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Bird - Lore 



one desires to take bird pictures, some kind of a device must be used which will 

 overcome the inherent shyness of these animals. The simplest place for taking 

 bird pictures is at, or near, bird-baths or bird food-houses, where the shutter of 

 the camera will be closed electrically by the bird itself. The necessary prelim- 

 inary apparatus is simple and the results obtained are most satisfactory. I, 

 at least, use no other method after having experimented with, and used, all 

 kinds of devices for years, devices which were tried and approved by both 

 amateur and professional but which still gave unsatisfactory results. 



The most important contrivance necessary for the birds taking their own 

 pictures is a device which will close an electric circuit at the appropriate second 



CATBIRD 



by the bird's own weight. In order to get certain and easy results, the device 

 is built in the form of a balance, one arm of which is kept in equilibrium so that 

 the other, carrying the electric contacts, do not close the circuit unless the 

 bird should spring on this arm, which will then sink and close the circuit. The 

 same instant the core of an electro-magnet is charged, it pulls one arm of an 

 angle iron downward while the other arm, pushing sideways, closes the shutter 

 of the camera, thus securing a snapshot of the bird. 



The scale should not be too delicately built. For song-birds it should have 

 at least, a width of 4 inches. One arm of the scale is bent downward near the 

 place of attachment and a small box fastened to the extremity in which small 

 stones, etc., can be placed to counterbalance the other shorter arm to which 

 a twig or other suitable object is attached to facilitate the approach of the bird. 

 The contact consists of V-shaped pieces of copper, one end of which rests in a 

 copper or brass groove while the other end should only touch a second groove 

 when the weight of a bird presses the contact scale downward which closes the 

 circuit. 



