10 THE AUD UB OINSB UAL Ean 
It was not hard to transport and set up the apparatus, and results jus- 
tified the choice of a site, though some difficulty was encountered from the 
continuous rain. “The lens became clouded with moisture. Of course, a 
lens cannot function unless it is clear. 
The ground by the river was low and swampy and the river trail 
partly under water. But it was interesting country. Here several times 
Canada Spruce Partridge were seen, comparatively rare birds for northern 
Michigan. 
Still the rain continued and the river rose. “Chere came a day, finally, 
when it was no longer possible to cross on the chosen tree. “00 much of 
it was too far under water. Fortunately, an eight-inch Maple stood not 
far away. 
As might be expected, no preparation had been made for extensive 
lumbering. “There were several of us on hand with one small safety axe 
between us. Arduous labor followed and many blisters, but the tree fell 
as directed and lodged in the branches of the former bridge. Crossing it 
was a different matter. It swayed and dipped with every step. Returning, 
laden with twenty-five or thirty pounds of camera apparatus, was even more 
ticklish. 
If you were to characterize our weather on that trip and guess as to 
the genus of bird to cross our trip wire, I think you would undoubtedly 
say “duck.” And you would be right. A merganser, perfectly at home, 
as he had every right to be, waddled down the beaver trail and left his 
image on the plate. 
Perhaps I have written too much of woods and weather and not enough 
of birds. I have tried to give just a brief picture of some of the ups and 
downs of the truly interesting and delightful practice of animal flashlight 
photography. You can see that it is more particularly adapted to mammals 
than to birds. [t is about the only way that wild mammals of the smaller 
genera and species may be successfully photographed, while birds may be 
taken in daylight from blinds. “They are mostly diurnal, the mammals noc- 
turnal. But I am sure much could be done with birds by flashlight, which 
I have never tried, if the camera traps were set with that end in view. And 
no mater how they are set, some birds will always come; and when they do 
and your iuck is in, your pleasure and satisfaction in your successful shots 
will grow and increase as they multiply and mellow. 
The above article by Mr. Gregory opens a new field of photography 
for many of us. As the author has shown, there are always opportunities 
for flashlight pictures near at hand. We are indebted to Charles C. 
Thomas, publisher of Mr. Gregory’s book “Deer at Night in the North 
Woods,” for the use of the photographs of the deer, and to Bird Lore 
for those of the birds. | 
