AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 35 



so that a gradual pull will draw it to one side and let the sun shine on 

 the nest at the time you want it. 



A large mirror can also frequently be used to advantage; it should 

 not be less than a foot square. A pair of field glasses and note book 

 and pencil will complete the necessary outfit. 



The camera should be carefully focussed on the nest and then 

 branches or leaves that are out of focus should be tied back; nothing 

 mars a picture so much as a branch in the foreground and not in focus. 

 For photographing adult birds feeding the young an exposure of 1-100 

 or 1-50 of a second should be used; even then if they are moving very 

 rapidly you will get a blurred picture. With the diaphragm set at f8, 

 they must be in the bright sun to get a good picture with this speed. 

 A bird brooding the young or incubating will allow you to use a smaller 

 stop and expose for 1-2 or a full second in which case you can get abet- 

 ter depth of focus to the picture. Of course the sun must not be al- 

 lowed to strike the lens and it should be at the side or back of the 

 camera. 



Photographing birds nests is a simple matter but care should be tak- 

 en to secure a position that will show the nest and its contents to the 

 best advantage and not have any near objects to blur the picture. 



All nests on the ground should be taken with stop 64; if the nest is 

 in the bright sun this will require one second exposure. It is much 

 better though, to shade the nest and give it a longer time. Nests in 

 trees should be taken with a small enough stop to put in focus the prin- 

 cipal parts of the picture; if the background can be fused into an even 

 gray it will give a better effect. 



In regard to the kind of plates to use for bird work: If you have 

 done photography and have been successful with the kind you have 

 been using, my advice is to continue using the same. Nothing will in- 

 terfere with the work of a photographer so much as the continued 

 changing of material. Learn how to use one brand and stick to those. 

 I have settled upon the Cramer Crown plates and use them for every- 

 thing. I have experimented with these and a number of other makes 

 and found them to be very reliable* 



Remember, all who would undertake to do this work, that the wel- 

 fare of the birds is of the first importance; the life of one bird is worth 

 more than dozens of photographs. Bird photography requires a great 

 deal of time, patience, and care; is expensive and you must incur many 

 disappointments, and much discomfort for every successful picture. It 

 is not something to be taken up merely to pass the time. Try for re- 

 sults of value. 



