96 WILD LIFE AT HOME. 



learnt to distinguish a hare's footprints from a 

 rabbit's. 



During the short stay of the snow which fell 

 during the blizzard we experienced in March of 

 1898, my brother endeavoured to make some per- 

 manent records of the tracks of birds, but failed 

 on account of the lack of contrast between the 

 parts of the snow pressed down by the toes of the 

 creatures and the rest of the white field around. 

 I accordingly secured a supply of fine sand, dyed 

 it black, and placing it in a bottle ran a quantity 

 carefully through a narrow nozzle into the inden- 

 tation made by the down-pressed toes of the birds. 

 We photographed the tracks of a rook and a 

 blackbird by this means, and reproduce herewith 

 the results which we obtained. Having a foot- 

 rule in my pocket, I measured the stride of the 

 former bird, and found it to average six and a 

 half inches, and the hop of the latter nine inches. 



Probably the most satisfactory birds for the 

 student of ornithology to commence to photograph 

 are sea-birds. They generally congregate during the 

 breeding season in considerable numbers at some 

 favourite and well-known spot ; as a rule they are 

 easily approached with a camera, and make interest- 

 ing pictures on account of their graceful forms, 

 contrasting colours, and surroundings. In stalk- 

 ing them with the camera, absolute quietness is 

 necessary, and it is often imperative to approach 

 them by inches at a time rather than feet, but 



