68 NATURE AND THE CAMERA 



once more be the paradise for the bird photographer 

 and the bird lover. Twelve years ago one could sit 

 all day on the edge of some cypress pond and watch 

 a steady stream of birds — herons, egrets, curlew, wood- 

 ibis, coots, gallinules, and ducks of many kinds — come 

 and go. All day long, from the waking of birds at 

 the first glimpse of dawn till after the sun had set, 

 one's interest need never wane. The bird life could 

 be studied and photographed at will. Animals, too, 

 were seldom wanting : fox-squirrels playing in the 

 cypress-trees ; otters, sometimes five or six at a time, 

 would perform their antics with all the playfulness 

 of kittens ; 'possums and raccoons and frequently 

 deer would add interest to the scene. Now, thanks 

 to the plume-hunter, the trapper, and the indiscrim- 

 inate " sportsman " (so called), all this has changed, 

 and one must search for such ponds in places unfre- 

 quented by the above-named trio. 



In photographing ducks, decoys will be found 

 most useful, as they will entice the wild birds to the 

 place desired by the photographer. But for most of 

 the other birds inhabiting ponds and swamps, blinds 

 and still-hunting are the best methods. In still- 

 hunting one may sometimes facilitate the work by 

 making a shield of tall grass or brush, with the upper 

 part slightly overhanging. There should be an open- 

 ing of sufficient size, so that the exposure can be 

 made without disclosing one's self. This screen, being 



