Photography 
Extraordinary. 
(246) 
THE BIRD WORLD. 
Photography extraordinary. 
An amazing exhibition of bird photo¬ 
graphy was witnessed recently by a de¬ 
lighted gathering of bird lovers and their 
friends, at the Institute of Journalists. 
It was a private view of the wonderful 
photographs taken of wild birds on their 
nests, feeding their young, etc., by 
Messrs. Richard and Cherry Kearton. 
The photographs were the more wonder¬ 
ful as they were taken, not by an 
ordinary camera, which would have been 
difficult enough, but by a bioscope. The 
photographs illustrated in amazing 
fashion the home circle, as it were, and 
the domestic habits of the most timid of 
wild birds. One was taken to the mar¬ 
gin of an apparently inaccessible nest, 
and allowed to peep in as though one 
were Mr. Wells’ invisible man. It is not 
easy to assess the value of the photo¬ 
graphs to students of natural history. 
Skill and Fatienee. 
The pictures bore ample testimony to 
the extraordinary skill and patience with 
which Messrs. Kearton must have 
worked. There were wonderful records 
of Chaffinches, Whitethroats, Skylarks, 
Pipets, and other small birds on their 
nests, feeding their chicks, and showing 
every kind of parental solicitude for 
their welfare. Even such wary creatures 
as the Sparrow-Hawk and Merlin had 
been photographed within a few feet of 
the lens, and with such fidelity and 
clearness of detail that their plumage 
could be seen in the very act of being 
ruffled by the wind. Most of these in¬ 
land pictures were obtained in the 
Caterham Valley. From the Northern 
Coasts of Britain came also records of 
Gannets soaring round the beetling cliffs 
where they breed, building their nests 
and fighting for precedence of place. 
Puffins could be watched and studied as 
they floated placidly on the restless sea, 
and Guillemots as they dived for fish 
and reappeared in triumph. 
The mystery of how Mr. Kearton was 
allowed to approach so near the birds 
in their haunts with such a noisy con¬ 
trivance as the bioscope was partly ex¬ 
plained by him. Mr. Kearton said that 
for three years he had been working 
hard to silence the bioscope when it was 
taking photographs, but he regretted to 
say that he and his brother had not suc¬ 
ceeded. Mr. Kearton, however, was 
determined to get the photographs, and 
in order to do this he had to open 
a deliberate campaign. For days and 
days he had to practically live with 
the birds, and worm his way into their 
confidence. Then, and then only, 
would they permit the noisy intrusion of 
the bioscope. In speaking of the work 
accomplished, Mr. Kearton said :—“ The 
difficulties have been enormous. We 
have been obliged in many cases to bring 
the lens within 2 or 3 ft. of the nests 
without frightening away the birds. Our 
chief trouble at first was the noise which 
the mechanism of the cinematograph 
made. This was obviated to a great 
extent by enclosing it in a felt-lined box. 
A Tent for the Films. 
Our plan has been to a certain extent 
to accustom the birds to our presence 
before actually essaying a film. We 
have a small tent in which the bioscope 
is concealed. This is painted green, 
with twigs and leaves scattered over it, 
and to the eye of a bird presents the 
aspect of a small' mound. The lens 
protrudes through a tiny hole, and there 
is another through which my brother 
watches the birds. This disguised tent 
we bring, day by day, nearer the nest, 
until we obtain the right position. Very 
often we spend a whole week in these 
preliminary manoeuvres. The birds can 
hear the faint noise of the films running 
through the machine, but do not appear 
to notice this after a time.” Mr. Kear¬ 
ton mentioned this only to show what 
could be done by patience with the most 
timid of creatures. He had surprised 
himself with some of the results he had 
been able to obtain. For instance, the 
Bullfinch never showed the food in its 
bill, like the other birds, until just 
before parting with it, when it suddenly 
produced it from its throat. 
