156 THE OPEN BOOK OF NATURE 
merula). Hear what a screaming cackle it makes! 
Its nest will be in the hedge hereabouts, for the 
bird flew out of it quite near us. Is that it? No; 
that’s an old nest inruins. Be careful of the thorns ! 
I see it now, and can reach it quite easily. Four 
eggs, as warm asa toast! T’Il expose a plate on it. 
It’s not easy to get at, but I think Ill manage it 
allright. Photographing bird’s-nests in their actual 
sites is not exactly plain-sailing ; there’s no studio 
work about it. We have to contrive all sorts of 
ways of getting at the nest with the eye of the lens. 
We mustn’t be long about our work, for the birds 
are anxious. One of you set up the tripod, and you, 
Howard, get the camera ready. TIl cut some 
sticks to lengthen the tripod legs with. 
Now I tie the sticks on to the legs of the tripod, 
and the camera is raised to a suitable height. With 
careful tilting I can get the nest into focus. But 
how am I to reach the camera ? Here, Howard, you 
are a fair photographer ; you get on my shoulders 
and work away. What! can’t see wood for trees ? 
Too many thorny branches in the way! We must 
tie them back. Now, how’s that? All right ? 
Then get a sharp focus, stop down your lens to a 
small aperture, so as to get definition. Here’s the 
dark slide. Careful, now, or the camera will tumble. 
Five seconds’ exposure! Done? That’s good! 
We'll move on now, in the hope that our picture 
will turn out Al. 
Dear me! What contrivances Nature photog- 
raphers have to invent! I declare’ my shoulders 
are quite sore. But that effort was not half so bad 
as one I made when I was on holiday in Arran. 
