154 



Bird - Lore 



Photographing a Kingfisher Interior 



The article in the November-December 

 number of Bird-Lore, by Mr. Dwight 

 Frankb'n, concerning the photographing 

 of Kingfishers, calls to mind an experience 

 of mine, in a similar line, during my 

 college work. 



In the spring of 1901, while at Cornell, 

 I was assigned to write up the habits of 



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SOME LIGHT ON THE KINGFISHER 



the Kingiisher, for a course in Ornithology, 

 and, as I knew of a convenient nest, I 

 determined to illustrate my paper, if 

 possible. The accompanying prints are 

 the result of that endeavor, and the modus 

 operandi of their taking may be of interest. 

 I want to say, however, that the real 

 credit of the photographic work belongs 

 to a friend of mine, Pettis by name, who 



was the one to actually manipulate the 

 camera. 



The hole was in a sandy bank, so we 

 dug away from in front till the nest was 

 revealed, at a depth of about four feet. 

 It consisted of a rough pile of sticks, 

 feathers and rubbish, and was occupied 

 by the full set of eggs. Judging that the 

 mother would be sitting most of the time, 

 we walled up the excavation, except the 

 entrance hole, 

 made a place to 

 set the camera, 

 and adjourned 

 till next day. 



On our return, 

 the female was 

 "at home," and 

 apparently not 

 at all concerned 

 by our remodel- 

 ing of her resi- 

 dence, so we set 

 up the camera 

 as per schedule. 

 To solve the 

 problem of let- 

 ting light back 

 into that four- 

 foot hole, with- 

 out using flash- 

 light or other 

 apparatus, I sug- 

 gested the set- 

 t ing of the 

 camera close to 

 the mouth of the 

 hole. I stood 

 back of it, and 

 with a bright, 

 plain watch-case 

 threw a beam of 

 light down the tunnel, and moved it all 

 around, illuminating each part. 



Although it must have taken several 

 seconds for each exposure, the birds 

 remained perfectly still; for our prints 

 are fairly clear, considering the conditions, 

 and show both nest, birds and eggs. 



The nest was restored and, in due time, 

 the eggs hatched. — T. J. Moon. 



