216 TEXAS NATURE OBSERVATIONS AND REMINISCENCJES. 



as I promised to give them the 

 next chance, — even if the speedy 

 turkeys were a mile off. Later we 

 camped under a huge oak tree 

 when this turkey, some ducks and 

 rabbits were hung up, a big camp- 

 fire made, some game fried and a cup 

 of hot coffee was enjoyed immensely 

 after our trip and a bitter cold 

 night. 



Of late years a combination of 

 gun hunting and camera shooting 

 has become a very fascinating and 

 instructive pastime during inter- 



of hired Mexicans, and other caus- 

 es ; but later on, during December, 

 up to March, ducks were much 

 more numerous and a great many 

 of them were bagged. 



During this time I prepared sev- 

 eral of the so-called "puU- 

 the-string" photographs, which 

 are also seen reproduced herein. 

 These views come in very handy 

 when one wishes to appear on 

 the view himself — for instance, 

 in the view next page which I pre- 

 pared after some of my neighbors' 



Old Hunting Grounds at the Lkona Hills, West of San Antonio. (Original Photo) 



vals of legal hunting. At Mit- 

 chell's Lake in particular a great 

 field presents itself for the ama- 

 teur photographer and kodakist. A 

 good many, of the illustrations 

 seen in these sketches and others 

 have become life-time remin- 

 iscences of past hunting trips. 



The beginning of last winter's 

 hunting season was not very en- 

 couraging at Mitchell's Lake, most- 

 ly on account of the clearing of 

 the adjoining pastures by hordes 



game had been arranged at the 

 hunting grounds on a dry tree 

 trunk. It was a very cold winter 

 ■ day, but the sun was shining 

 brightly when the "self -view" was 

 taken, the photo showing the 

 string which had been attached to 

 the shutter mechanism of the 

 camera to regulate the exposure. 

 Whilst this view was taken, 

 two of my friends and hunting 

 companions were seen returning 

 from a successful mornings' shoot- 



