The Camera as an Aid in the Study of Birds 



13 



that the latter must be fairl\' grown, we decided to expose the nest 

 and complete our collection by securing the entire family. So care- 

 fully sawing awa}- the front wall of the cavit}' with a keyliole saw 

 carried for just such purposes, we gave the little fellows within tlieir 

 first view of the outside world. I fear they must have thought the 

 manner of opening their second shell a rather rude one. and tlie out- 

 look somewhat forbidding. They were prett}' little youngsters, full}- 

 grown, with clean, jaunty coats, and a grown-up 'chickadee-dee,' just 

 like the okl folks. Though somewhat dazzled at hrst by the sudden 

 flood of bright sunlight, the}' were, after a little coa.xing, induced to sit 

 out on the veranda that hatl been improvised for them ; but, like youth- 

 ful sitters generalh'. the\' were hard to pose, antl after man}' exposures, 

 we succeeded in getting no more than two of them at once The 

 prettiest one of all, showing two of the little fellows as they finall}- 

 settled down contentedly in the warm sunshine, was obtained at the 

 expense of much patient effort and a great deal of slushing back and 

 forth in mud and water between boat aad camera, and it was gratif}ing 

 to find that one at least of the negatives did fair justice to the situation. 

 The old ones came and went after the mutilation of their home, 

 just as before, and, indeed, apparently found the new arrangement 

 much more convenient than the old. In one of the photographs 

 here presented, domestic 

 affairs that had before 

 been entirel}' concealed 

 from view are full}' re- 

 vealed, and had not the 

 plate been light- struck by 

 one of the man}' aggravat- 

 ing accidents likely to oc- 

 cur in the outdoor work of 

 the beginner, the jiicture 

 would have been the best 

 of the series. The cour- 

 ageous parent is attending 

 to her maternal duties un- 

 der circumstances which 

 must appear most appal- 

 ling. The little fellow sit- 

 ting so contentedly b}' has 

 undoubtedl}' had his share 

 of the huge juic}' caterpil- 

 lars, and patiently recog- 

 nizes that it is not his turn. 



{To be concfuded) chickadkk kkkdint. voing 



