ance of several strong men, hoisted a tall ladder 

 into a perpendicular position near the nest, 

 and fixed it with guide ropes tied to adjoining 

 trees. My brother has then mounted to the top, 

 or as far up as was necessary, and done his work. 

 The group of Cormorants on page 251 was 

 obtained in a rather curious manner. My brother 

 and our friend, Mr. R. J. Ussher, an enthusiastic 

 Irish ornithologist, were staying for a few days 

 on the Saltee Islands already mentioned, and as 



SWALLOWS ON TELEGRAPH WIRE.. 



