130 



BIRD STUDIES WITH A CAMERA 



nest, it showed no tilarm at tln' click of the shutter 

 as the exposure was made. This surprised uie not 

 a little. The camera was usually about three feet 

 from the bird, the exjxjsure was necessarily rapid 

 (ijV second and stop 8), the snap of the old-stylo 

 " Heury Clay," used on the first day, or even of the 

 less loud Iris diaplira;jm, could be plainly licard at 

 a distance of several yards, and its failure to stai'tle 

 these nervous, easily frightened birds makes <uie 

 suspect that their hearing is deficient. 



The nests of the Terns that chose the upland for 

 a home were often picturesquely surrounded by 

 stunted sumach or blooming yarrow, but the birds 

 here were far less easy to photograph because of 



132. Tern bnt'iUiiig jM>unf;r. Samu nest as No. HO. 



the difficulty of thoroughly concealing one's camera. 

 The owner of an especially j^leasing nesting site kept 

 me beneath my bit of sail for somewhat over two 

 hours, while she — if it was she — hung in the air just 



