Adventures in Bird- 
land 
CAMERA EXPERIENCES AMONG THE 
WILD BIRDS OF THE FLORIDA EVER¬ 
GLADES — THE LIFE OF A TYPICAL 
NESTING COLONY — TAMING THE 
BIRDS WITH FOOD 
Photographs by Julian A. Dimock 
‘As 
S LOWLY the girl crept along the deck with 
leveled camera, breathlessly watching the 
tern that clung to my finger. From time to time 
it took crumbs from my hand. At the click of 
the shutter the startled bird flew away to join its 
companions that were careering over the sunlit, 
breeze-swept waters of the Gulf of Mexico. 
“Wasn’t it wonderful ? Did you ever see a bird 
so tame? Do you suppose I got a good picture?’’ 
The child was a picture herself, with the light 
in her eyes, the color in her cheeks and her wind¬ 
blown hair—a picture of outdoor spirits. 
“How did 
you tame it, 
U n c 1 e Ar¬ 
chie? Did 
you put salt 
on its tail?’’ 
"I didn’t do anything. It’s 
what you don't do to birds 
that makes them friendly. 
Every sign of distrust is evi¬ 
dence of cruelty or treach¬ 
ery.” 
“I haven’t been cruel or 
treacherous.” 
“What about the feathers 
in your city hat?” 
“These birds don’t know 
about that, but they are shy 
as shy of me. You must 
have hypnotized this one.” 
“No more than you can 
do. We are likely to be for 
a month where birds are 
plenty but wild, yet you can 
make many of them tame as 
chickens.” 
“How shall I begin?” 
“The fast disappearing great American Begin by throwing away 
egret” that gun in your cabin.” 
nearer the game grew uneasy, and three pelicans looked enquiringly at one another 
as they fidgeted about" 
“Won’t it do as well if I keep it locked in its case?” 
“Yes, if you give me the key.” 
“Can’t you trust me if I say I won’t use it?” 
"I can trust you. but I can do it more easily with the key in 
my pocket. Besides, I want you to stick to your camera and not 
even think of your gun.” 
“What else must I do ?” 
“Be friendly, gentle and patient.” 
“I’m friendly now; how gentle must I be, and how much pa¬ 
tience must I have?” 
“You must be gentler and quieter than you ever dreamed of 
being and you must have all the patience there is and then some.” 
“That's all too general; tell me what I must really do.” 
“You shall have your first lesson within an hour. Look at the 
coast line away ahead of us and tell me what you see.” 
“I see a lot of birds in the air. What are they?” 
“Pelicans, mostly, and man-o'-war hawks. They are flying 
about a rookery near Sand Fly Pass.” 
“Will I get a camera shot at them ?” and the girl fairly danced 
in her excitement. 
“If that’s your notion of being quiet, I don’t think you will,” I 
replied. 
“But they are miles and miles away now. When I get near 
(9i) 
