122 The American Naturalist. ` [February, 
better result was obtained. When I say nearly the same 
conditions, I mean that the young were attempted out in the 
open, were nothing obstructed the rays of the afternoon sun; 
while the old birds were tried in a piece of woods, where the 
light was nicely moderated by the shade of the trees. Itisa 
reproduction (by the half-tone process) of this last picture that 
I desire to bring before the reader in connection with the 
present contribution. It was secured in the middle of the fore- 
noon of a bright summer’s day, under the following general 
conditions, to wit: by means of a large sheet of buff-colored 
blotting-paper the view was cut off beyond a'small branch of 
poplar; this latter was next focused upon, and the camera 
made steady; next, the pair of birds were allowed to alight 
upon the limb at that part of it seen upon the camera’s ground- 
glass. With closed shutter, and sensitive plate ready for an 
exposure, the proper moment must now be intently watched 
for, and with the pneumatic bulb in your hand, absolutely 
nothing must distract your attention, if you have any hope of 
obtaining a picture worthy of the name. Observe the light 
most closely ; see to it that there is not a breath of air moving 
when you are ready to expose; make no sudden movements 
whatever, or your birds may, and likely will, quit the limb; 
let them become accustomed to their surroundings; and, finally, 
let your patience be absolutely inexhaustible. Thus it was I 
stood when I made the exposure—the male bird quietly as- 
sumed the attitude seen in the plate; while the female, with 
her back towards me, extended her neck to its fullest length 
(in that peculiar way these birds have), and slightly moved her 
right wing to avoid the annoyance of a couple of leaves that 
touched her shoulder. The diaphragm had but an eighth of 
an inch aperture, and the time was two seconds. One of the 
most difficult things to control in the out-of-door photography 
of small, wild animals is the light. It is not only the black, 
shiny bills of birds and backs of beetles that will take pure 
white, if they get the full benefit of the sun’s rays during the 
exposure, but many other structures will produce the same un- 
desirable result. Before I had much experience with this tricky 
factor I met with many disappointments, and ruined upon one 
a 
