122 WILD LIFE AND THE CAMERA 



was hidden among the dead, crackhng leaves with 

 which the ground was strewn. Though I had tried 

 my best to watch where each bird concealed itself, 

 it was some time before I collected them all 

 preparatory to photographing them. Of course 

 the parents were greatly excited — birds always are 

 when their young first leave the nest — and when 

 they saw the entire brood captured by one whom 

 they had considered a friend, they seemed to 

 regret having placed so much confidence in me. 

 But only for a very short time did their doubts 

 continue. As soon as I placed the youngsters 

 on a suitable perch they both ceased to utter that 

 lisping note of anxious protestation, and to show 

 that they no longer feared me they hopped about 

 on the camera while I was arranging it. 



When young birds (before they can fly) are 

 placed on a perch they invariably fall off almost as fast 

 as they are put on, and there is usually a bad one in 

 the lot who positively refuses to sit anywhere he 

 may be placed. Not only does he fall off, but if 

 possible he grabs one or two of his small com- 

 panions, and down they go together. These young 

 warblers were no exception, and off' they went, one 

 after another. The bad one proved to be very bad 

 indeed, and he is shown in only two of the many 

 photographs I made of the family. 



While the pictures were being taken one of the 

 parent birds stayed near by to watch over her 

 youngsters, while the other went off in search of 

 food, for which they called continually, and though 

 I was not more than three or four feet distant, 

 she fed them without troubling herself at aU about 



