102 



Bird - Lore 



consist of three cameras, which I sliall attempt to describe. All three should be 

 of the 4x5 size, which gives satisfactory pictures, well adapted for enlarging 

 or reducing to km tern slides. Any attempt to use the larger sizes for field work 

 will but lead to labor and sorrow; for, unless the photographer is endowed 

 with the strength of a Hercules, he will find it a discouraging handicap to load 

 himself down with large cameras and a supply of heavy plates. His strength 



METHOD OF ATTACHING A SMALL CAMERA TO A LIMB 



will be taxed to the utmost, anyway, while struggling through the tangles of a 

 tropical forest, wading through almost impassable morasses or tramping for 

 miles over hot, }'ielding sands, where every additional pound will count. 



The first camera to buy, which will probably prove the most useful of all, 

 and which I should unhesitatingly select if I could have but one, should be a 

 small, light camera of the compact, folding type; but it should have sutficient 

 length of bellows to use the single combinations of a convertible lens, — at least 

 seventeen inches. The Telej)hoto ' Cycle Poco,' the ' Pon\- Premo,' the ' Cycle 

 Graphic,' and the 'Century Grand,' are good examples of this type, but there 

 are many others just as good. It should be equipped with as good a lens as the 

 buyer's purse will allow; though the regular long focus symmetrical lenses that 

 come with these cameras are good ent)ugh for any ordinary work. The shutter 

 should be as noiseless as possible, — though none of them are absolutely so, — 

 and should have a finger release, as well as a bulb release. An automatic shutter 

 is worse than useless for bird j)hotography, as it is often necessary to release 



