Karl Plath—Notes from a Chicago Aviary



39



it to the side of the aviary, and then arranged the opening so that it

could be closed without too much disturbance. It was not long before

the female again built a nest and laid three eggs, and when I saw that

they were hatched I closed up the nesting-box so that she could not

fly into the aviary and opened the other side so that she could be

at liberty in the garden. She was all over the neighbourhood and even

the neighbours, who did not know much about our native birds, wondered

about the fearless little reddish-brown bird that came so familiarly

to their gardens. One day I found that one of the youngsters had

fluttered out, so when I had the opportunity closed up the nesting-cage

and removed the mother and her offspring to a large cage. One morning

I found that she was gone—how I never found out. I tried putting the

male parent in with the young, but he was concerned only with his

own food and one by one they died. Had I had the time I would have

tried hand-feeding, but just at that time I was unable to give them proper

attention. The youngsters were quite strong and of a dusky brown

colour.


It may be that some of the readers would be interested in knowing

how these photographs were secured. Most people think that birds

in an aviary would be easy to photograph. It is so with the exceptionally

tame ones but just the opposite with those that are timid. After much

wasting of film my neighbour, Ralph Fallert, an expert in almost all

lines of photography but to whom bird-photography was an

unconquered field, devised a special box for the purpose. It is

a frame 20 X 20 X 30 inches long and is covered with celluloid

more from convenience in handling than any other reason. The further

end is of plain wood on which the branch is fastened and the opposite

end is of screen with an opening admitting the camera. While it may

not be exactly ‘ 4 sporting ” to photograph birds in this manner my

contention is that for illustrative purposes bird-photographs cannot

show too much detail.


I am giving here a list of the birds now or recently living in my

aviary. To keep our native birds one must have the proper credentials

and both Federal and State permits. Many of our native birds are as

fascinating as any exotic foreigner and I have quite^a number.



