H 



AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



He had turned about and faced the camera, which was not over a yard 

 removed from him. Next, with great deliberation, he squatted down 

 upon the limb. I then came over well to his left- side, and he slowly 

 turned his head to regard me and my movemenTs. Waiting quietly a 

 moment, I then attracted his attention with an alrnost inaudible squeak- 

 ing note, made with my teeth and lips. This caused him to raise his 

 crest to the full height, and this was exactly what. I desired. By cau- 

 tiously varying the note, I powerfully held his attention, and induced 

 him to keep his crest up for at least two seconds. During this very val- 

 uable and important interval, I made the exposure, the plate being a 

 very sensitive one, and 5 x 8 in the matter of size. In a few moments 

 in the dark-room, I soon appreciated the fact that I had been successful 

 in photographically ba'gging as handsome a specimen of this interesting 

 little Partridge as ever was seen. 



On the same day, and by similar methods, I obtained several fine 

 negatives of the California Partridge, both perched up on limbs as well 

 as in other attitudes. One of these was nearly life size, and this one is re- 

 produced here in figure 2, and it gives a very excellent representation 

 of this bird as he appears perched up on the limb of a low shrub, at a 

 foot or so above the ground. 



Photographs from negatives of this bird have been published by 

 me before, both in this country and in Europe, and up to the present 

 time, always as a specimen of Gambel's Partridge. I am now con- 

 vinced that the bird is a California Partridge {Callipepla califoniica) , 

 and that I have never made a photograph of Gambels. Mr. C. A 

 Reed, the editor of the present journal, brought me about to this opin- 

 ion and my thanks are due to him for his having kindly loaned me skins 

 of the two different species for comparison. Primarily I was deceived 

 in the premises by Mr. Schmid having told me that the birds were 

 captured in Texas, and an authority on. game birds, who saw this lot 

 alive, remarked ofE-hand that they were Gambel's Partridges, and the 

 mistake, inadvertedly having started in this manner, is here, now cor- 

 rected for the first time. 



The reproductions of the figures in the present article are from plati- 

 num prints and therefore are not quite as strong or as sharp as had they 

 been made from an albumen paper. Still they possess a softness and a 

 charm that the plate made from the latter paper seems to be unable to 

 render. 



In making pictures of this class one can only succeed with them by 

 employing, in the case of his material and apparatus, the best of every- 

 thing to be had in the market. The purest chemicals, the finest and 

 quickest plates, not less in size than a 5 x 8, the most expensive len- 



