AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY, 



97 



knows nothing of the difficulties incurred in trying to persuade a nest 

 full of little birds to look pleasant. I might mention one case as an ex- 

 ample of some of the trying situations encountered. After occupying 

 about an hour's time and with much exertion, having got the camera up 

 a particularly difficult tree, lashed it firmly in position, and focused 

 sharply on a nest full of small bits of bird life, it is anything but en- 

 couraging to have them suddenly decide that their presence is no long- 

 er necessary, and see them scatter in all directions. One does not real- 

 ize the labor spent in preparation until, his object defeated and enthusi- 

 asm allayed, he makes the journey back to mother earth. After some 

 such annoying failure I have often had to laugh as I realized the simi- 

 larity between my situation and that of the cat, who having quickly and 

 gracefully run up a tree, hoping to catch some unwary bird, her ambi- 

 tion defeated, is obliged to clumsily and laboriously shin down back- 

 wards. Pictures of captive birds always prove interesting and some- 

 times amusing, but they present little of real value as to the habits or 

 actions of the wild bird. The recently acquired captive nearly always 

 has a frightened, unnatur- 

 al expression, while the 

 one that has been con- 

 fined long enough to ac- 

 custom himself to the life, 

 has at the same time lost 

 his natural traits. Class 3 

 includes only photographs 

 of free, adult wild birds. 

 Pictures obtained under 

 these conditions are im- 

 measurably m.ore valuable 

 than any that can be taken 

 of captives, and by the way 

 many of the bird photos 

 that are appearing in pop- 

 ular magazines are from 

 birds in confinement and 

 the articles should so state. 

 There are many ways to 

 obtain camera shots at wild 

 birds and new ones are 

 being constantly devised. 

 The one that offers the 

 most advantages and also 



Fig. 3. Photo from life. 



A BRAVE CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER. 



