WHITE IBIS AND YOUNG 



Photo by Frank M. Chapman 



In the right foreground an ibis is feeding its young, which are, however, protectively colored 

 and almost invisible in the photograph (see text below) 



quitoes furnished as many elements of 

 discomfort as one often encounters at one 

 time, and all were intensified within the 

 blind ; nevertheless I can recall only one 

 other experience in bird study which has 

 afforded me keener pleasure or more 

 lasting satisfaction. 



To go into detail is not possible at this 

 time, and it may simply be stated that a 

 series of plates and motion films were 

 made illustrating the home life of the 

 roseate spoonbill, valuable not only be- 

 cause they had not been made before, but 

 even more valuable because, owing to the 

 diminishing numbers of this rare bird, 

 they may possibly never be made again. 



The white ibises were nesting in low 

 bushes under conditions which made pho- 

 tography as easy with them as it was 

 difficult with the spoonbills. One had 

 only to erect one's blind in the open 

 spaces their nests faced and enter it, 

 when forthwith the routine of ibis life 

 was resumed. 



The young ibis were almost ready to 

 fly and in their- wood-brown plumage 

 were as invisible as their parents were 

 conspicuous. In photographs containing 

 dozens of them only one or two can be 

 clearly distinguished, and even in the 

 motion pictures obtained they can be dis- 

 covered with difficulty. 



AFTKR THE IGUANA 



I had exposed my last plate on them 

 one day when I observed a heavy-bodied 

 iguana, about 4 feet in length, with his 

 armor of plates and spikes fully devel- 

 oped, slowly climbing about among the 

 nests, pausing here and there to eat leaves. 

 The birds < paid no attention to him and 

 he was at least not an unwelcome guest. 

 Being unable to photograph this vener- 

 able-appearing reptile, I determined to 

 catch him, and before he realized my 

 presence I was almost within grasping 

 distance (see also page 558). 



At that moment he took in the situa- 



