2 BIRD STUDIES WITH A CAMERA 



stalks, rootlets, etc., lined with finer materials," we 

 have a faithful delineation of the nest itself. The 

 shape and pattern of markings of the eggs may also 

 be well shown with the camera, while the appear- 

 ance of the young at birth, their development, and 

 often the manner in which they are fed, may all be 

 portrayed by the camera with a realism which con- 

 vinces one of the truthfulness of the result. 



By the exercise of much jjatience and ingenuity 

 we may also photograph the adult bird, showing it 

 at rest or in motion, bi'ooding its eggs or caring for 

 its young. Under favorable conditions such pic- 

 tures may possess an exactness of detail which 

 makes them perfect representations of the original, 

 giving not alone position and expression, but the 

 arrangement of the feathers, and they then have 

 scientific value unecpialed by the best productions 

 of the artist's brush or pencil. 



From the nature of the case, perfection in this 

 branch of bird photography is not always attained; 

 nevertheless, even ])ictures which are failures from 

 a photographic standpoint may be of interest to 

 the naturalist. They may be lacking in detail and 

 still give pose, thus furnishing models from which 

 drawings containing all structural essentials may 

 be made. 



The camera may also supply us with graphic 

 records of the few large colonies of birds yet exist- 

 ing in this country, thereby preserving for all time 

 definite impressions of conditions which are rapidly 

 becoming things of the past. 



What an invaluable addition to the history of 

 the Great Auk would be a series of photographs 



