10 ‘ THE CONDOR Vol. XXIEM 
where I remained for a short time before returning to Washington. Two hun- 
dred and thirty-seven birds were collected during this trip and also numerous 
specimens in other branches of natural history. The field seasons 1877-78 were 
spent in the eastern portions of Nevada, California, and Oregon, and the routes 
travelled amounted practically to a continuous, though decidedly tortuous, line 
from Carson to the Dalles. 
THE WHEELER SURVEY TERMINATED 
My connection with the Wheeler Survey terminated in 1879, its work havy- 
ing been merged into that of the recently formed (March 3, 1879) United 
States Geological Survey, under Clarence King as first Director. The question 
of my future thus arising, I imparted to Prof. Baird my strong desire to join 
the National Museum staff as Assistant Curator of Ornithology, Robert Ridg- 
way being then, as now, Curator. This he decided was impracticable owing to 
the low state of the funds of the Institution and to the prominence already giv- 
en to the department of ornithology. He offered me, however, a position on 
the staff as Curator of Herpetology. As I was less interested in this branch 
of science, to which I already had paid some attention, than in others, I de- 
clined the offer and finally accepted the invitation of Major Powell to attach 
myself to the Bureau of Ethnology, then being organized, with the understand- 
ing that if the new field proved to be congenial I should make it my life work. 
Major Powell accepted the Directorship of the Geological Survey, Clarence 
King having resigned. 
Thereupon for some years io come my ornithological studies ceased, the 
administrative and other duties that soon devolved upon me in my new position 
proving an ample tax upon my time, strength and such abilities as I possessed. 
I may add that it was Major Powell’s opinion that a biologic training was a pre- 
requisite to a suecessful career in anthropology, and this opinion he held to 
the last. 
(To be continued) 
IMPORTANCE OF THE BLIND IN BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY 
By FRANK N. IRVING 
WITH SIX PHOTOS 
S THE photography of birds usually presents a difficult problem to the be- 
ginner the suggestions set forth in the following paragraphs may prove 
helpful to those workers who desire to undertake something worth while 
in this field. Although I have been a student of ornithology for many years and 
have pictured and collected the nests and eggs of many species, it is but recent- 
ly that I have taken up photography of the birds themselves, and I am pre- 
pared to state that there is a peculiar fascination attending this sort of work 
which should afford a great deal of genuine pleasure to all lovers of nature. It 
requires a certain amount of skill and patience to produce a series of really 
excellent bird photographs; but the proper course of procedure, coupled with 
the usual persistence of a bird hunter, will soon remove most of the obstacles. 
