AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 341 



waiting and many false alarms she finally did settle on the nest for the 

 smallest fractional part of time. That instant was the one I had been 

 looking for and the click of the shutter was the signal that I had won in 

 my contest with the Phoebe. It was only in the dark room though 

 that the extent of my victory could be ascertained. Another shorter 

 wait and another shot was obtained of her facing the other way. I was 

 a little afraid that the eggs might become chilled during the operation 

 but later found out that they hatched all right and in due course of time 

 the young were flying about with the old. 



Before I found this nest, I had found several under bridges and one 

 in particular that interested me, while trout fishing. I passed under a 

 bridge, and looking up noticed a Phoebe's nest built on a beam similar 

 to the one shown in a previous number of your magazine, and on the 

 next beam to it was another nest. I thought of course that one must 

 be a last year's nest, but as two birds were there and it was a very 

 warm day and I had had poor luck trouting, I sat down on the bank and 

 watched the birds for about an hour. I found that there was only one 

 pair and that they were constructing the two nests, as the same bird 

 would build awhile on the one nest then work on the other. As they 

 only made short trips after material and were in sight all the time, I 

 saw the same bird go repeatedly from one nest to the other and con- 

 cluded that they were confused and did not know which nest to work 

 upon. 



I think that camera hunting is one of the most fascinating of sports, 

 and I think that a trial would convert a great many old-time hunters 

 and also save the lives of thousands of birds. As for myself I know 

 that one good negative of a bird as they actually live would give more 

 satisfaction to me than would the killing of thousands with a gun even 

 if I cared for such slaughter. 



I have quite a number of interesting photos and would be pleased to 

 hear from any of your readers who might care to exchange photo- 

 graphs with me. Geo. E. Moulthrope, Bristol Conn. 



