Photo by George Shiras, 3rd 



A PAIR OF WniTE-TAIL DOKS WliO TOOK TH^IR OWN PICTURES 



The camera was placed on an abandoned muskrat house, and as the deer ran splashing 

 by to escape the flies, the string was broken. This photograph was made in 1889, before 

 the focal-plane shutter was available. 



when the fading light puts an end to the 

 use of the hand camera, one may ex- 

 pectantly visit the camera traps, and if 

 the string across the runway is broken 

 or the bait disturbed, the surroundings 

 should be carefully examined for the 

 hoof-marks of a frightened deer or the 

 scratches made by the claws of some 

 carnivorous animal fleeing on the click of 

 the revolving shutter. If, however, no 

 visitor has come, the flashlight machine 

 may be adjusted and the shutter of the 

 camera reset at a much slower speed, so 

 that when some night prowler presses 

 against the string or eagerly pulls at the 

 bait the flash will illuminate the sur- 

 roundings while the sensitive plate re- 

 cords the scene. 



Then, when the blazing camp-fire ac- 

 centuates the darkness of the night, the 

 sportsman, lying within the narrow circle 

 of its warmth, may suddenly see a daz- 

 zling column of light ascend on a distant 

 hillside, or illuminating with a momen- 

 tary flutter the gloomy valley of some 

 water-course ; and in a few seconds the 



deep, dull boom of the exploding powder 

 suggests an animal fleeing in needless 

 terror from a spot where the weapon 

 contained no bullet and where its re- 

 corded visit will prove a source of pleas- 

 ure to one who meant it no bodily harm. 

 As I usually explode a compound of 

 magnesium powder in a hermetically 

 sealed box — to insure higher speed and 

 the exclusion of moisture — I have some- 

 times heard the report at a distance of 

 three miles and noticed the flash at a 

 much further distance. 



Therefore one can imagine the sur- 

 prise and terror of some timid animal 

 when experiencing the first dazzling ex- 

 plosion. Yet, as will be shown later, the 

 pangs of hunger or the cravings for some 

 particularly choice food will lead many 

 of these animals to return to the inter- 

 rupted feast, and in the course of time 

 the blinding light and roar seem to be 

 regarded as a harmless manifestation of 

 nature, like thunder or lightning. And 

 then one may, if he desires, get a series 

 of interesting night pictures, in every at- 



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