THE BIRD PHOTOGRAPHER'S OUTFIT 9 
The reflecting camera now in my possession was 
designed and made by John Rowley, of the Ameri- 
can Museum of Natural History, and was fully de- 
scribed and illustrated by him in Bird-Lore for 
April, 1900. It resembles the upper half of the twin- 
lens camera in that a mirror, set at an angle of 
forty-five degrees to the plate, is interposed between 
the latter and the lens, and reflects its image to a 
ground glass on top of the camera. This mirror, 
however, is movable, and the desired object appear- 
ing in focus on the ground glass, a lever is pressed 
downward which raises the mirror to the top of the 
box, where it automatically releases a focal-plane 
shutter (see beyond, under The Shutter) directly in 
front of the plate, when the image-bearing rays, be- 
fore intercepted and reflected by the mirror, are 
registered on the plate, from which the slide had 
previously been drawn. 
When the focal-plane or curtain shutter has been 
set and the slide drawn from the plate holder, this 
camera is like a cocked gun, which may be fired the 
moment it is sighted; or, in other words, the ex- 
posure may be made the instant focus is secured. 
With this camera one may take advantage of any 
offering opportunity to secure a picture of a bird 
or beast when afield, and this fact, by increasing 
the possibilities of an outing, adds greatly to its 
pleasure. 
Mr. Rowley has so designed this camera that it 
may be used from a tripod as well as in the hands; 
but when the tripod camera is to be left, perhaps 
for hours, hidden near some bird’s nest, I prefer to 
employ the long-focus for this purpose, and retain 
