July, 1908 SIERRA FORMS ON THE COAST OF SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA 1,35 



curred in 1907, as no wind could have reached so deep in the woods, and was lying 

 almost horizontally with the butt end in the bottom of a little stream and the tip 

 lying against the bank. Mr. Sheldon and his companion left for home the next 

 day, but bequeathed the nest to me. As my time was limited to the 18th it was nec- 

 essary to visit the nest on the l7th, even tho the complement of eggs might not 

 have been laid. The bird was setting and in full view when the spot was reached, 

 and creeping along the bank, trying to hypnotize the bird with the eye while feeling 

 the way with my feet I set up 

 the camera at a guess of ten 

 feet with the idea in view of a 

 possible enlargement should a 

 good negative result, focussed 

 and took a time exposure. 

 Cautiously moving along with 

 my heart in my throat I tried 

 again at eight feet, timing the 

 light with an actinometer. 

 And yet again at six feet, and 

 the bird never moved ! The 

 smallest stop was used and the 

 exposure was six minutes in 

 these somber woods, during 

 which I do not believe the bird 

 took her frightened eyes off 

 the camera for an instant. The 

 accompanying photo is an en- 

 largement of this six foot ex- 

 posure. Gradually creeping 

 along inch b}^ inch, keeping 

 my head covered, and looking 

 under the camera and focuss- 

 ing cloth, I was setting up 

 and focussing at ton?' feet 

 when my heel dislodged a 

 stone which fell with a slight 

 crash down the bank and the bird flew. Too bad ! I would have liked to 

 hide and wait for her return to the nest, but time pressed and we were far from 

 home, so I took a couple of plates of the nest and eggs in situ before adding them 

 to our collection. It was a great disappointment to me not to have had a telephoto 

 lens along, as here was a fine chance to use one, but an error of a friend at the last 

 moment left me without such an aid. 



San (icroninw, California. 



NEST AND EGGS OF MONTf:REV HERMIT THRUSH 



A BIT OF EARLY CALIFORNIA NATURAL HISTORY 



Hy FRANK S. DAGGETT 



I RECENTLY came across a set of twenty volumes, published by the author. Dr. 

 John Trusler, entitled "The Habitable World Described". Volume I was 

 published in 1788 and the last one in 1795. They contain many plates and a 

 great amount of information from countries then but little known. Volume VII 



