,,bird ,,studies ,,with ,a ,,camera ,illustration3 #a4 ,gannet 7flying over71 ,murres1 ,puffins1 and ,razorbilled ,auks4 ,,bird ,,studies ,,with ,a ,,camera ,,with ,,introductory ,,chapters ,,on ,,the ,,outfit ,,and ,,methods ,,of ,,the ,,bird ,,photographer ,,by ,,frank ,m4 ,,chapman ,,assistant ,,curator ,,of ,,vertebrate ,,zo,,logy ,,in ,,the ,,american ,,museum ,,of ,,natural ,,history1 ,,and ,,author ,,of ,,handbook ,,of ,,birds ,,of ,,eastern ,,north ,,america1 ,,bird-,,life1 ,,etc4 ,illustration3 ,logo ,,with ,,over ,,one ,,hundred ,,photographs ,,from ,,nature1 ,,by ,,the ,,author ,,new ,,york ,d4 ,,appleton ,,and ,,company #aijj ,,copyright1 #aijj1 ,,by ,,frank ,m4 ,,chapman4 ,all rights reserved4 ,,this ,,book ,,is ,,dedicated ,,to ,,my ,,wife1 ,,who1 ,,both ,,at ,,home ,,and ,,afield1 ,,is ,,ever 8,,my ,,best ,,assistant40 ,you have learnt from the ,birds and continue to learn1 ,your best benefactors and early instructors4 ,,frere',s ,aristophanes4 ,,preface ,the practice of photographing birds in ,nature is of too recent origin in this country to permit of its being treated authoritatively4 ,the methods which may be employed are so numerous1 the field to be covered so limitless1 that many years must elapse before the bird photographer's outfit will meet his wants1 while the constantly varying details which surround his subjects almost prohibit duplication of experience4 ,but it is these very difficulties which render all the more imperative the necessity of conference among workers in this fascinating and important branch of natural history4 ,the causes of both success and failure should1 through the medium of books and journals1 be made accessible to all1 thereby shortening this experimental stage of the study of birds with a camera1 and hastening the day when the nature of the outfit and methods shall have been settled with more or less definiteness4 ,it is as a contribution toward this end1 and as a means of answering the queries of numerous correspondents1 that the following pages1 embodying the results of my own experiences1 are offered4 ,it is sincerely hoped that they may increase the interest in the study of birds in ,nature1 and at the same time furnish a more profitable and delightful outlet for the hunting instinct than is afforded by the shotgun or rifle4 ,a large proportion of the ,bird ,rock pictures and several of those from ,pelican ,island have appeared in the ,century and ,st4 ,nicholas respectively1 and are here reproduced by the courtesy of the editors of those magazines2 others have been previously published in ,bird-,lore4 ,,frank ,m4 ,,chapman4 ,,american ,,museum ,,of ,,natural ,,history1 ,,new ,,york ,,city1 ,march1 #aijj4 ,,contents ,,page ,,introduction #a ,what is bird photography8--,the scientific value of bird photography--,the charm of bird photography4 ,,the ,,outfit ,,and ,,methods ,,of ,,the ,,bird ,,photographer ,,the ,,bird ,,photographer',s ,,outfit #f ,the camera--,the lens--,the shutter--,the tripod--,plates--,blinds--,sundries4 ,,the ,,methods ,,of ,,the ,,bird ,,photographer #bf ,haunts--,seasons--,nests and eggs--,young birds--,adult birds4 ,,bird ,,studies ,,with ,a ,,camera ,,bird ,,photography ,,begins ,,at ,,home #dj ,,the ,,chickadee--,a ,,study ,,in ,,black ,,and ,,white #dg ,,the ,,least ,,bittern ,,and ,,some ,,other ,,reed ,,inhabitants #fb ,,two ,,herons #gf ,,where ,,swallows ,,roost #hi ,,two ,,days ,,with ,,the ,,terns #ajf ,,perc ,,and ,,bonaventure #abh ,,the ,,magdalens #adf ,,bird ,,rock #aeb ,,life ,,on ,,pelican ,,island1 ,,with ,,some ,,speculations ,,on ,,the ,,origin ,,of ,,bird ,,migration #aia ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations ,,page #a4 ,gannet1 ,murres1 ,puffins1 and ,razorbilled ,auks ,frontispiece ,tailpiece4 ,young ,baltimore ,oriole #e ,initial4 ,long-focus camera and telephoto lens #f #b4 ,lens test ,no4 #a #ad #c4 ,enlargement of the bird in test ,no4 #a #ae #d4 ,lens test ,no4 #b #af #e4 ,enlargement of bird in test ,no4 #b #ag #f4 ,lens test ,no4 #c #ah #g4 ,enlargement of bird in test ,no4 #c #ai ,initial4 ,young ,great-crested ,flycatcher #bf #h4 ,spring #bg #i4 ,summer #bg #aj4 ,autumn #bh #aa4 ,winter--four pictures 7,nos4 #h-aa7 from the same point of view #bh #ab4 ,nest locality of five species #bi #ac4 ,nesting site1 nest1 and young of ,marsh ,hawk #cj #ad4 ,young ,marsh ,hawks and nest #ca #ae4 ,young ,great-crested ,flycatcher #cb #af4 ,young ,baltimore ,orioles and nest #cc #ag4 ,wood ,thrush on nest #cd #ah4 ,chestnut-sided ,warbler on nest #ce #ai4 ,catbird scolding #cg ,initial4 8,fairview0 #dj #bj4 ,house ,sparrows and ,junco #da #ba4 ,junco #db #bb4 ,female ,house ,sparrow and nest #dc #bc4 ,screech ,owl #dd ,initial4 ,chickadee #dg #bd4 ,chickadee on ground #di #be4 ,chickadee taking piece of bread #ej #bf4 ,a bird in the hand #ea #bg4 ,chickadee at nest hole #ed #bh4 ,chickadee at nest hole #ee #bi4 ,a ,chickadee family #eh #cj4 ,a ,chickadee family #ei ,initial4 ,red-winged ,blackbird #fb #ca4 ,least ,bittern's nesting site #fd #cb4 ,least ,bittern's nest and eggs #ff #cc4 ,least ,bittern mimicking surroundings #fg #cd4 ,least ,bittern mimicking surroundings #fh #ce4 ,young ,red-winged ,blackbirds #ga #cf4 ,least ,bittern eating her eggs #gc #cg4 ,least ,bittern on nest #gd ,initial4 ,where the ,night ,herons feed #gf #ch4 ,five ,night ,herons' nests in swamp maple #gi #ci4 ,a view in the ,heron rookery #hj #dj4 ,night ,heron feeding #ha #da4 ,young ,night ,herons in nest #hb #db4 ,young ,night ,herons leaving nest #hc #dc4 ,young ,night ,herons on branches #hd #dd4 ,great ,blue ,heron1 nests and young #hh ,initial4 ,tree ,swallows on wires #hi #de4 ,hackensack marshes in ,august #ia #df4 ,marsh mallows #ic #dg4 ,wild rice #id #dh4 ,tree ,swallows on wires #ig #di4 ,tree ,swallows in tree #ajj #ej4 ,tree ,swallows on wire and at pile #ajb #ea4 ,swallows in the road #ajd ,initial4 ,a corner of ,penikese #ajf #eb4 ,nesting site1 nest1 and three eggs of ,common ,tern #aaj #ec4 ,tern hovering above nest #aaa #ed4 ,nest and eggs of ,tern on upland #aab #ee4 ,tern's nest and eggs in drift dbris #aac #ef4 ,young ,tern hiding on rocky beach #aad #eg4 ,young ,tern hiding in the grass #aae #eh4 ,tern alighting on nest #aaf #ei4 ,tern on hillside nest #aag #fj4 ,tern's nest and hatching eggs in seaweed #aah #fa4 ,tern about to feed young #aai #fb4 ,tern brooding young #abj #fc4 ,tern on beach nest #aba #fd4 ,tern on beach nest #aba #fe4 ,tern on upland nest #abb #ff4 ,young ,terns about four days old #abc #fg4 ,young ,tern about a week old #abd #fh4 ,young ,tern1 second plumage appearing #abd #fi4 ,young ,tern1 further advance of second plumage #abe #gj4 ,young ,tern1 stage before flight #abf ,initial4 ,a ,perc codfisher #abh #ga4 ,perc ,rock from the north #aca #gb4 ,perc ,rock from the southeast #acd #gc4 ,splitting cod on ,perc beach #acf #gd4 ,young ,savanna ,sparrow #acg #ge4 ,gannet cliffs of ,bonaventure #adj #gf4 ,cornel or bunchberry #adb #gg4 ,a ledge of nesting ,gannets #add ,initial4 ,grosse ,isle #adf #gh4 ,nest and eggs of ,fox ,sparrow #adh #gi4 ,young ,guillemots #aej ,initial4 ,the ,bird ,rock light #aeb #hj4 ,bird ,rock from the southwest #aec #ha4 ,north side of ,bird ,rock #aef #hb4 ,a corner of the ,rock #afj #hc4 ,the landing at the base of the ,rock #afd #hd4 ,the landing on top of the ,rock #afe #he4 ,kittiwakes and young on nests #afh #hf4 ,the lighthouse1 keeper's dwelling1 and other buildings #afi #hg4 ,razorbilled ,auks and 8,ringed0 ,murre #agj #hh4 ,puffins #agb #hi4 ,murre's egg #agd #ij4 ,young ,murres and egg #age #ia4 ,kittiwakes and young on nests #agf #ib4 ,entrance to ,puffin's burrow #agg #ic4 ,puffin's nest and egg #agh #id4 ,young ,puffin on nest #agi #ie4 ,leach's ,petrel on nest #ahj #if4 ,young ,leach's ,petrel with nesting material #aha #ig4 ,young ,gannet #ahb #ih4 ,gannets #ahc #ii4 ,gannets on nests #ahf #ajj4 ,gannet on nest #ahh ,initial4 ,young ,pelicans in nest tree #aia #aja4 ,pelicans on ground nests #aig #ajb4 ,interviewing a group of young ,pelicans #aih #ajc4 ,among the ,pelicans #aii #ajd4 ,head and pouch of ,pelican #bjj #aje4 ,pelican's pouch from above #bja #ajf4 ,newly hatched ,pelicans and nests #bjf #ajg4 ,young ,pelican in tree nest #bjh #ajh4 ,young ,pelican1 downy stage #bji #aji4 ,young ,pelican1 wing quills appearing #baa #aaj4 ,young ,pelicans1 stage preceding flight #bab ,,bird ,,studies ,,with ,a ,,camera ,,with ,,introductory ,,chapters ,,on ,,the ,,outfit ,,and ,,methods ,,of ,,the ,,bird ,,photographer ,,introduction ,what is ,bird ,photography8--,bird photography1 as ,i would encourage its practice1 does not mean simply photographing birds2 it means the use of the camera as an aid in depicting the life histories of birds4 ,a picture of the bird itself is1 of course1 of the first importance1 but any fact in its biography which the camera can be employed to portray is within the province of bird photography4 ,the ,scientific ,value of ,bird ,photography4--,there are certain matters1 such as a bird's song1 its time of migration1 etc41 which must be set forth with the pen2 there are others1 such as its haunts1 nesting site1 nest1 eggs1 the appearance and development of its young1 where the camera is so far ahead of the pen in its power of graphic representation that it is a waste of time to use the former when circumstances permit the utilization of the latter4 ,a photograph of a marsh or wood showing the favorite haunts of a species is worth more than pages of description4 ,a picture of a bird's nesting site conveys a better idea of the situation than words can possibly give1 while in place of such vague phrases as 8nest of coarse grasses1 weed stalks1 rootlets1 etc41 lined with finer materials10 we have a faithful delineation of the nest itself4 ,the shape and pattern of markings of the eggs may also be well shown with the camera1 while the appearance of the young at birth1 their development1 and often the manner in which they are fed1 may all be portrayed by the camera with a realism which convinces one of the truthfulness of the result4 ,by the exercise of much patience and ingenuity we may also photograph the adult bird1 showing it at rest or in motion1 brooding its eggs or caring for its young4 ,under favorable conditions such pictures may possess an exactness of detail which makes them perfect representations of the original1 giving not alone position and expression1 but the arrangement of the feathers1 and they then have scientific value unequaled by the best productions of the artist's brush or pencil4 ,from the nature of the case1 perfection in this branch of bird photography is not always attained2 nevertheless1 even pictures which are failures from a photographic standpoint may be of interest to the naturalist4 ,they may be lacking in detail and still give pose1 thus furnishing models from which drawings containing all structural essentials may be made4 ,the camera may also supply us with graphic records of the few large colonies of birds yet existing in this country1 thereby preserving for all time definite impressions of conditions which are rapidly becoming things of the past4 ,what an invaluable addition to the history of the ,great ,auk would be a series of photographs from ,funk ,island1 taken during the period of its existence there6 ,of what surpassing interest would be photographs of the former flights of ,wild ,pigeons1 which the younger generations of to-day can with difficulty believe occurred6 ,the ,charm of ,bird ,photography4--,as a onetime sportsman1 who yielded to none in his enjoyment of the chase1 ,i can affirm that there is a fascination about the hunting of wild animals with a camera as far ahead of the pleasure to be derived from their pursuit with shotgun or rifle as the sport found in shooting ,quail is beyond that of breaking clay 8,pigeons04 ,continuing the comparison1 from a sportsman's standpoint1 hunting with a camera is the highest development of man's inherent love of the chase4 ,the killing of a bird with a gun seems little short of murder after one has attempted to capture its image with a lens4 ,the demands on the skill and patience of the bird photographer are endless1 and his pleasure is intensified in proportion to the nature of the difficulties to be overcome1 and in the event of success it is perpetuated by the infinitely more satisfactory results obtained4 ,he does not rejoice over a bag of mutilated flesh and feathers1 but in the possession of a trophy--an eloquent token of his prowess as a hunter1 a talisman which holds the power of revivifying the circumstances attending its acquisition4 ,what mental vision of falling birds can be as potent as the actual picture of living birds in their homes8 ,and how immeasurably one's memories are brightened by the fact that this is not a picture of what has been but of what is6 ,the camera thus opens the door to a field of sport previously closed to those who love birds too much to find pleasure in killing them2 to whom ,bob-,white's ringing whistle does not give rise to murderous speculations as to the number in his family1 but to an echo of the season's joy which his note voices4 ,they therefore have a new incentive to take them out of doors2 for however much we love ,nature for ,nature's sake1 there are few of us whose pleasure in an outing is not intensified by securing some definite1 lasting result4 ,we are not all poets and seers1 finding sufficient reward for a hard day's tramp in a sunset glow or the song of a bird4 ,enjoy these things as we may1 who would not like to perpetuate the one or the other in some tangible form8 ,and here we have one of the reasons for the collecting of birds and eggs long after the collector's needs are satisfied4 ,he goes on duplicating and reduplicating merely to appease the almost universal desire to possess any admired although useless object4 ,once let him appreciate1 however1 the pleasure of hunting with a camera1 the greater skill required1 and the infinitely greater value of the results to be obtained1 and he will have no further use for gun1 climbing irons1 and egg drill4 ,furthermore1 the camera hunter possesses the advantage over the so-called true sportsman1 in that all is game that falls to his gun2 there is not a bird too small or too tame to be unworthy of his attention2 nor are there seasonal restrictions to be observed1 nor temptations to break game laws1 but every day in the year he is free to go afield1 and at all times he may find something to claim his attention4 ,finally1 there is to be added to the special charm of bird photography the general charm attending the use of the camera4 ,thousands of people are finding pleasure in the comparatively prosaic employment of photographing houses1 bridges1 and other patiently immovable objects wholly at the camerist's mercy4 ,imagine1 then1 the far greater enjoyment of successes not only of real value in themselves1 but undeniable tributes to one's skill both as photographer and hunter4 ,nor should this introduction be closed without due acknowledgment to the educational value of photography1 to its power to widen the scope of our vision1 and to increase our appreciation of the beautiful4 ,there is a magic in the lens1 the ground glass1 and the dark-cloth which transform the commonest object into a thing of rarest interest4 ,illustration3 ,bird ,,the ,,outfit ,,and ,,methods ,,of ,,the ,,bird ,,photographer ,,the ,,bird ,,photographer',s ,,outfit ,the beginner must not suppose that good bird photographs can be made only with expensive apparatus4 ,under favorable conditions there is no great difference in the results secured with the ordinary camera and lens of any reputable maker and those of the highest class4 ,my own work has for the greater part been done with an outfit costing about thirty dollars2 and although the best lens is1 of course1 to be desired it is not a necessity1 and cost therefore is no more an obstacle to the hunting of birds with a camera than it is to their pursuit with a gun4 ,the ,camera4--,individual taste will doubtless govern the size of the camera chosen1 but most naturalists and sportsmen consider the camera carrying a plate four by five inches as the one best adapted to their wants1 and with this decision ,i heartily agree4 ,the advantages of size1 weight1 and economy1 both as regards the camera1 its holders1 and plates1 are all in favor of the #d #e1 while as far as the bird photographer is concerned1 it is not often that he has need of anything larger4 ,the image of a bird will rarely be without adequate setting in a space four by five inches1 which will also be found to be large enough for the portrayal of nests and eggs4 ,the #d #e also reduces proportionately in making lantern slides1 and if the picture is made the long way of the plate--that is1 higher than broad--it can be easily adapted for illustrative purposes in duodecimo or octavo books4 ,when a larger picture is desired it can readily be made by enlargement1 an increase in size of three diameters1 or six times the area1 being possible from a sharp negative without undue loss of definition4 ,for use from a tripod any one of the several excellent long-focus cameras now on the market will be found to answer every requirement4 ,if it is proposed to employ a telephoto lens1 care should be taken to select the camera combining greatest bellows length with rigidity4 ,a reversible back increases the size somewhat but adds to the length of bellows1 and will be found serviceable in the many awkward situations in which the bird photographer is often placed by the nature of his subjects4 ,the ,kearton brothers have an 8adjustable miniature0 on the top of their camera1 which they state 8is used as a sort of view finder when making studies of flying birds4 ,when fixed in position and its focus has been set exactly like its working companion beneath it1 both are racked out in the same ratio by the screw dominating the larger apparatus40,a ,the purposes of this attachment1 however1 will1 it seems probable1 be better served by the reflecting camera described below1 while as a finder alone its place may be taken by the 8iconoscope0 and other of the prism finders1 the brilliant image cast by which is such a striking and satisfactory improvement on the hazy outlines given by the average so-called 8finder40 ,footnote ,a3 ,from ,wild ,life at ,home1 how to ,study and ,photograph ,it1 by ,r4 ,kearton1 illustrated by ,c4 ,kearton2 a work of the utmost interest to the animal photographer1 who should also read ,with ,nature and a ,camera1 by the same authors 7,cassell ,co474 ,for use as a hand-box only two kinds of camera are available1 for it must be borne in mind that the set-focus or short-focus1 wide angle 8snap-shot0 cameras1 so popular among the button-pressing fraternity1 are not adapted to the wants of the bird photographer1 who must therefore avail himself of either a twin-lens or a reflecting camera4 ,twin-lens cameras are manufactured by several well-known firms1 but the trade size is of too short focus to be desirable4 ,in this type of camera two lenses of equal foci are employed4 ,they are set one above the other in bellows1 which move as one4 ,the lower lens makes the picture1 the upper projects a duplicate of the image cast by the lower lens to a mirror set at an angle of forty-five degrees to the plane of the plate1 whence it is reflected upward to a ground glass1 which is protected by a hood1 on top of the camera4 ,to focus perfectly the lenses should be 8matched0 or 8paired0--in short1 interchangeable--thereby greatly increasing the cost of the camera1 which is also rendered objectionable by its large size4 ,the reflecting camera possesses all the advantages of the twin-lens1 but requires only one lens1 and when in use is not materially larger than the ordinary #d #e long-focus box4 ,the reflecting camera now in my possession was designed and made by ,john ,rowley1 of the ,american ,museum of ,natural ,history1 and was fully described and illustrated by him in ,bird-,lore for ,april1 #aijj4 ,it resembles the upper half of the twin-lens camera in that a mirror1 set at an angle of forty-five degrees to the plate1 is interposed between the latter and the lens1 and reflects its image to a ground glass on top of the camera4 ,this mirror1 however1 is movable1 and the desired object appearing in focus on the ground glass1 a lever is pressed downward which raises the mirror to the top of the box1 where it automatically releases a focal-plane shutter 7see beyond1 under ,the ,shutter7 directly in front of the plate1 when the image-bearing rays1 before intercepted and reflected by the mirror1 are registered on the plate1 from which the slide had previously been drawn4 ,when the focal-plane or curtain shutter has been set and the slide drawn from the plate holder1 this camera is like a cocked gun1 which may be fired the moment it is sighted2 or1 in other words1 the exposure may be made the instant focus is secured4 ,with this camera one may take advantage of any offering opportunity to secure a picture of a bird or beast when afield1 and this fact1 by increasing the possibilities of an outing1 adds greatly to its pleasure4 ,mr4 ,rowley has so designed this camera that it may be used from a tripod as well as in the hands2 but when the tripod camera is to be left1 perhaps for hours1 hidden near some bird's nest1 ,i prefer to employ the long-focus for this purpose1 and retain the reflecting camera for possible use on the birds that so often approach closely when one is in hiding4 ,the advantages possessed by this camera are so apparent that it doubtless will soon be placed on the market4 ,the ,lens4--,professional photographers differ so widely in their opinions of the relative qualities of the various makes of lenses now on the market1 that ,i approach this subject with diffidence1 and1 without presuming to offer advice1 present the results of my experience both as to lenses and the requirements of the bird photographer4 ,in regard to the latter phase of the much-discussed question of 8,what lens shall ,i use80 ,i may speak with more confidence4 ,for nests with eggs or young birds--subjects which may be approached closely--a six- to eight-inch-focus lens forms a large enough image1 and at the same time gives depth of focus and sharpness of definition without the use of the smaller diaphragms4 ,in photographing birds1 however1 it is generally difficult to get within 8shooting0 distance1 and at least a fourteen- to sixteen-inch lens is needed in order to secure an image of sufficient size4 ,depth of focus is here1 in my opinion1 not desirable1 and the focal point--the bird--is brought out more clearly by the fusion of all the objects back of it into a uniform background4 ,when a bird1 either young or old1 is the subject1 great speed may be required1 and sometimes under light conditions which severely test the qualities of the lens4 ,to fully meet these demands of distance and time two lenses would be needed2 but1 aside from the increased cost and the inconvenience of using two lenses1 the great size and weight of a long-focus lens are drawbacks4 ,these objections are largely overcome by the use of the symmetrical lenses placed in most of the long-focus boxes1 or1 if expense be not considered1 by a 8convertible0 lens4 ,for several years ,i have used a 8,victor0 lens1 sold with the 8,premo0 long-focus camera4 ,the combined focus of the front and back lenses is seven and a half inches1 of either of the lenses alone1 fifteen inches4 ,the single lens therefore1 the distance being the same1 gives an image double the size of that cast by the two lenses together4 ,this lens has been thoroughly tested1 and many of the pictures given in this book were made with it4 ,when the conditions are favorable and the subject not extremely difficult it yields satisfactory results4 ,the 8convertible0 lenses of various makers are also separable1 and where the rear and front lenses are of different foci three focal lengths are obtainable4 ,these lenses are of the highest grade1 and consequently expensive4 ,in a bright light1 or where great speed is not required1 they do not seem to be as superior to the trade lens as the much higher price would lead one to expect4 ,but in dull days1 or in the shadow1 or where extremely rapid exposures are necessary1 their superior qualities become evident4 ,my experience with these convertible lenses has been limited to the ,zeiss ,anastigmat1 ,series ,,vii a1 of which ,i am now using a ,no4 #aj with a combined focus of eight inches1 the front and rear lenses both having a focal length of fourteen inches4 ,this combination is preferred to one in which the component lenses are of different foci1 because of the greater speed of the two when combined1 and furthermore1 because1 being of the same focus1 they could1 if occasion arose1 be used in a twin-lens box4 ,the speed of the combination is registered at ,f4 #f4c2 that of the single lenses at #ab4e4 ,with the former the most rapid exposures can be made successfully1 while the latter are sufficiently fast to permit of ordinary instantaneous work4 ,this lens is stated to cover a #e #h plate1 and when in use on a #d #e camera gives a high degree of illumination and perfect definition4 ,the telephoto lens may be employed in certain kinds of bird photography with not unsatisfactory results4 ,its disadvantages are lack of speed1 an exposure of at least one half a second to a second being required at ,f4 #h in bright sunlight1 the necessity of extreme care in focusing1 and of absolute rigidity of the camera at the time of making the exposure4 ,in short1 the telephotographer needs more time1 both before and after pressing his bulb1 than the bird photographer is often accorded4 ,however1 with such subjects as nests high in trees or on cliffs1 ,herons and other shore-inhabiting birds1 ,ducks on the water or ,hawks perched in leafless trees1 the telephoto will be found serviceable4 ,negatives are frequently secured in which the figure of the bird1 while small1 is sharp1 when1 by enlargement1 a desirable picture can be made of what in the original was too small to be easily distinguishable4 ,an increase in size of two diameters is possible from any fairly sharp negative1 but if the object be in perfect focus an increase of four diameters may be made4 ,these enlargements may be made with an enlarging camera or with the aid of a ,nehring enlarging lens1 which is placed between the front and back lenses of the view lens1 when1 with the ordinary long-focus camera1 a magnification of about four diameters may be obtained1 the image being thrown on to a piece of bromide paper in the plate holder4 ,through enlargement many apparently worthless negatives become of value1 and in some instances pictures can be made from different parts of the same negative4 ,from the sportsman-photographer's standpoint there is1 however1 one objection to the use of a magnifying lens4 ,it gives deceptive results1 and those who are not familiar with its powers are apt to accord the photographer undue praise for his apparent skill in successfully approaching some bird or beast which may have been far out of range4 ,a not wholly unrelated kind of enlargement is sometimes applied to the contents of creels and game bags6 ,but the animal photographer is so heavily handicapped that in this case the end assuredly justifies the means4 ,as a matter of information1 however1 it seems eminently desirable to accompany all enlarged pictures by a statement of the extent of their magnification1 and throughout this book this plan is followed4 ,consequently1 when there is no mention of enlargement1 it may be accepted as a fact that the print from which the reproduction was made was obtained from the negative by contact4 ,in illustration of these suggestions in regard to the proper lenses for bird photography1 a series of pictures is presented which shows the results to be obtained under the same conditions with different lenses4 ,illustration3 #b4 ,lens ,test ,no4 #a4 ,mounted ,flicker on fence post1 distance fifty feet4 ,eight-inch focus1 ,zeiss ,convertible1 ,no4 #aj1 ,series ,,vii a lens2 diaphragm ,f4 #h1 second2 ,cramer 8,crown0 plate4 ,photographed at noon1 in sunlight1 ,november #cj1 #ahii4 ,illustration3 #c4 ,the bird in ,test ,no4 #a enlarged about three diameters4 ,placing a mounted ,flicker 7,colaptes auratus7 on a fence post1 and setting up my tripod at a measured distance of fifty feet1 a series of test exposures was made1 of which three are presented as follows3 ,first1#b eight-inch lens 7,zeiss ,convertible ,series ,,vii a1 ,no4 #aj71 stop ,f4 #h1 time second2 second1#d fourteen-inch front lens of the combination1 stop ,f4 #af 7equivalent to ,f4 #d of the eight-inch72 third1#f telephoto attachment with eight-inch lens1 twenty-one-inch bellows1 stop ,f4 #h of the eight-inch1 time one second4 ,commenting on the results of these tests it may first be mentioned that in the 8,unicum0 shutter employed exposures of a so-called 80 and 80 seconds gave exactly the same results both with the combined eight-inch lens and the front fourteen-inch lens2 the actual time1 however1 was doubtless not far from of a second4 ,the negatives1 therefore1 show1 in the first place1 that the long-focus lens is capable of doing fairly rapid work4 ,continuing our comparison1 we observe that the eight-inch gives a fairly wide field1 excellent depth of focus1 but a very small image of the bird1 for which alone the picture has been made4 ,with the fourteen-inch we decrease the extent of the field nearly one half and almost double the size of the object pictured4 ,this1 however1 has been done at the loss of depth of focus1 not even the first of the line of posts running directly into the background being sharply defined1 while with the eight-inch all are in focus4 ,illustration3 #d4 ,lens ,test ,no4 #b4 ,same subject1 distance1 plate1 and date as ,test ,no4 #a4 ,front lens 7fourteen-inch focus7 of ,zeiss ,convertible1 ,no4 #aj2 diaphragm ,f4 #af2 second4 ,illustration3 #e4 ,the bird in ,test ,no4 #b enlarged about three diameters4 ,the telephoto gives an enlargement of about six diameters of the image thrown by eight-inch lens1 and three diameters increase of that of the fourteen-inch lens4 ,it practically restricts the picture to the immediate surroundings of the bird1 and is without focal depth4 ,illustration3 #f4 ,lens ,test ,no4 #c4 ,same subject1 distance1 plate1 and date as ,tests ,nos4 #b and #c4 ,eight-inch ,zeiss ,convertible1 ,series ,,vii a1 ,no4 #aj1 with telephoto attachment2 diaphragm ,f4 #h2 twenty-one-inch bellows2 one second 7 second was later found to be full time74 ,having now made three good negatives in the field1 we may1 by enlargement1 improve on the image of the bird obtained4 ,the possibilities in this direction are clearly shown by the three enlargements accompanying the contact prints from their respective negatives4 ,in each instance the enlargement is about three diameters1 and the telephoto negative of course furnishes the most satisfactory picture4 ,when the difficulties of telephotography are considered1 however1 and the -second exposure of the fourteen-inch lens1 which permits of hand work1 is compared with the one second of the telephoto1 we believe that for general work in photographing birds a lens having a focal length of at least fourteen inches will be found the most satisfactory4 ,it should be added that1 in order to make them wholly comparable1 the three contact prints as well as the enlargements were made on enameled bromide paper4 ,illustration3 #g4 ,the bird in ,test ,no4 #c enlarged about three diameters4 ,the ,shutter4--,for fairly rapid1 slow1 and time exposures1 a lens shutter1 such as is sold with trade cameras1 will be found suitable4 ,simplicity and noiselessness are the chief requirements in this kind of a shutter4 ,the 8,iris ,diaphragm0 shutter is noiseless when used for slow exposures of two or three seconds1 a matter of much importance in making time pictures of sitting birds1 who are apt to turn their head if they hear the click of the shutter4 ,this shutter1 however1 does not respond quickly in slow exposures and is very heavy1 a disadvantage in telephotography4 ,the 8,unicum0 shutter is lighter1 responds quickly1 has a lever to which a thread may be attached for making exposures from a distance1 can be easily diaphragmed from the rear1 but is not wholly noiseless4 ,there are also other shutters1 each possessing good points of its own1 and the selection of any one of them for use in medium rapid1 slow1 or time work can be left to the photographer1 who should1 however1 remember that the time scales on these shutters represent degrees of difference and not exact measurements of time1 and that there is great variation in the exposures of different shutters of the same make when similarly adjusted4 ,thus the 8one fifth of a second0 of one shutter may be equivalent to the 8one second0 of another4 ,the scale on most of these shutters calls for a speed not exceeding a part of a second1 but this is far too slow an exposure to successfully photograph a flying bird at short range where a speed of at least of a second is required4 ,for very rapid work the choice is limited to one kind of shutter--that is1 the focal-plane1 which in effect is a curtain with an adjustable slit which is placed directly in front of the plate4 ,great speed with this shutter is in part secured by increasing the tension of the spring1 which acts as its motive power1 but more particularly by decreasing the width of the slit4 ,assuming1 therefore1 that it takes one second for the slit to pass from top to bottom of a plate four inches high1 and that the slit is one inch in width1 it follows that each portion of the plate is exposed to the light for a quarter of a second4 ,decreasing the width of the slit one half1 proportionally reduces the time of the exposure1 and by this means1 in connection with an increase in the speed with which the curtain is moved1 an exposure of of a second is possible4 ,in addition to possessing the advantage of great speed1 this shutter also passes a higher percentage of light than a lens shutter even when the actual time of the so-called exposure is the same4 ,this is due to the fact that the lens opening is in no way affected1 it being the same throughout the exposure4 ,with a lens shutter1 on the contrary1 the full value of the opening is given for only a fractional part of the exposure1 the parts of the shutter more or less filling the opening during the rest of the time4 ,with a focal-plane shutter1 therefore1 one may do rapid work under conditions where a lens shutter could not be successfully employed2 time exposures1 however1 can not be made with the focal-plane shutter1 and for all-around work the camera should be fitted with both a lens and a focal-plane shutter4 ,the reflecting camera1 as before stated1 is fitted with a focal-plane shutter1 and1 as described1 it is released by pressing the lever1 which raises the mirror4 ,lens shutters1 however1 are released by a pneumatic bulb1 or in some cases by a thread or string4 ,when the exposure is to be made from a distance as much as one hundred feet of tubing may be employed4 ,with any length of over twenty-five feet an extra large bulb is required4 ,the ordinary tubing sold by photographers will not be found so well adapted to long-distance work as a less elastic kind1 which does not so readily yield to pressure and transmits a larger portion of the force applied when squeezing the bulb4 ,the ,tripod4--,a stout two-length tripod is to be preferred to one of the slender multifolding type1 in which stability is sacrificed to weight and size4 ,the legs1 except the inner sides of the upper section into which the lower section slides1 and brass work should be painted bark color in order to make them as inconspicuous as possible4 ,for use in the water a metal tripod will prove more serviceable than one of wood4 ,a very useful substitute for a tripod is the 8,graphic0 ball-and-socket clamp designed more especially for bicycle camerists4 ,with it a camera can easily be attached to the limb of a tree1 rung of a ladder1 or1 by screwing a block on to the head of the tripod1 it may be employed in connection with the tripod--in fact its applicability will be evident to every one using it4 ,plates4--,among the many excellent brands of plates now offered to photographers there is really very little difference4 ,however1 it is advisable to select the one you think the most rapid and use it to the exclusion of all others4 ,under certain circumstances--in photographing ,robins1 for instance--isochromatic plates will be found desirable1 and where a strong head light can not be avoided nonhalation plates may be employed4 ,so much industry1 skill1 and patience are generally required of the bird photographer before he makes an exposure that he should guard against all chances of failure from the photographic side4 ,it is therefore advisable to thoroughly test plates which it is probable may be exposed on a very difficult subject4 ,under no circumstances should the plate holders be needlessly exposed to the light1 and when the camera is to be left for an indefinite period with the slide drawn from the holder and plate ready to expose1 it should be carefully wrapped in the dark-cloth4 ,blinds4--,as the sportsman constructs blinds in which he may conceal himself from his prey1 so the bird photographer may employ various means of hiding from his subjects4 ,the ,keartons recommend an artificial tree trunk for use in wooded places and an artificial rubbish heap for open fields4 ,the former may be made of light duck1 painted to resemble bark1 and placed over a frame4 ,the frame of the ,keartons' is of bamboo1 but ,i find white pine answers very well1 the main things to be considered being lightness and portability4 ,the frame should therefore be collapsible in order that it may be easily packed4 ,the ,keartons' field blind or 8rubbish heap0 consists of an umbrella1 to each of the ribs of which strips of bamboo four feet in length are tied4 ,this is then covered with light brown holland and wisps of straw tied over it in such a way as to 8virtually thatch the whole structure40 ,doubtless cornstalks properly arranged would make an excellent field blind4 ,it is difficult to carry one of these blinds in addition to a camera1 etc41 without assistance1 and ,i fear that the inconvenience attending their use will restrict them to the few enthusiasts who count neither time1 labor1 nor cost in attaining a desired end4 ,for my own part1 ,i prefer1 when possible1 to conceal my camera and make the exposure from a distance rather than to weight myself with a portable blind and to endure the discomforts of being confined within it4 ,sundries4--,the bird photographer will find that he requires numerous articles not usually to be found in the regulation photographic outfit1 as1 for example1 climbers for ascending trees and stout cords for hauling the camera up after him2 a dark-cloth1 green in color1 to aid in disguising the camera1 and a mirror4 ,the latter should be of plate glass1 and measure at least twelve by ten inches4 ,a good plan is to buy a piece of glass of desired size and frame it simply in white pine4 ,it may then be attached to a limb1 a stick driven in the ground1 or other convenient object1 by means of the ball-and-socket clamp mentioned under ,tripods1 which may be screwed into the back or the outer border of the frame4 ,such a mirror will reflect sunlight many yards to shaded nests1 where1 in photographing old or young birds1 a quick exposure is necessary4 ,a vest-pocket mirror1 for use in reflecting the reading of the diaphragms or time on the shutter1 will permit one to make the desired changes from the rear1 and thus prove helpful when conditions do not permit one to work in front of the camera4 ,a device which might be arranged on the principle of a trap1 the trigger to be sprung and exposure made when the bait is taken1 would doubtless capture some interesting pictures4 ,an apparatus connected with an automatically fired flash-light1 has been employed by ,mr4 ,g4 ,a4 ,shiras1 of ,pittsburg1 in photographing deer at night1 with phenomenal success4 ,the connection with the camera shutter was so made that the deer1 in walking1 touched a cord which exploded the flash-light1 and1 at the same moment1 made the exposure4 ,the light weight of most birds1 however1 requires a much more delicate apparatus1 while an even greater difficulty is found in the movement caused by the release of the trigger1 which startles the bird just as the exposure is made4 ,thus far in my experiments ,i have been unable to overcome these objections1 but ,i trust some other bird photographer will be more successful4 ,those who are ambitious in the direction of cliff photography ,i would refer to the ,keartons' admirable treatise on the subject in their ,wild ,life at ,home1 for a description of the paraphernalia needed and the manner in which it should be used4 ,my own experience in this line is limited1 and ,i confess to the utter absence of a desire to increase it6 ,,the ,,methods ,,of ,,the ,,bird ,,photographer ,claiming no special knowledge of the technique of pure photography1 ,i would refer the beginner to any of the several excellent books designed to explain the rudiments of optical and chemical photography1 and to instruct in regard to the matters of exposing1 developing1 printing1 etc4 ,only such suggestions are given here1 therefore1 as relate directly to the manner in which birds1 their nests1 eggs1 and haunts may be photographed4 ,haunts4--,photographs of the characteristic haunts of birds should show not alone general topography1 but should also be made with special reference to the bird's feeding habits1 which1 more than anything else1 govern the nature of the locality selected4 ,thus1 a photograph of the home of the ,woodcock would have added value if1 in the immediate foreground1 the 8borings0 made by this bird in probing the earth for food were evident2 or a marsh scene1 in which wild rice was conspicuous1 would tell something of both the haunts and the food habits of the ,reedbird and ,red-winged ,blackbird in ,august and ,september4 ,in a similar way1 pictures of wild cherry and dogwood trees1 of bayberries and red cedar1 which show both fruit and surroundings1 are of interest in connection with the biographies of many birds4 ,illustration3 #h4 ,spring4 ,illustration3 #i4 ,summer4 ,seasons4--,the camera permits us to make so exact a record of the rise and fall of the year1 as it is registered by vegetation1 that we can actually compare existing conditions with those which prevailed at any previous time4 ,compare1 for example1 the series of four pictures#h-aa here presented1 all made from the same point of view1 in order to appreciate how graphically seasonal changes may be shown by the camera4 ,in this instance1 photography is of more service to the botanist than to the ornithologist2 but every student of migration knows how closely related are the appearance of certain birds and flowers1 and will readily appreciate1 therefore1 the value of a series of photographs of several different subjects1 taken at short intervals1 and showing the changes in vegetation due to the approach of summer or winter4 ,in connection with such related phenomena as temperature1 rainfall1 and weather1 these pictures form as accurate a record of the seasons as it is possible to make1 and if data of this kind could be brought together from many selected localities1 we should have an admirable basis for the intelligent study of certain phases of bird migration4 ,illustration3 #aj4 ,autumn4 ,nests and ,eggs4--,the photographing of nests is one of the simpler forms of bird photography1 but in many instances success is achieved only through the exercise of much patience and ingenuity4 ,illustration3 #aa4 ,winter4 ,it should constantly be borne in mind1 in photographing nests1 that what is desired is not so much a picture of the nest alone as one which shows it in relation to its environment--in short1 a picture of the nesting site is of more value than one of the nest only4 ,it is advisable1 however1 to make at least three pictures1 two#ab1 #ac of which shall show the nature of the locality chosen1 the other#ad the character of the nest and its immediate surroundings4 ,when the nest is not above five feet from the ground1 little difficulty will be experienced in securing the desired picture4 ,when on the ground it will sometimes be found helpful to put what naturally would be the rear leg of the tripod forward1 between the other two1 when it will serve as a brace from in front1 and permit the camera to be tilted well downward without danger of its falling4 ,nests at an elevation of seven or eight feet1 in saplings1 may be photographed by lengthening the tripod with short legs1 each supplied with two staples or collars into which the ends of the tripod may be slipped2 or a ladder or light scaffolding will sometimes be found necessary4 ,illustration3 #ab4 ,to show nest locality of3 #a1 ,tree ,swallow2 #b1 ,american ,bittern2 #c1 ,song ,sparrow2 #d1 ,maryland ,yellow-throat2 #e1 ,marsh ,hawk1 of which nesting site1 nest1 and young are shown in the two following pictures1 ,nos4 #ac and #ad4 ,meridian1 ,n4 ,y41 ,june #h1 #ahih4 ,for photographing nests in trees the 8,graphic0 ball-and-socket clamp is of great assistance4 ,with it the camera may be attached to a limb1 or1 if the limb is too large1 a block may be nailed to it1 thus furnishing a grip to which the clamp may be fastened4 ,illustration3 #ac4 ,nesting site1 nest1 and young of ,marsh ,hawk4 ,nests should be photographed from the side1 but eggs should be photographed from above in order to show their position in the nest as they were arranged by the incubating bird4 ,the nest should therefore never be tipped1 nor should the eggs be touched1 lest the value of the subject be destroyed4 ,the markings of most birds' eggs are already well known1 but if photographs of them are desired they can be made from the thousands of eggshells with which ill-directed effort has stocked the cabinets of misguided ologists4 ,illustration3 #ad4 ,young ,marsh ,hawks and nest4 ,it is not advisable to make photographs of nests in the sunlight1 a diffused light giving greater detail4 ,a screen of some thin white material should therefore be used as a shade when photographing nests exposed to the direct rays of the sun4 ,this1 however1 will not be found necessary if the picture be made within two or three hours after sunrise1 when the light is soft and the foliage comparatively motionless1 permitting the use of a small diaphragm and a long exposure4 ,illustration3 #ae4 ,young ,great-crested ,flycatcher4 ,young ,birds4--,the ease with which photographs of young birds may often be secured1 the fact that with the camera their appearance and development may be more satisfactorily recorded than in any other way1 makes their study by the photographer of exceeding importance4 ,photographs of young birds should of course be accompanied by notes on food1 calls1 special actions1 etc41 which the camera can not well portray4 ,the young bird is a worthy subject from the moment it leaves the shell until1 as far as flight is concerned1 it deserves to be ranked with its elders4 ,when possible1 series of pictures should be made showing the rate of growth of the same brood from the period of hatching to the date when the nest is deserted4 ,circumstances do not1 however1 often permit of the forming of these ideal series1 and we must therefore photograph the young bird as we find him1 either before or after#ae he has made his initial flight1 or as he is preparing for it4#af ,the suggestions made under the head of ,birds' ,nests and ,eggs will apply in a general way to photographing young in the nest2 but even when at rest in other respects1 the rapid respiration of nestlings requires a quick exposure to insure sharpness of outline1 and1 when in the shadow1 sufficient illumination can be secured only with the aid of a reflector4 ,illustration3 #af4 ,young ,baltimore ,orioles and nest4 ,adult ,birds4--,it is in photographing birds in the full possession of the powers of maturity that the bird photographer's skill and patience are put to the most severe tests4 ,it might be said that1 from a strictly ornithological point of view1 the results obtained do not in many instances justify the time expended4 ,success1 however1 in this field1 as in many others1 is not to be measured by the attainment of a certain end1 but often by the experience gained in what1 to one having only the ultimate object in view1 may seem to have been fruitless effort4 ,in matching one's ability as a hunter against the timidity and cunning of a bird1 relations are established between the photographer and his subject which of necessity result in their becoming intimately associated4 ,illustration3 #ag4 ,wood ,thrush on nest4 ,doubtless we shall never know just what birds think of the peculiar antics in which the camera enthusiast sometimes indulges1 but certain it is that an attempt to photograph some of the most familiar and presumably best-known birds will open the photographer's eyes to facts in their life histories of which he was previously in utter ignorance4 ,as a known and fixed point to which the bird may be expected to return1 the nest offers the best opportunity to the bird photographer1 and photographs of adult birds on or at their nests are more common than those taken under other conditions4#ag1 #ah ,illustration3 #ah4 ,chestnut-sided ,warbler on nest4 ,birds vary greatly in their attitude toward a camera which has been erected near their homes2 some species paying little attention to it1 and1 after a short time1 coming and going as though it had always been there1 while others are suspicious of any object which changes the appearance of their surroundings4 ,with the latter special precautions are necessary1 and unusual care should be taken in working about their nests lest they be made to desert it4 ,the long-focus lens is here of great service1 for it enables one to secure a sufficiently large image from a distance of ten or twelve feet4 ,even then it will often be necessary to conceal or disguise the camera by covering it with the green dark-cloth1 vines1 and leaves4 ,a rubber tube or thread of requisite length is then attached and the exposure is made from a distance4 ,a dummy camera1 composed of a box or log wrapped in a green cloth and placed on a tripod made from saplings1 may sometimes be erected to advantage several days before one expects to attempt to photograph the bird1 who in the meantime becomes accustomed to it and quickly returns to the nest after the real camera has been substituted4 ,the artificial tree trunk would doubtless be of assistance in some kinds of bird-at-the-nest photography1 especially when one desired to secure pictures of the old bird feeding its young1 and was obliged therefore to make the exposure at just the proper moment4 ,in most instances1 however1 there is sufficient undergrowth in the immediate vicinity to afford concealment1 from which with the aid of a glass one may take note of events4 ,with the reflecting camera one may stalk birds on foot or with a boat1 or 8squeak0 them into range by kissing the back of the hand vigorously1 a sound which1 during the nesting season especially1 arouses much curiosity or anxiety in the bird's mind4 ,the decoys1 blinds1 batteries1 sneak boxes1 etc41 of the sportsman are also at the disposal of the hunter with a camera1 though ,i must admit that my one outing to photograph bay birds over decoys resulted in an empty bag4 ,it was in the spring1 however1 when the bay birds surviving had experienced two shooting seasons and were exceedingly wild4 ,in the fall1 with birds born the preceding summer1 one might be more successful4 ,birds may be sometimes brought within range of the camera by baiting them with food1 and1 after they have learned to expect it1 placing the camera in suitable position4 ,this may be most easily done when there is snow on the ground1 at which time hunger makes most birds less suspicious of danger4 ,illustration3 #ai4 ,catbird scolding4 ,from a considerable experience which1 through poor equipment1 has not yielded adequate return1 ,i am convinced that one may secure excellent pictures of many birds by decoying them with either a mounted or living ,owl2 doubtless the latter would be preferable1 though ,i have never tried it4 ,with a poorly mounted ,screech ,owl1 however1 ,i have had some excellent opportunities to photograph4 ,my plan is to select some spot where birds are numerous1 preferably near the home of a ,catbird1#ai place the ,owl in a conspicuous position1 and erect near it a 8scolding perch10 from which the protesting bird may conveniently vituperate the poor unoffending little bunch of feathers with its staring yellow eyes4 ,the camera is then focused on the scolding perch and the photographer retires into the undergrowth1 and1 bulb in hand1 waits for some bird to take the desired stand4 ,a ,catbird's domain is chosen for the reason that this species is the alarmist of whatever neighborhood it may inhabit1 and once its attention has been attracted to the ,owl by 8squeaking0 or uttering the alarm notes of other birds1 the photographer may subside and let the ,catbird do the rest4 ,the bird's rage is remarkable1 its fear painful4 ,should the ,owl be near to the ,catbird's nest it will utter notes in a tone of voice ,i have never heard it use on other occasions4 ,it loses all fear of the camera1 and from the scolding perch screams at the ,owl with a vehemence which threatens to crack its throat4 ,one is glad to remove the offending cause4 ,other birds in the vicinity are of course attracted1 and hasten to learn the meaning of the uproar4 ,often a bit of undergrowth1 of which the ,catbird was apparently the only feathered tenant1 will be found to possess a large bird population4 ,it is interesting to observe the difference in the actions of various birds as they learn the reason of the disturbance4 ,on the whole1 each species displays its characteristic disposition in a somewhat accentuated manner4 ,the ,blue-winged ,warblers flit to and fro for a few moments and then are gone2 the ,chestnut-sided ,warbler is quite anxious2 the ,maryland ,yellow-throat somewhat annoyed2 the ,ovenbird decidedly concerned2 the ,towhee bustles about1 but seems to pay no especial attention to the ,owl2 the ,wood ,thrush utters its sharp pit-pit1 but is content to let well enough alone if its own nest be not threatened2 and the ,yellow-throated1 ,red-eyed1 and ,white-eyed ,vireos1 particularly the latter1 add their complaining notes to the chorus of protests4 ,not one1 however1 approaches the ,catbird in the force of its remarks1 nor does the bird cease to outcry so long as the ,owl is visible4 ,it is felt that in the foregoing suggestions the methods which may be employed by the bird photographer are very inadequately described1 but1 as was remarked in the preface of this volume1 the constantly varying circumstances attending his work practically prohibit duplication of experience4 ,in truth1 herein lies the great charm of animal photography4 ,we have not to follow certain formul1 but each subject presents its own individual requirements1 making the demands on the naturalist's skill and patience limitless and success proportionately valuable4 ,,bird ,,studies ,,with ,a ,,camera ,,bird ,,photography ,,begins ,,at ,,home ,the influence exerted by the camera in creating new values for the bird student is perhaps nowhere more evident than in the immediate vicinity of one's home4 ,even the view from our windows possesses fresh significance as we speculate on the probability of securing a desirable picture from this or that point of vantage1 while birds to which long familiarity has partially dimmed our vision now become possible subjects for our camera1 and we find ourselves observing their movements with an alertness before unknown4 ,in my own case1 ,i have learned almost to tolerate the ,house ,sparrows1 with which ,i have been at war as long as memory serves me1 for the pleasure found in attempting to outwit these shrewd1 independent1 impudent rats among birds2 and1 on closer acquaintance1 they prove such interesting subjects for study that1 if their vocal ability equaled their intelligence1 they might be as generally liked as they are hated4 ,so much for the magic of a sweet voice4 ,as it is1 they possess a greater variety of notes than they are generally credited with1 and their conversational powers undoubtedly exceed those of many accomplished singers4 ,in addition to the insistent1 reiterated chissick1 chissick1 which constitutes the song of the male1 one soon learns to recognize calls of warning1 alarm1 flight1 battle1 and the soft whistle which the bird utters when it approaches its nest--the only musical note in its vocabulary4 ,illustration3 #bj4 ,house ,sparrows and ,junco4 ,quick to notice the slightest deviation from normal conditions1 ,house ,sparrows are difficult birds to photograph4 ,they seem to be constantly on the watch for some sign of danger1 and an unusual arrangement of blind or shade at once arouses their suspicions4 ,after a heavy fall of snow1 however1 hunger dulls the edge of their fears1 and by scattering food near a suitable window the birds may be decoyed within photographing distance4#bj ,it will be found necessary1 even then1 to conceal the camera1 which they evidently distinguish from familiar pieces of furniture and regard with alarm4 ,this1 too1 is the best time to secure pictures of ,juncos1#ba ,chickadees1 ,nuthatches1 ,downy ,woodpeckers1 ,blue ,jays1 and less common winter birds4 ,the four last named are rarely or never seen about my home in winter4 ,doubtless the abundant and surrounding woodlands afford them a more congenial haunt1 from which they are not to be enticed by suet1 bones1 or grain2 or1 more likely still1 the custom of putting out food for birds is so unusual in the region about ,new ,york city that they have not yet learned to expect it4 ,it is a most pleasing surprise to the resident of this section to observe the numbers and familiarity of winter birds in the environs of ,boston1 where a feast seems spread for them in nearly every dooryard4 ,illustration3 #ba4 ,junco4 #c4 ,illustration3 #bb4 ,female ,house ,sparrow and nest4 #c4 ,to return to the ,sparrow4 ,the bird's nest also provides a focal point for the camera1 but1 as elsewhere1 the greatest precautions must be taken1 and ,i have succeeded in securing a picture only when some advantageously situated window afforded a natural blind4 ,one of the pictures thus obtained shows a nest in the ornamental part of a gutter1 with the female looking from an adjoining opening4#bb ,this gutter seems especially designed to furnish lodgings for ,sparrows1 and no argument that ,i have thus far advanced has convinced them that it was not erected for their use4 ,during the early part of their occupancy1 a rap on their roof promptly brought them out to perch in the branches of the neighboring trees1 where their chattering protest was soon interrupted by a gunshot2 but the survivors quickly learned the meaning of the roof tap1 and now1 without a moment's pause1 they dive downward from their doorway and fly out of range at topmost speed4 ,illustration3 #bc4 ,screech ,owl4 #c4 ,more welcome tenants than the ,house ,sparrows are a pair of ,screech ,owls1 who for years have reared their broods in a dovecotelike gable1 where they are beyond the reach of nest robbers of all kinds4 ,during the winter they apparently are absent1 nor indeed are they seen until ,june1 when1 each evening at sundown1 one of the pair1 probably the male1 takes his post at the entrance to its home and gives utterance to the crooning refrain which sometimes follows the so-called tremulous 8screech40 ,but the latter ,i never hear at this season4 ,in spite of the poor light prevailing at this hour1 the bird's stillness has tempted repeated trials to secure its picture1 and the most successful1 made with a fourteen-inch lens and an exposure of fifteen seconds1 is here shown4#bc ,telephotos have thus far been underexposed4 ,as a means of making the exposure as soon as possible after the ,owl appeared1 ,i have on a number of occasions placed my camera in position1 focused and otherwise made ready some minutes before he was expected1 and ,i recall with amusement the incredulity of a friend whose surprise at seeing me point my camera skyward without ostensible purpose was in no way lessened when ,i told him that ,i had an appointment with an ,owl1 who was to take his stand shortly in the hole toward which the camera was directed2 and fortunately the bird was on time6 ,from the perch1 some forty feet aloft1 the grave little creature surveys the scene below with an expression of combined wisdom and thoughtfulness which makes a laugh seem wanton foolishness4 ,at the border of dusk and dark he flies out to feed1 often descending to the ground and remaining there for some moments while catching insects4 ,occasionally he takes his prey from the tree trunks1 perhaps a cicada struggling from its shell1 and on several occasions ,i have thought he captured food on the wing4 ,sometimes the supper hunt leads him to the edge of the croquet lawn1 where from the earth or the back of a garden bench he becomes an interested spectator of the last game4 ,when the young appear1 later in the month1 the evergreens seem alive with ,owls1 who flit about and utter querulous little calls difficult of description4 ,toward the end of ,july1 doubtless after the molt is completed1 presumably the adults--for never more than two are heard--begin to sing2 and this habit of post-nuptial singing seems not to be confined to the ,screech ,owl1 for about this time the deep-toned1 resounding notes of the ,barred ,owl come up from the woods4 ,throughout ,august and ,september the wailing whistle1 which is ever welcome for its spirit of wildness1 is heard nightly1 and as the plaintive notes tremble on the hushed air we invariably say1 8,hark1 there's the ,owl60 ,my experience as bird photographer about home1 ,i must admit1 has consisted chiefly in a series of encouraging failures which have borne no tangible results4 ,let us hope1 however1 that the few pictures here presented will prove as suggestive to the reader as they are to their maker1 who1 although he offers such inadequate proof in support of his belief1 is far too well convinced of the possibilities of home photography to go afield without saying at least a word in its behalf4 ,,the ,,chickadee ,a ,study in ,black and ,white ,very early in my experience as a hunter ,i became acquainted with a small black-and-white bird1 who not only announced himself with unmistakable distinctness1 but did so at such close range that one could form a very clear idea of his appearance2 and thus because of his notes and trustfulness ,i learned to know the ,chickadee by name years before ,i was aware that the woods were tenanted by dozens of other more common but less fearless birds4 ,with regret for the universality of the instinct1 ,i found that to see was to desire4 ,i had felt exactly the same longing in regard to other birds1 and had thrown many a stone in a fruitless effort to get possession of the half-mysterious wild creatures which always eluded me2 but the ,chickadee came within range of my bean-shooter and soon paid the penalty of misplaced confidence4 ,the little ball of flesh and fluffy feathers was perfectly useless1 so after a day or two1 the length of time depending on the temperature1 it was thrown away4 ,my curiosity concerning the ,chickadee being satisfied1 and the bird's tameness making it too easy a mark even for a bean-shooter1 ,i entered on a new phase of ,chickadee relations4 ,strangely enough1 the killing of the bird seemed1 from my point of view1 to constitute an introduction to a creature which before ,i had known only imperfectly1 and my acquaintance with the ,chickadee may be said to have begun when ,i picked up the first bird that fell before my aim4 ,however the ,chickadee may have regarded my somewhat questionable manner of gaining his friendship1 he has since given unmistakable evidences of his approval of my treatment of his kind4 ,he always replies to my greeting1 often coming many yards in answer to my call1 and on a number of occasions he has honored me above most men by alighting on my hand4 ,when1 in more recent years1 the gun which succeeded the bean-shooter was in turn replaced by a camera1 ,i found that the ,chickadee's tameness made him a mark for my later as he had been for my earlier efforts in bird hunting4 ,now1 however1 ,i believe ,i may speak for him as well as for myself1 and say that the results obtained are more satisfactory to us both4 ,it was in ,central ,park1 ,new ,york city1 in ,february1 #ahii1 that ,i went on one of my first ,chickadee hunts with a camera4 ,incidentally the locality gave emphasis to the advantages of the camera over any other weapon4 ,imagine the surprise of the park police had ,i ventured on their precincts with a gun on my shoulder6 ,but with a camera ,i could snap away at pleasure without any one's being the wiser--many of my 8snaps10 ,i confess being attended by exactly this result4 ,at this time1 through the efforts of an enthusiastic and patient bird lover1 who had improved on the bird-catching legend by using nuts instead of 8salt0 and by substituting bill for 8tail10 three ,chickadees in the ,ramble had become so remarkably tame that they would often flutter before one's face and plainly give expression to their desire for food1 which they took from one's hand without the slightest evidence of fear4 ,sometimes they even remained to pick the nut from a shell while perched on one's finger1 anon casting questioning glances at their host2 but more often they preferred a perch where they could give their entire attention to the nut which was held between their feet1 and pecked at after the manner of ,blue ,jays4 ,illustration3 #bd4 ,chickadee on ground4 ,in spite of the ease with which one could approach these ,chickadees1 they made difficult marks for the camera4 ,i was armed with a 8,henry ,clay0 #e #g and a twin-lens camera of the same size1 but so active were the little creatures that not one of many exposures proved to be perfectly focused4 ,finally ,i tried decoying the birds to a bone or bit of bread in the bushes1 but somehow they did not succeed in discovering these baits until they were placed on the ground4#bd1 #be ,then they responded so quickly that often the bread had disappeared while my head was concealed by the dark-cloth1 and frequently1 while focusing1 the birds would alight on the tripod of the camera4 ,i was forced1 therefore1 to focus on a stone1 and1 when ready to make the exposure1 lay a bit of bread on or near the focal point1 the two pictures given being thus obtained4 ,illustration3 #be4 ,chickadee taking piece of bread4 ,various experiences with these unusually tame birds finally led to what at first thought would have been considered the wholly unreasonable ambition of photographing one of them in my hand4 ,the camera was therefore erected at a suitable point and focused on the trunk of a tree1 the shutter set1 and slide drawn4 ,illustration3 #bf4 ,a bird in the hand4 ,now to get the bird4 ,none was in the immediate vicinity1 but a whistle soon brought a response from some neighboring tree tops1 and going beneath them ,i shortly had called the bird down to a nut in my palm1 and with him on my finger started to walk the eighty or more feet to the camera4 ,this1 however1 was asking too much1 and the bird abandoned his moving perch for a bordering row of evergreens1 from which one or two more trials brought him within a short distance of the desired spot1 and resting my arm against the tree trunk and with the other hand on the trigger of the shutter ,i called again the two plaintive notes4 ,the bird's faith was still strong4 ,almost immediately he took the desired position1 when a click announced the realization of a bird photographer's wildest dream4 ,fortunate is the bird photographer who discovers an advantageously situated ,chickadee's nest4 ,dr4 ,robert's charming description in ,bird-,lore of his experience with a family of ,chickadees stimulated my desire to make a camera study of this species4 ,the first nest found1 however1 was claimed by a band of roving boys1 who in pure wantonness pushed down the stub from which a few days later the young would have issued4 ,a second time ,i was more fortunate4 ,it was on the morning of ,may #bi1 #ahii1 at ,englewood1 ,n4 ,j41 that in going through a young second growth ,i chanced to see a ,chickadee1 who in arranging her much-worn plumage gave unmistakable evidence of having recently left her nest4 ,at once ,i looked about for a partly decayed white birch1 a tree especially suited to the ,chickadee's powers and needs4 ,the bark remains tough and leathery long after the interior is crumbling1 and having penetrated the outer shell the ,chickadee finds no difficulty in excavating a chamber within4 ,a few moments' search revealed a stub so typical as to match exactly the image ,i held in my mind's eye1 with an opening about four feet from the ground4 ,the interior was too gloomy to enable one to determine its contents1 but1 returning in half an hour1 ,i tapped the stub lightly1 when1 as though ,i had released the spring of a ,jack-in-a-box1 a ,chickadee popped out of the opening and into a neighboring tree4 ,i wished her good morning1 assured her that my intentions were of the best1 and promised to return and secure her portrait at the first opportunity4 ,four days later ,i set up my camera before the door to the ,chickadee's dwelling1 and1 without attempting to conceal it1 attached thread to the shutter and retreated in the undergrowth to a distance of about twenty-five feet4 ,after having had most discouraging experiences with several birds1 who had evidently regarded the camera as a monster of destruction1 and had refused to return to their nests as long as the evil eye of the lens was on them1 it was consoling to find a bird who had some degree of confidence in human nature as represented by photographic apparatus4 ,it is true that the female--and throughout this description ,i assume that the bird with much-worn plumage was of this sex--promptly left the stub at my approach2 but when ,i retired to the undergrowth there was no tiresome wait of hours while the bird1 flitting from bush to bush1 chirped suspiciously1 but almost immediately she returned to her home4#bg ,the camera was examined1 but clearly not considered dangerous1 its tripod sometimes serving as a step to the nest entrance4 ,the click of the shutter1 however1 when an exposure was made as the bird was about to enter its dwelling1 caused some alarm1 and she flew back to a neighboring tree1 and for some time hopped restlessly from limb to limb4 ,the male1 who had previously kept in the background1 now approached1 and1 as if to soothe his troubled mate1 thoughtfully gave her a caterpillar4 ,she welcomed him with a gentle1 tremulous fluttering of the wings--a motion similar to that made by young birds when begging for food4 ,he1 however1 made what appeared to be precisely the same movements when she perched beside him4 ,illustration3 #bg4 ,chickadee at nest hole4 ,it was not long before the female became so accustomed to the snap of the shutter that in order to prevent her from entering the nest ,i was forced to rush out from my hiding place2 but at last1 apparently becoming desperate1 she succeeded in returning to her eggs in spite of my best efforts to prevent her4 ,there now ensued a very interesting change in the bird's action4 ,it will be remembered that at first she had left the nest on hearing me approach1 while a light tap brought her through the opening with startling promptness4 ,but now1 evidently realizing that a return to her duties of incubation could be made only at great risk1 she determined under no conditions to leave her eggs4 ,in vain ,i rapped at her door and shook her dwelling to its foundations2 no bird appeared1 and not believing it possible that under the circumstances she would remain within the stub1 ,i felt that she must have left without my knowledge1 and therefore retired to await her reappearance4 ,illustration3 #bh4 ,chickadee at nest hole4 ,at the end of several minutes the male1 with food in his bill1 advanced cautiously1 and clinging to the rim of the nest opening1 hung there a moment and departed minus the food4 ,this was surprising4 ,could there be young in the nest8 or was the bird1 in imitation of the ,hornbill1 feeding his imprisoned mate8 ,i rapped again1 and this time1 perhaps taken unawares1 the female answered my question by appearing4 ,on ,june #c;d a family arrived in the ,chickadee villa1 and both birds were found actively engaged in administering to its wants4 ,as a return for the inconvenience to which they had been subjected1 a perch was erected by way of a step at their door4 ,the female was appreciative and at once availed herself of this means of entering her home4#bh ,the male1 however1 as before1 was more wary4 ,he had braved the camera to bring food to his mate1 but his offspring had apparently not so strong a claim upon him4 ,he would fly off in search of food and shortly return with a caterpillar1 then perch quietly for several minutes a few yards from the nest1 when1 repelled by the camera and attracted by the food in his bill1 he yielded to temptation1 devoured the caterpillar1 vigorously wiped his bill1 at once started to forage for more food1 and returned with it only to repeat his previous performance4 ,occasionally he uttered a low whistle1 addressed presumably to the female1 and at times a chickadee-dee-dee1 which ,i interpreted as a protest to me1 and both notes were also uttered by the female4 ,the latter took so kindly to the doorstep that it was determined to give her a door1 and to this end a leaf was pinned over the entrance to her home in such a manner that it swung to and fro1 like the latch to a keyhole4 ,this clearly did not meet with her approval1 and at first she seemed puzzled to account for the apparent disappearance of the nest opening4 ,but in less than a minute she solved the mystery1 pushed the leaf to one side1 and disappeared within4 ,returning to the nest on ,june #abth1 nothing was to be seen of either parent1 and ,i feared that they or their offspring had fallen victims to the countless dangers which beset nesting birds and their young4 ,looking about for some clew to their fate1 ,i found on the ground1 near the nest stub1 the worn tail-feathers of the female bird4 ,the molting season had not yet arrived1 nor would she have shed all these feathers at the same moment4 ,there could therefore be only one interpretation of their presence4 ,some foe--probably a ,sharp-shinned or ,cooper's ,hawk1 since the predaceous mammals for the most part hunt at night1 when the ,chickadee would be snugly sleeping in her nest--had made a dash and grasped her by the tail1 which she had sacrificed in escaping4 ,a moment later the theory was supported by the appearance of a subdued-looking ,chickadee1 sans tail1 and ,i congratulated her on her fortunate exchange of life for a member which of late had not been very decorative1 and of which1 in any event1 ,nature would have soon deprived her4 ,the young proved to be nearly ready to fly1 and1 carefully removing the front of their log cabin1 a sight was disclosed such as mortal probably never beheld before and ,chickadee but rarely4 ,six black-and-white heads were raised and six yellow-lined mouths opened in expressive appeal for food4 ,but this was not all2 there was another layer of ,chickadees below--how many it was impossible to say without disentangling a wad of birds so compact that the outlines of no one bird could be distinguished4 ,a piazza1 as it were1 was built at the ,chickadees' threshold in the shape of a perch of proper size1 and beneath1 as a life net1 was spread a piece of mosquito bar4 ,then ,i proceeded to individualize the ball of feathers2 one1 two1 three1 to seven were counted without undue surprise1 but when an eighth and ninth were added1 ,i marveled at the energy which had supplied so many mouths with food1 and at the same time wondered how many caterpillars had been devoured by this one family of birds4 ,not less remarkable than the number of young--and no book that ,i have consulted records so large a brood--was their condition4 ,not only did they all appear lusty1 but they seemed to be about equally developed1 the slight difference in strength and size which existed being easily attributable to a difference in age1 some interval doubtless having elapsed between the hatching of the first and last egg4 ,illustration3 #bi4 ,a ,chickadee family4 ,this fact would have been of interest had the birds inhabited an open nest1 or a nest large enough for them all to have had an equal opportunity to receive food2 but where only two thirds of their number could be seen from above at once1 and where a very little neglect would have resulted fatally1 it seems remarkable that one or more1 failing to receive his share of food1 had not been weakened in consequence and crushed to death by more fortunate members of the brood4 ,nor was their physical condition the only surprising thing about the members of this ,chickadee family3 each individual was as clean as though he had been reared in a nest alone1 and an examination of the nest showed that it would have been passed as perfect by the most scrupulous sanitary inspector4 ,it was composed of firmly padded rabbit's fur1 and1 except for the sheaths worn off the growing feathers of the young birds1 was absolutely clean4 ,later1 ,i observed that the excreta of the young were inclosed in membranous sacs1 which enabled the parents to readily remove them from the nest4 ,illustration3 #cj4 ,a ,chickadee family4 ,the last bird having been placed in the net1 ,i attempted to pose them in a row on the perch before their door4 ,the task reminded me of almost forgotten efforts at building card houses1 which1 when nearly completed1 would be brought to ruin by an ill-placed card4 ,how many times each ,chickadee tumbled or fluttered from his perch ,i can not say4 ,the soft1 elastic net1 spread beneath them1 preserved them from injury1 and bird after bird was returned to his place so little worse for his fall that he was quite ready to try it again4 ,finally1 eight birds were induced to take the positions assigned them2 then1 in assisting the ninth to his allotted place1 the balance of a bird on either side would be disturbed1 and down into the net they would go4 ,these difficulties1 however1 could be overcome1 but not so the failure of the light at the critical time1 making it necessary to expose with a wide open lens at the loss of a depth of focus4 ,the picture presented1 therefore1 does not do the subject justice4 ,nor can it tell of the pleasure with which each fledgeling for the first time stretched its wings and legs to their full extent1 and preened its plumage with before unknown freedom4 ,at the same time they uttered a satisfied little dee-dee-dee1 in quaint imitation of their elders4 ,when ,i whistled their well-known phe-be note1 they were at once on the alert1 and evidently expected to be fed4 ,the birds were within two or three days of leaving the nest1 and1 the sitting over1 the problem came of returning the flock to a cavity barely two inches in diameter1 the bottom of which was almost filled by one bird4 ,i at once confess a failure to restore anything like the condition in which they were found1 and when the front of their dwelling was replaced1 ,chickadees were overflowing at the door4 ,if their healthfulness had not belied the thought1 ,i should have supposed it impossible for them to exist in such close quarters4 ,a few days later their home was deserted1 and1 as no other ,chickadees were known to nest in the vicinity1 ,i imagine them to compose a troop of birds which is sometimes found in the neighborhood4 ,,the ,,least ,,bittern ,,and ,,some ,,other ,,reed ,,inhabitants ,my experience with the ,least ,bittern leaves the eerie little creature a half-solved mystery1 and ,i think of it less as a bird than as a survivor of a former geological period1 when birds still showed traits of their not distant reptilian ancestors4 ,the ,bittern's home is in fresh-water1 cat-tail marshes1 and he wanders at will through the thickly set forest of reeds without of necessity putting foot to the water below or flapping wing in the air above4 ,his peculiar mode of progression constitutes one of his chief characteristics4 ,the reeds in which he lives generally grow in several feet of water1 far too deep1 therefore1 to permit of his wading2 while his secretive disposition makes him averse to appearing in the open1 except after nightfall4 ,it is impossible to fly through the cat-tails1 and so the bird walks and even runs through them1 stepping from stem to stem with surprising agility4 ,i had heard of this habit1 but the description conveyed as little idea of the bird's appearance as it is feared this one will1 and when for the first time a ,least ,bittern was seen striding off through the reeds about three feet above the water1 the performance was so entirely unlike anything ,i had ever seen a bird do before1 ,i marveled that his acrobatic powers had not made him famous4 ,the feathered gymnast's slender body--or perhaps one should say neck1 for the bird is chiefly neck and head--seemed to be mounted on long stilts1 with the aid of which he waded rapidly through the water1 his head shooting in and out at each stride4 ,the ,least ,bittern's notes appear to be less known than his habits4 ,nuttall1 that exceptionally keen-eared bird student1 was familiar with them1 but most writers have restricted themselves to the statement that1 when flushed1 the bird utters a low qua1 while some have even said he was voiceless4 ,i should not be in the least surprised to learn that this uncanny inhabitant of the reeds had a call fully as remarkable as the vocal performance of his large relative1 the ,american ,bittern1 but thus far in my slight acquaintance with him he has been heard to utter only four notes3 ,a soft1 low coo1 slowly repeated five or six times1 and which is probably the love song of the male2 an explosive alarm note1 quoh2 a hissing hah1 with which the bird threatens a disturber of its nest2 and a low tut-tut-tut1 apparently a protest against the same kind of intrusion4 ,illustration3 #ca4 ,least ,bittern's nesting site1 showing reeds bent over nest4 ,one of four eggs can be seen4 ,it was the markedly dovelike coo which first introduced me to this species4 ,with ,william ,brewster ,i was at the ,fresh ,pond marshes1 listening for the repetition of some strange calls which had excited the curiosity of ,cambridge ornithologists1 and which proved to belong to a ,florida ,gallinule1,b when we heard the soft notes of a ,least ,bittern1 who soon rose from the marsh near by4 ,a few days later the ,bittern was found in full song--if the coo be its song--in the marshes of ,presque ,isle in ,erie ,bay2 but it must be confessed that a desire to secure specimens of this1 to me1 strange bird left no opportunity to study its habits1 and the species was not again observed until ,june1 #ahih1 in the northern part of ,cayuga ,county1 ,new ,york4 ,here1 under the guidance of an observing local ornithologist1 ,mr4 ,e4 ,g4 ,tabor1 an encounter was had with a ,least ,bittern which made a unique page in my experience as a bird student4 ,footnote ,b3 ,see ,brewster1 ,auk1 vol4 viii1 #ahia1 p4 #a4 ,it was on the border of ,otter ,lake1 where the ,least ,bitterns nest in small numbers in low bushes1 or a mass of drift1 or more often in the fringe of cat-tails4 ,the trail of a boat through the reeds and empty nests1 which before had held from three to five eggs1 marked the ill-directed work of the boy ologists whose misspent zeal has resulted in such a vast accumulation of eggshells and such an absence of information about the birds that laid them4 ,a visit to a more distant part of the lake1 where even thus early in the year the cat-tails were five feet above water of over half that depth1 saved the day1 as far as ,least ,bitterns were concerned4 ,paddling close to the reeds1 a practiced eye could distinguish the site of a ,bittern's nest1 when the nest itself was invisible1 by the bowed tips of the reeds which the bird invariably bends over it4#ca ,the object of this habit is perhaps to aid in concealing the eggs from an enemy passing overhead--a ,crow1 for example--an attack by boat evidently not being taken into consideration4 ,certainly our appearance was in the nature of a surprise to a pair of birds who had just completed their platformlike nest and were apparently discussing future steps in their domestic affairs4 ,illustration3 #cb4 ,least ,bittern's nest2 reeds parted to show eggs4 ,as we approached1 the female1 who even before the eggs are laid seems to have the home love more strongly developed than the male1 bravely stuck to her post1 while the male marched off through the reeds in the manner which has been described as so remarkable4 ,when he paused1 with either foot grasping reeds several inches apart or clung to a single stalk with both feet1 he resembled a gigantic1 tailless ,marsh ,wren4 ,illustration3 #cc4 ,least ,bittern on nest mimicking its surroundings4 ,the actions of the female were interesting in the extreme4 ,her first move was an attempt at concealment through protective mimicry--a rare device among birds4 ,stretching her neck to the utmost1 she pointed her bill to the zenith1 the brownish marks on the feathers of the throat became lines which1 separated by the white spaces between them1 might easily have passed for dried reeds1 and the bird's statuelike pose1 when almost within reach1 evinced her belief in her own invisibility4#cc1 #cd ,the pose recalled ,hudson's experience with a wounded ,least ,bittern 7,ardetta involucris1 a near relative of our bird7 in the marshes of ,la ,plata1 where a bird at his feet1 in the same position as the one before me1 was discovered only after careful search1 and which1 to the naturalist's amazement1 slowly revolved as he walked around it1 with the presumable object of keeping its protectively colored breast turned toward him4 ,illustration3 #cd4 ,least ,bittern on nest mimicking its surroundings4 ,my bird1 however1 was among fresh reeds1 and while one can not doubt the effectiveness of its attitude and color1 when seen among dead reeds or grasses1 neither were of value among its green surroundings4 ,with the light on the wrong side and the reeds swaying violently in the wind1 we essayed to picture the bird1 and the best of several attempts made under these adverse conditions are here given4 ,covering my hand with my cap ,i held it toward her1 when1 convinced that her little trick had failed1 she adopted new tactics1 and struck at me with force and rapidity1 which made me thankful that my hand was protected4 ,her bright yellow eyes glared with the intensity of a snake's1 and her reptilelike appearance was increased by the length and slenderness of her head and neck4 ,her courage was admirable2 she not only displayed no fear1 but was actually aggressive1 and with a hissing hah struck viciously at my hand each time it was placed near the nest4 ,as ,i quickly retreated on each occasion1 and at length made no further move toward her1 she decided to withdraw1 perhaps to join her cautious mate1 who from the reeds had been uttering a warning tut-tut-tut at intervals4 ,very slowly and watchfully she left the nest1 and when she had advanced a few feet through the reeds ,i again ventured to touch her platform home1 putting my hand1 however1 under it2 but the motion instantly attracted her attention1 and1 darting back to her post1 she was on guard in a moment4 ,then ,i left her1 retiring from the field fairly vanquished in my first hand-to-bill encounter with a wild bird4 ,i hope she laid a full complement of five eggs and from them reared five birds worthy representatives of their mother4 ,a desire to renew my acquaintance with--or perhaps ,i should say advances toward--this unbirdlike feathered biped1 and to meet it under conditions more favorable for the camera hunter1 brought me the following year 7,june #ag1 #ahii71 to the ,montezuma marshes at the head of ,cayuga ,lake4 ,here are endless forests of cat-tails in which dwell not only ,bitterns1 ,long-billed ,marsh ,wrens1 and ,red-winged ,blackbirds1 but also numbers of ,pied-billed ,grebes and ,florida ,gallinules4 ,there is a mystery about a marsh akin to that which impresses one in a primeval forest4 ,the possibilities of both seem limitless4 ,one hears so much and sees so little4 ,birds calling from a distance of only a few yards may remain long unidentified4 ,a rustling in the reeds arouses vague expectations4 ,the notes of marsh-inhabiting birds are in keeping with the character of their haunts4 ,they are distinctly wild and strange1 and often thrilling4 ,the ,rails1 for example1 all have singular1 loud1 startling calls4 ,the ,american ,bittern is a famous marsh songster1 but although several of his common names are based on his calls1 it is only recently that he has actually been seen uttering them4 ,the ,gallinule resembles the hen in the character1 volume1 and variety of its notes1 and to it and not the ,clapper ,rail should be given the name 8,marsh ,hen40 ,indeed1 its ,european relative1 from which it can scarcely be distinguished1 is known as the ,moor ,hen or ,water ,hen4 ,but of all this marsh music none to my ear is more singular than the call of the ,pied-billed ,grebe4 ,it is mentioned in few books1 and has won the bird no such fame as the ,loon's maniacal laughter has brought him1 though as a vocalist the ,grebe fairly rivals his large cousin4 ,like most bird calls it is indescribable1 but perhaps sufficient idea of its character may be given to lead to its identification when heard4 ,it is very loud and sonorous1 with a cuckoolike quality1 and may be written cow-cow-cow-cow-cow-cow-cow-cow-cow-uh1 cow-uh1 cow-uh1 cow-uh4 ,these notes vary in number1 and are sometimes followed by prolonged wailing cows or ohs almost human in their expressiveness of pain1 fear1 and anguish4 ,this is the love song of the male1 and when he has won a mate she joins him in singing1 uttering1 as he calls1 a rapid cuk-cuk-cuk1 followed by a slower ugh1 ugh1 ugh1 ugh4 ,the ,gallinules were cackling in the reeds1 where a nest with three hatching eggs was found1 but not a bird was seen4 ,red-winged ,blackbirds were chattering with excitement as they guided the first wing strokes of their young1 who perched on the reeds begged eloquently for food rather than for lessons in flying4#ce ,illustration3 #ce4 ,young ,red-winged ,blackbirds4 ,in a small island of cat-tails a pair of ,grebes was calling1 and after the most careful stalking my companion saw the female respond to the voice of her mate4 ,it was in this island--if a patch of cat-tails growing in three feet of water can be called an island--that we found the first two of numerous ,least ,bitterns' nests1 and here our camera studies were made4 ,these nests were typical in form and site2 one contained five and the other four#cb eggs1 from which the birds had apparently departed as we pushed our boat toward them4 ,less than twenty minutes later we again passed these nests and found1 to our surprise1 that in one all four1 and in the other two eggs had been punctured1 as if by an awl4 ,here was a mystery which my companion1 who was examining the second nest while ,i was studying the first1 quickly solved by seeing a ,long-billed ,marsh ,wren actually make an attack on the remaining three eggs1 and a little later a bird of the same species--perhaps the same individual1 since the ,bitterns' nests were not more than twenty yards apart--visited the first nest to complete its work on the five already ruined eggs4 ,our attempt to photograph the energetic little marauder failed1 nor did we succeed in learning the real cause of its remarkable destructiveness4 ,however1 the fact that in one nest alone it drove its needlelike bill into all five eggs without pausing to feast on their contents1 would imply that it was not prompted by hunger1 and1 much against our will1 we were forced to attribute the bird's actions to pure viciousness2 though1 it is true1 there may have been another side to the story1 in which the ,bittern was the culprit4 ,the owners of the four eggs did not return while we were present1 and the following day we found their nest empty--a mute protest against fate4 ,illustration3 #cf4 ,least ,bittern eating her eggs4 ,the female of the second nest discovered1 in which only two of the five eggs had been injured1 proved to be a bird of character4 ,illustration3 #cg4 ,least ,bittern on nest4 ,while we waited in our boats at a distance of fifteen feet1 and with cameras erected on tripods at a third of the distance1 she came walking through the reeds uttering occasionally an explosive quoh6 ,after circling about us several times she climbed to her nest1 and at once proceeded to investigate the condition of its contents4 ,soon she gave evidence of the possession of both a philosophic and economic disposition1 not to mention other housewifely qualities1 notably cleanliness4 ,philosophy she exhibited by making the best of things as she found them2 economy by carefully eating#cf the two broken eggs1 which a more thoughtless bird would have deserted or quickly discarded2 and cleanliness by carefully dropping over the edge of the nest the shells remaining from her peculiar feast1 and following them by bits of nest lining which had been soiled by portions of the egg4 ,this task accomplished to her satisfaction1 she gave further evidence of the possession of a well-ordered mind by descending to the water1 washing her bill1 drinking1 and then returning to her remaining three eggs1 on which she settled herself#cg as complacently as though she had met with no loss1 and there we left her in well-deserved privacy4 ,,two ,,herons ,in this age of death and destruction to all living creatures1 which1 because of their size or edible qualities1 the so-called sportsman is proud to exhibit as evidence of his skill afield1 it is remarkable that there should exist within twenty odd miles of ,new ,york's ,city ,hall a colony of ,herons which would do credit to the most remote swamp of ,florida4 ,three factors have combined to render this rookery possible3 first1 its isolation2 second1 the habits of its occupants2 and third1 the protection which is afforded it by the owner of the land on which it is situated4 ,of these1 the first is by far the most important1 and ,i may be pardoned1 therefore1 if ,i do not betray the birds' secret2 for1 much as ,i desire to encourage ,american industries1 ,i must on this occasion withhold information of undoubted value to the feather trade4 ,the birds' habits contribute toward their preservation1 because they are largely nocturnal1 8,night0 being the specific name applied by the text-books to this particular kind of ,heron2 but to those who know him in nature1 he is generally spoken of as 8,quawk10 this being an excellent rendering of his common call4 ,the ,night ,heron or ,quawk belongs among the birds for whom the setting sun marks the beginning of a new day--a fact which protects him from man and permits his existence in numbers where others of his family are rarely seen4 ,doubtless many of the residents of ,heronville know their feathered neighbors only as a voice from the night1 which comes to them when the birds1 in passing over1 utter their loud and startling call4 ,finally1 to the protecting influences of a love for seclusion and darkness must be added the unusual position assumed by the proprietor of the land1 who will not permit any one to kill the birds1 and1 stranger still1 does not kill them himself6 ,thus it happens that any day in ,may or ,june1 the months during which the ,herons are at home1 one may leave the crowded streets of ,new ,york and within an hour or so enter an equally crowded but quite different kind of town4 ,if after leaving the train you secure the same guide it was my good fortune to have1 your way will lead over shaded roads1 pleasant fields1 and quiet woodland paths1 and1 if the sun is well up in the trees1 you may enter the outskirts of the rookery and be wholly unaware1 unless you approach from the leeward1 that between two and three thousand ,herons are within a few hundred yards of you4 ,one may gain a far better idea of ,heron life1 however1 by visiting the rookery while the foliage is still glistening with dew4 ,then1 from a distance1 a chorus of croaks may be heard from the young birds as they receive what1 in effect1 is their supper4 ,old birds are still returning from fishing trips1 and the froglike monotone of the young is broken by the sudden quawks of their parents4 ,the rookery is in a low part of the woods which evidently is flooded early in the year1 a fact which may have influenced the ,herons in their selection of the locality as a nesting site4 ,at the time of our visit the swamp maples1 in which the nests are placed1 were densely undergrown with ferns1 and as we approached the whitened vegetation1 which clearly marked the limits of the rookery1 a number of ,herons with squawks of alarm left the vicinity of their nests1 and soon the rookery was in an uproar4 ,the common quawk note was often heard1 but many of the calls were distinctly galline in character and conveyed the impression that we had invaded a henroost4 ,the trees in which the nests were placed are very tall and slender1 mere poles some of them1 with a single nest where the branches fork2 while those more heavily limbed had four1 five1#ch and even six of the platforms of sticks1 which with ,herons serve as nests1 but in only a single instance was one nest placed directly below another4 ,a conservative count yielded a total of five hundred and twenty-five nests1 all within a circle about one hundred yards in diameter1 nearly every suitable tree holding one or more1 the lowest being about thirty feet from the ground1 the highest at least eighty feet above it4 ,while the limy deposits and partially digested fish dropped by the birds seemed not to affect the growth of the lower vegetation1 it had a marked influence on certain of the swamp maples1 the development of the trees which held a number of nests being so retarded that1 although it was ,june #acth1 they were as yet only in blossom4#ch ,the comparative absence of foliage permitted one to have a far better view of what was going on above than if the trees had been thickly leaved1 and on entering the rookery our attention was at once attracted by the nearly grown ,herons1 who1 old enough to leave the nest1 had climbed out on the adjoining limbs4 ,there1 silhouetted against the sky1 they crouched in family groups of two1 three1 and four4#ci ,illustration3 #ch4 ,five ,herons' nests in swamp maple1 at an average height of seventy feet4 ,the upper right-hand nest with young shown in ,nos4 #da and #db4 ,illustration3 #ci4 ,a view in the ,heron rookery1 looking upward from the ground to nests and young1 about eighty feet above4 ,other broods1 inhabitants of more thickly leaved trees1 made known their presence above by disgorging a half-digested eel1 which dropped with a thud at our feet and occasionally nearer1 suggesting the advisability of carrying an umbrella4 ,the vegetation beneath the well-populated trees was as white as though it had been liberally daubed with whitewash1 and the ground was strewn with blue-green eggshells neatly broken in two across the middle2 fish1 principally eels1 in various stages of digestion and decay2 and the bodies of young birds who had met with an untimely death by falling from above4 ,it was not altogether a savory place6 ,illustration3 #dj4 ,black-crowned ,night ,herons feeding4 ,telephoto1 #b at a distance of about one hundred and fifty feet4 ,seating ourselves at the base of an unoccupied tree1 we had not long to wait before the normal life of the rookery was resumed4 ,the young1 who while we were observed had been silent1 now began to utter a singular1 froglike kik-kik-kik in chorus1 and the old birds one by one returned4 ,when food was brought an increased outcry was heard from the expectant youngsters about to be fed4 ,at intervals a resounding thump announced the fall of some too eager bird1 but1 in the cases which we investigated1 the ,heron1 if fairly well grown1 seemed to be little the worse for his tumble of from fifty to seventy feet1 and with lowered head ran through the undergrowth with surprising quickness4 ,with those which were younger1 however1 the mortality had evidently been great1 and1 seeing the dozens of dead birds on the ground beneath the nest trees from which they had fallen1 one questioned whether this habit of nesting high in trees had not1 for protective reasons1 been recently acquired by a species the young of which would seem much more at home nearer the ground4 ,illustration3 #da4 ,young ,night ,herons in nest4 ,same as ,no4 #db4 ,it was with a delightful sense of companionship with the birds that ,i observed them going and coming1 feeding their young1 or resting after the night's labors1 wholly undisturbed by my presence4 ,almost ,i seemed to be a guest of the rookery1 and ,i longed for power to interpret the notes and actions of the birds so abundant about me4 ,illustration3 #db4 ,young ,night ,herons leaving nest4 ,nesting tree shown in ,no4 #ch4 ,so ,i should like to have passed the day with them1 becoming for the time being a ,heron myself2 but the desire to picture the birds was stronger than the wish to be a ,heron1 and the situation was considered from the standpoint of the bird photographer4 ,the rookery proved to be a difficult subject4 ,no single view would convey an adequate idea of its appearance1 and ,i therefore selected representative tree tops and photographed their nests and young birds4 ,a visit to a neighboring pond resulted in securing1 with the aid of a telephoto1 a picture#dj of two adult birds feeding well out of gunshot1 and with the assistance of climbers ,i reached the upper branches of a tree some seventy feet in height containing five nests whose contents ranged from eggs to nearly grown young4 ,with the ball-and-socket clamp the camera was fastened to favoring limbs1 and after three hours' work several satisfactory pictures of young in the nest and on the adjoining branches were secured4#da-dc ,although well able to defend themselves1 the young assumed no such threatening attitudes as the ,american ,bittern strikes when alarmed1 from which perhaps we may argue that they are happily ignorant of the dangers which beset their ground-nesting relative4 ,illustration3 #dc4 ,young ,night ,herons on branches near nest1 seventy feet from the ground4 ,as the sun crept upward and the last fishers returned1 the calls of both old and young birds were heard less and less often1 and by ten o'clock night had fallen on the rookery and the birds were all resting quietly4 ,four o'clock in the afternoon was evidently early morning1 and at this hour the birds first began to leave the rookery for their fishing grounds4 ,some went toward the north1 others to the south1 east or west2 each bird no doubt having clearly in mind some favorite shore1 perhaps a dozen miles away1 where he before had had good luck a-fishing2 and of all the varied phases of rookery life the thought of this regular nightly expedition of hundreds of winged fishers1 is to me the most attractive4 ,our largest ,heron as well as our largest bird is the ,great ,blue4 8,crane0 he is popularly called2 but1 aside from other differences1 the bird's habit of folding its neck back on its shoulders1 when on the wing1 will distinguish it from true ,cranes1 who fly with neck extended to the utmost4 ,the ,great ,blue ,heron is not edible1 but its size makes it a desirable prize to most gunners and it is considered an especially fit mark for a rifle4 ,the temptation is strong to condemn as an outlaw the man who kills one of these noble birds for what he terms sport1 or perhaps for the purpose of what he would call having it 8set up40 ,he1 however1 is acting according to his light1 which is quite as bright as that which shines for most of his neighbors4 ,the ,heron is exceedingly wild1 and its capture is eloquent evidence of the hunter's prowess1 while his desire to have its stuffed skin adorn his home is1 from his point of view1 positively commendable4 ,that the bird is infinitely more valuable alive than dead1 that its presence adds an element to the landscape more pleasing to some than could be imparted by any work of man1 and that in depriving others of the privilege of observing its singularly stately grace of pose and motion he is selfish beyond expression1 does not even vaguely occur to this so-called 8sportsman10 who belongs in the class to whom a majestic cliff is a quarry1 a noble tree1 lumber4 ,until he has been educated to properly value the beauties of ,nature1 or at least realize the rights of others in them1 he must be restrained by law1 to the force of which even he is not blind4 ,only the ,great ,blue ,heron's extreme wariness and habit of frequenting shores and marshes where it can command an extended view of its surroundings has preserved it from extinction2 but when nesting it is compelled to visit woodlands where its human enemies have better opportunities to approach it1 and its only chance for safety during the breeding season is to select a retreat remote from the home of man4 ,for this reason ,great ,blue ,heron rookeries are exceedingly uncommon in more settled parts of the bird's range1 and north of ,florida ,i have seen their nests in only one locality4 ,it was the week after my visit to the ,night ,herons that1 in northern ,cayuga ,county1 ,new ,york1 ,i was led by a local ornithologist through one of the heaviest pieces of timber ,i have ever seen north of a primeval tropical forest1 in search of a ,great ,blue ,heron rookery which he knew to exist1 and only my confidence in his woodsmanship gave me courage to follow him over fallen trees and through the season's dense undergrowth1 from which our passage raised such a host of mosquitoes that every step was a battle4 ,if the vicious little insects had lived only to protect the ,herons1 they could not have disputed our progress more valiantly1 and on reaching the birds' stronghold1 where the comparative absence of undergrowth deprived our winged foes of shelter1 ,i congratulated myself on what1 for the moment1 seemed to be no insignificant feat4 ,the eleven nests which my guide had seen on a previous occasion were found occupying their former positions1 at least one hundred feet from the ground in dead trees1 one of which held five of the eleven4 ,during the many years which the birds have nested in the place their number has not varied1 and one wonders what becomes of the from thirty to forty young who doubtless each year leave the parental trees4 ,no other ,herons of this species are known to nest in the vicinity1 and it is not probable that the progeny of each year would seek a nesting site in some far distant rookery2 consequently1 as an alternative explanation1 we can only suppose that the yearly product of the rookery balances its losses by death4 ,the young birds were now nearly half grown1 but1 unlike the ,night ,herons1 they did not venture outside their nests1 from which they uttered harsh croaks in evident supplication to their parents for food4 ,the sight of the trees in which the nests were placed effectually controlled whatever ambitions ,i had entertained toward camera studies at short range1 and ,i contented myself by making telephotos from the ground1 in one of which an adult bird and two nests1 each with a young bird appearing above its edge1 may be seen4#dd ,time was lacking in which to observe these birds1 and the value of my visit to their retreat is not to be expressed in words4 ,the wildness of their home seemed in perfect accord with their nature1 and their apparent safety from intrusion brought a sense of satisfaction which colors my memory of the whole experience4 ,illustration3 #dd4 ,looking upward from ground to nests and young and adult bird of ,great ,blue ,heron at a height of over one hundred feet4 ,telephoto4 ,,where ,,swallows ,,roost ,contributing little to the material wealth of the nation1 the ,hackensack marshes of northern ,new ,jersey are usually regarded as 8waste land40 ,by the farmer they are termed 8salt medders10 and their waving grasses are of value to him only as 8bedding0 for cattle4 ,in winter the muskrat hunter reaps a harvest of pelts there4 ,the down of the 8cat-tails0 is gathered for cushion stuffing1 and the bladed leaves for chair bottoms4 ,to the gunner they are the resort of ,ducks1 ,snipe1 ,rail1 and ,reedbirds1 which each year visit them in decreasing numbers2 while to the thousands who daily pass them on the encircling railroads they are barren and uninteresting4 ,but if beauty is a sufficient cause for being1 then these marshes may claim a right to existence4 ,in preglacial times this region was probably forested1 but now the forest is buried beneath the drift of the glacier which deposited fragments of ,palisade and ,orange ,mountain trap rock on ,staten ,island4 ,during the depression of the land which occurred as the ice gradually receded1 the waters of the sea doubtless passed up here and the meadow was a larger 8,newark ,bay40 ,then commenced their slow filling up by the silt brought down by the ,hackensack ,river4 ,the river has preserved a right of way1 but the bay has given place to a sea of reeds and grasses4 ,illustration3 #de4 ,hackensack marshes in ,august4 ,on a bright ,august morning ,i mount a spur of trap rock which reaches out from the western base of the ,palisades1 and from this elevation have an uninterrupted view over the meadows4 ,the cool1 invigorating air foretells the approach of autumn2 it is brilliantly clear4 ,the ,orange hills stand out with the distinctness of ,western mountains4 ,the sun is at my back1 and the light shows the meadows to the best advantage4 ,at this distance ,i get the effect of only the masses of color2 tracts of yellowish green meadow grass tinged with copper1 and in places thickly sprinkled with the white flowers of the water hemlock and water parsnip2 streaks of light green wild rice1 and sharply defined areas of dark green cat-tail flags4 ,the grass grows on the drier land1 the wild rice in the small sloughs and creeks which are bordered by the flags4 ,in the spring the wind blows the pollen from the cat-tail blossoms1 and a shifting greenish vapor floats over the marsh2 in the autumn a heavy westerly wind raises the seed-bearing down high in the air1 carries it over the ,palisades1 across the ,hudson1 and it descends like a fall of fleecy snow on wondering ,new ,york4 ,the marsh is a vast arena inclosed by the ,palisades and ,passaic hills2 it is a great plain1 with blue stretches of the winding river appearing here and there1 and the haystacks are the huts of aborigines4 ,i half close my eyes1 and it is a copper-yellow sea4 ,the grasses roll in undulating waves1 capped by a white crest of parsnip and hemlock blossoms2 the dark irregular patches of flags are the shadows of clouds1 the light streaks of wild rice are shoals1 a hovering ,marsh ,hawk is a ,gull4 ,a stately white-winged schooner#de comes up the river2 her hull is hidden by the meadow grasses2 she is sailing through the sea of my fancy4 ,this is an impressionist's view of the meadows4 ,now let us leave our rocky lookout and examine them more in detail4 ,the meadow we are leaving is a meadow of all summer2 the one we are approaching is a meadow clad in all the glory of its ,august flowers4 ,one might think ,nature was holding a flower show here1 so gorgeous is the display4 ,the railway track at the edge of the marsh is apparently an endless aisle bordered by a rich exhibit of flowers4 ,clusters of thoroughwort and purple loose-strife grow so abundantly they give color to the foreground1 through which wild sunflowers make streaks of gold4 ,there are solid beds of purple asters on the drier land1 and delicate snow-white saggitarias in the sloughs4 ,jewel flowers sparkle through the flags1 and convolvulus hangs from the reeds1 its own foliage scarce showing1 or1 growing with the fragrant climbing hempweed1 it forms banks of dense vegetation4 ,the scarlet lobelia darts upward like a tongue of flame1 startling in its intense brilliancy4 ,there are burnet1 vervain1 gerardia1 and running groundnut4 ,but it is the marsh#df mallow which1 more than any other flower1 gives beauty to the meadow4 ,it grows here with wasteful luxuriance1 and the dark masses of flags serve as a frame for this floral picture4 ,out in the marsh it grows in equal profusion2 the meadow is hung with small pink lanterns1 as if for a fte4 ,a single flower of the marsh mallow commands the attention of the most unobservant1 and when growing in abundance it excites enthusiastic admiration4 ,illustration3 #df4 ,marsh mallows4 ,nor is the animal life of the marsh less interesting than its flora4 ,meadow mice nest beneath the haycocks4 ,were it not for the minks and ,hawks which prey on them1 they might become a scourge throughout the surrounding country4 ,muskrats are living in peaceful security in their snug summer homes1 hollowed from the banks of the streams4 ,they are the true villagers here1 and pass the winter in icy huts1 like ,eskimos4 ,out in the grasses ,short-eared ,owls are hiding4 ,their day begins when the sun disappears behind the ,orange hills2 then one may hear the 8quawk0 of the ,night ,heron4 ,red-winged ,blackbirds nest here1 and in the autumn they gather in great flocks and feed on the wild rice4 ,illustration3 #dg4 ,wild rice4 ,long-billed ,marsh ,wrens--small1 nervous1 excitable bits of feathered life--are abundant in the flags1 and to them they attach their large woven nests4 ,except for a harsh1 scolding note they are silent now1 but earlier in the year the marsh is musical with their rippling songs4 ,the fervor of the love season overcomes their fondness for the dark recesses of the flags1 and1 singing1 they rise into the air as if driven upward by the mine of melody which explodes within them4 ,swamp ,sparrows are common1 and their clear trill is one of the few ,august songs4 ,bobolinks1 traveling in disguise and under the assumed name of 8,reedbird10 pause here to feed on the ripening wild rice4#dg ,some of them have not yet completed their change of costume and appear in a spotted suit of black and yellow4 ,occasionally one hears a suppressed burst of the 8mad music0 of ,june1 but their common note is a metallic chink4 ,at night this note is heard from high in the air1 as the birds continue their journey to the cultivated rice fields of ,south ,carolina and ,georgia1 there to remain until ,september or ,october1 when they leave for their winter home south of the ,amazon4 ,the ,sora ,rails1 beloved of sportsmen and epicures1 are also attracted to the marshes by the wild rice4 ,on their arrival in early ,august they are indeed 8as thin as a rail10 but an abundance of food soon rounds their bodies into comparative plumpness4 ,the #ast of ,september is a black day in their calendar4 ,then they are outlawed1 a price is set on their bodies1 and at high tide each day during this sad month one sees numerous puffs of smoke arise from the tall grasses and dull reports come booming over the marsh with fateful frequency4 ,but the characteristic birds of the marshes at this season are ,swallows4 ,they outnumber many times all the rest of the marsh birds together--in fact1 are present in such myriads that their gatherings are one of the most interesting and impressive phenomena of the bird life of this region4 ,five species are represented4 ,named in the order of their abundance they are the ,tree1 ,bank1 ,barn1 ,eave1 and ,rough-winged ,swallows4 ,the last are comparatively rare1 while the ,tree ,swallows are so in excess of all the species named that the following remarks relate largely to them alone4 ,although ,tree or ,white-breasted ,swallows nest locally throughout ,north ,america1 from the tableland of ,mexico to ,labrador and ,alaska1 there are but few instances of their breeding in the lower ,hudson ,river valley1 where they appear only as migrants or transient visitants4 ,they arrive from the south early in ,april1 and their northward migration is not concluded until about ,june #ast4 ,during ,june they are rarely seen1 but between the #ast and the #eth of ,july they begin their journey to their winter homes--a movement which inaugurates the fall migration4 ,this stage of their journey takes them only to certain marshes1 which become stations on their line of travel where countless numbers of their kind1 impelled by the flocking impulse1 gather to roost in the reeds4 ,their numbers increase steadily through ,july and ,august1 the maximum of abundance being reached about ,september #ast2 then they gradually become less numerous1 and by ,october #ajth comparatively few remain1 though if the weather be favorable1 they may be observed daily until late in the month4 ,throughout this period--from ,july to ,october--the marsh is used only as a dormitory1 the reeds evidently offering suitable perches to these weak-footed birds1 who in the morning radiate throughout the surrounding country and in the evening return to the marsh to sleep4 ,in the evening they fly low1 and the altitude and time of their flight make them conspicuous4 ,in the morning they fly high1 as though bound to some distant feeding ground1 and at so early an hour that they usually escape observation4 ,the evening flight1 therefore1 is generally considered as truly migratory1 when1 in fact1 the same birds doubtless pass over a given locality night after night1 perhaps for weeks1 in returning to their roosts in the marshes4 ,illustration3 #dh4 8,bird notes0--,tree ,swallows4 ,these evening flights begin about two hours and a half before sunset1 when the birds1 after resting during the late forenoon and early afternoon1 usually on some telegraph wire1#dh begin to wheel and circle over the fields in pursuit of their evening meal1 when one might imagine they were resident birds1 but observation will show that the general trend of their movement is toward the roost4 ,this continues for an hour to an hour and a half1 a cloudy evening hastening their actions1 when their flight becomes more direct4 ,few birds pause to feed1 but hurry on to the roosting places1 and as the light fades the last birds rush through the gloom with arrowy speed and directness4 ,the birds pass in straggling flocks1 and periods of abundance are succeeded by intervals of scarcity1 as though the individuals which had been associated during the day were journeying home together4 ,thus the ,swallow's evening flight may be observed throughout the region surrounding the marshes2 even in ,new ,york city they may be seen feeding above the houses1 and after sunset flocks of swift-flying birds are often confused by the telegraph wires1 which1 however1 their dexterity of wing permits them to pass without serious harm4 ,in the marshes the first birds are seen about two hours before sunset4 ,many follow the course of the river1 and if one be at its border splash after splash is heard as the birds dip lightly into the water1 followed by soft fluffs as arising from the stream they shake their plumage4 ,soon the air is filled with ,swallows1 all streaming toward the roost with increasing swiftness4 ,many birds1 however1 as though waiting for some tardy comrades1 rest by the way1 perching on telegraph wires should they cross the marsh1 or when these are wanting1 on the tips of the reeds4 ,they invariably face the wind1 and when it is from the west the last rays of the sun striking their white breasts make them appear like snowy flowers crowning the reeds4 ,suddenly1 with a rush1 they whirl onward to the roost4 ,thus far the exact location of this roost has defied my search4 ,i have1 however1 roughly defined the bounds of that section of the marsh in which it is placed by observation stands at which the ,swallows flew north and south respectively1 and somewhere between the two ,i still hope to discover the ,swallows' sleeping haunts4 ,the following description of their departure from the marshes in the morning is abstracted from my journal1 under date of ,august #ae1 #ahhf3 8,a cool1 clear morning1 with a light northwesterly wind4 ,i reached the marshes shortly before five o'clock1 when they appeared to be deserted1 not a ,swallow being in sight4 ,at two minutes of five the first birds were observed1 then flock after flock they came until at five the air was filled with hurrying forms1 flying at varying altitudes toward the north4 8,suddenly1 from the meadows near me there arose a vast cloud of ,swallows1 doubtless birds which had come from farther south in the marsh before my arrival4 ,steadily they mounted upward1 until having attained a height where with a strong glass they appeared faint dots against the sky1 they slowly winged their way northward4 8,all the time the meadows were alive with birds feeding in every direction2 gradually they passed to the north1 when another huge flock arose from the marsh1 and after gaining an immense height disappeared1 this time toward the east4 ,illustration3 #di4 ,tree ,swallows in tree4 8,as the sun rose over the ,palisades few birds were on the wing1 but great flocks were perched in the reeds on the banks of the creek1 and as in my canoe ,i drifted slowly up to them1 they seemed unmindful of my presence1 when1 as though at a signal1 they arose as one bird1 and after hovering lightly overhead returned to the reeds4 8,the tide was low1 and along the shore several ,sora ,rail were feeding1 and1 as carried by the tide ,i floated noiselessly by1 they paused in their search for food1 and with tails upraised regarded me with evident astonishment4 ,a mink approached the shores of a small inflowing stream1 hesitated1 then plunged in1 crossed1 and disappeared in the tall grasses on the opposite side4 ,the air was vocal with the calls of ,red-winged ,blackbirds1 the chink of ,bobolinks1 and the rattle of ,swamp ,sparrows4 8,on a reed-grown point below was another great army of ,swallows4 ,with surprising regularity a detachment left it every fifteen minutes2 thus1 birds left at #f1 #f4ae1 #f4cj1 and #f4de1 when the reeds were deserted4 ,the departing birds did not arise alone1 but the entire flock arose at once1 then divided into two flocks1 one of which flew northward while the other returned to the reeds4 ,many of the departing birds alighted on the reeds farther up the creek2 their numbers constantly received additions from the ranks of passing birds1 and thus new flocks were formed4 8,at eight o'clock the last ,swallows had left the reeds in my vicinity1 but birds were constantly passing toward the north1 and this straggling flight continued until nine o'clock1 when again the marshes appeared deserted40 ,subsequent observations have been made largely from a road crossing the marsh1 the telegraph and electric-light wires which border it being the resting place of vast numbers of ,swallows1 both at night and in the morning4 ,particularly do they throng the wires near the creek1 which flows north and south through the marsh1 and which1 it is interesting to observe1 forms a natural highway for the ,swallows as they go to and from their roosts4 ,on the sides of this road are several small maple trees1 to which the ,swallows often resort in such numbers that their foliage trembles as though in a strong breeze1 it not being the birds' object to perch in the trees1 but to flutter among the dew-laden leaves1 and apparently bathe in the moisture they contain1 while between the baths they rest on the smaller terminal twigs1 when they are very difficult to observe4#di ,this habit does not appear to have been previously recorded1 and ,i am by no means certain that the explanation offered is the true one4 ,illustration3 #ej4 ,tree ,swallows on wire and nest hunting about pile4 ,frequently one or more flocks1 varying in size from eight or ten to several hundred birds1 may be seen in the road1 where ,i at first supposed they were 8dusting10 but soon noticed that most of the birds after alighting in the road were motionless4 ,they did not move about as though searching for food1 but occasionally the actions of a pair enabled one apparently to determine the sex of each individual1 and more often a bird would pick up a bit of dried grass and fly up into the air with it4 ,sometimes it was carried fifty yards or more and then dropped2 at others1 the birds would carry it to the telegraph wires above1 and drop it after perching a moment4 ,without exception1 all the birds seen to alight in the road were in the dull1 immature plumage of birds of the year1 and in their actions1 as ,mr4 ,william ,brewster has remarked 7,the ,auk1 #ahih1 p4 #aid71 they evidently gave a premature exhibition of the procreative and nest-building instincts4#ea ,additional evidence of the possession of inherited knowledge was apparently given by many ,tree ,swallows1 who were frequently seen hovering about a pile standing in the creek4#ej ,at first it was supposed that these birds were feeding on insects which had alighted on the pile2 but the number of birds--often a dozen or more--seen fluttering about it1 and the persistency with which they remained there1 forced the conclusion that in a wholly unreasoning way they were looking for a nesting site4 ,swallows are not known to migrate by night1 and1 so far as ,i am aware1 no single ,swallow has ever been found among the thousands of night-flying birds which have perished by striking lighthouses4 ,the ,swallows1 therefore1 when migrating probably leave the marsh during the day1 but in what manner who can say8 ,illustration3 #ea4 ,immature ,tree ,swallows gathering nesting material4 ,several times when crossing the marshes on the cars ,i have observed gatherings of ,swallows which made the immense flocks observed daily in ,august and ,september seem little more than a family of birds4 ,they appeared in the distance like a vast swarm of gnats2 it was as though all the ,swallows in the marsh had collected in one great storm of birds4 ,the significance of this movement ,i have never had the fortune to determine1 but it seems highly probable that it is connected with the inauguration of an actual migration toward the birds' winter quarters4 ,,two ,,days ,,with ,,the ,,terns ,terns are useless for food1 and can not therefore be classed as 8game birds40 ,so far as we know they are of no special economic value4 ,consequently1 when one protests against their practical annihilation for millinery purposes1 he is not infrequently answered3 8,well1 what good are they80 ,the question exposes so absolute a failure to appreciate the bird's exquisite beauty and unexcelled grace--such a discouraging materialism--that one realizes the hopelessness of replying4 ,i confess ,i find it impossible to describe satisfactorily just what the presence of ,terns along our coast means to me4 ,it is not alone their perfection of color1 form1 and movement which appeals to one1 but also the sense of companionship they bring2 and doubtless this feeling is emphasized by the impressive loneliness of the sea1 which makes anything alive doubly welcome4 ,and so the coming of a single one of these beautiful creatures changes the character of the bay or shore4 ,with unfailing pleasure one watches its marvelously easy flight1 its startling darts for its food of small fish1 and when it disappears the scene loses a grateful element of life4 ,a milliner's hunter or fisherman1 however1 might have made a very different reply to the unimaginative individual who asked the value of ,terns4 ,the former would have told him that they were worth about ten cents each for hat trimmings2 the latter would have said that their eggs made excellent omelets2 and each has done his best--the one to lay all ,terns on the altar of ,fashion1 the other to see that none of their eggs escaped the frying pan4 ,in the meantime a number of bird lovers have taken up the battle for the ,terns in their few remaining strongholds1 and the brief history of ,tern destruction and protection is full of suggestive incidents4 ,it was about twenty years ago that ,terns first found favor in woman's eyes1 and during the few succeeding years hundreds of thousands of these birds were killed on the ,atlantic coast for milliners4 ,cobb's ,island1 on the coast of ,virginia1 is credited with having supplied forty thousand in a single season1 and1 as one of the killers recently confessed to me that he knew of fourteen hundred being killed in a day1 the story is doubtless true4 ,their delicate white and pearl-gray feathers were1 of course1 badly blood-stained2 but good and bad1 the skins were washed and then thrown into a barrel of plaster1 which was rolled up and down the beach until the moisture was absorbed from their plumage4 ,a ,long ,island taxidermist used a patent churn for this purpose4 ,the destruction at other favorable points was proportionately great1 and in two or three years one looked in vain for the ,terns which had previously so enlivened our shores4 ,the protection afforded by an insular existence was now given a practical and striking illustration4 ,the ,terns which nested on the mainland or nearlying sand bars were soon extirpated1 but on certain less accessible1 uninhabited islets1 they still survived4 ,thus all that were left of countless numbers of these birds which once inhabited the shores of ,long ,island were to be found on the ,great ,gull ,island1 while ,muskeget and ,penikese1 off the ,massachusetts coast1 contained the only large colonies of ,terns from ,long ,island to ,maine4 ,the existence of the ,gull ,island colony being threatened by collectors1 the influence of several bird lovers secured the appointment of the keeper of the lighthouse on the neighboring islet1 ,little ,gull1 as a special game warden to enforce the previously useless laws supposed to protect the ,terns4 ,the result was both encouraging and instructive4 ,in two years it is estimated that the colony increased from two thousand to four thousand1 and it was hoped that it might prove a nucleus from which the adjoining shores would eventually be restocked with ,terns4 ,but the ,government at ,washington selected ,great ,gull ,island as a desirable point for fortifications1 and before even this suggestion of war the poor ,terns disappeared4 ,for one season the laborers employed by the ,government feasted on ,terns' eggs2 then the gradual occupancy of the eighteen acres composing the islet forced the birds to seek homes elsewhere4 ,hence it follows that if one would see ,terns in numbers on the middle ,atlantic coast to-day1 he must journey to two small islets off ,massachusetts1 which thus far have afforded them a refuge4 ,interesting it is to recall that on ,martha's ,vineyard1 lying between the two1 are found the only living representatives of the ,heath ,hen1 or ,eastern ,prairie ,hen1 which was once locally abundant in certain parts of the ,eastern and ,middle ,states4 ,in #ahhi ,i visited the ,terns of ,great ,gull ,island1 and a desire to be again surrounded by these birds1 and perhaps secure photographs of them and their way of living1 brought me on ,july #af1 #ahii1 to ,wood's ,holl1 ,massachusetts1 en route to whichever ,tern headquarters it might prove most convenient to reach4 ,quite unexpectedly there proved to be a small colony of ,common and ,roseate ,terns on three islets1 known as the ,weepeckets1 standing in ,buzzard's ,bay1 near the entrance to ,wood's ,holl4 ,in all1 there were probably between three and four hundred birds1 of which by far the greater number appeared to be domiciled on the largest of the three islands4 ,this contains from ten to twelve acres of sand1 grown with beach grass1 scrub sumach1 bayberries1 and a few stunted pines about two feet in height4 ,on this apparently uninviting bit of land ,i passed two delightful days alone with the ,terns4 ,the accompanying photographs tell far more of the birds than pen can well express1 but they convey no suggestion of the pleasure ,i experienced in again finding myself among them4 ,illustration3 #eb4 ,nesting site1 nest1 and three eggs of ,common ,tern4 ,a nearer view of nest with sitting bird is shown in ,nos4 #fc and #fd4 ,the birds were nesting on the upland1 on the sloping grass bank1 on the northwest side of the island1 and on the rocky beach#eb at its base4 ,in the two first-named locations most of the nests were lined with grasses1 but occasionally they consisted of only a slight1 bared depression in the earth2 while the eggs along the beach were1 as a rule1 deposited on wisps or piles of driftweed4 ,there were perhaps six or eight ,roseate ,terns1 the others were apparently all ,common ,terns1 but as ,i am unfamiliar with the very similar ,arctic ,tern1 it is possible that this species may have been present4 ,illustration3 #ec4 ,tern hovering above nest4 ,a ,tern colony is in some respects a unit4 ,the alarm of one bird is shared by all1 and before the boat's keel grated on the sandy beach of the largest ,weepecket1 the snowy-breasted birds1 which in a group were resting there1 had taken flight1 and with their singular call told all the other ,terns on the island of my invasion4 ,at once the birds gathered and1 hanging in a flock overhead1 protested most vigorously against my intrusion with their purring1 vibrant te-a-r-r-r4 ,this cry never ceases so long as one remains near their home2 it rings in the ears for days afterward1 and one need only to recall it to form a clear mental picture of a sky full of hovering ,terns4 ,occasionally this monotone was punctuated by a loud1 reedy cack as a ,roseate ,tern dashed by1 or as some half-distracted bird1 whose nest was doubtless near1 screaming1 dived close to my head with a sudden1 startling swish4 ,it seemed almost as though the bird would pierce me with its sharply pointed bill2 and if it could have managed to go through the rim of my hat without damage to either of us1 ,i should have been very glad to have sacrificed that article of apparel to such an exhibition of bravery4 ,illustration3 #ed4 ,nest and eggs of ,tern on upland4 ,as ,i advanced ,i began to discover nests4 ,some were on the upland1 snugly placed in the grass or near a large stone1#ed and with pretty surroundings of yarrow1 sumach1 or bending grasses2 others were on the little shelves of the steep westerly bank of the islet2 and others still on bits of seaweed among the pebbles and rocks which here formed the beach4#ee ,no attempt was made to take advantage of the concealment offered by the groups of bowlders scattered along the beach1 and beneath which the birds might have hidden effectively1 it being presumably their object to select a site from which they could readily detect any cause for alarm4 ,as a rule1 their nests contained one or two eggs1 only a single nest being seen with three4 ,although by this time birds of the year should have been on the wing1 few young of any age were seen--a condition which was doubtless explained by the fact that the birds1 thus far1 had been too much occupied furnishing the members of boating parties with souvenirs of their day's outing1 to give attention to their own household affairs4 ,illustration3 #ee4 ,tern's nest and eggs in drift dbris4 ,however1 the few young that were seen gave a most interesting exhibition of their instinctive appreciation of the value of both their protective colors and the power of their legs4 ,as long as they believed themselves unobserved they trusted in the former2 but the moment they became convinced that a further attempt at concealment was useless1 they transferred their faith to their pedal extremities1 on which they pattered off as far and as fast as their strength permitted4 ,this observation was verified later on ,penikese1#eg where young were numerous1 and the habit was well shown by the young bird figured4#ef ,he was discovered squatting among the rocks1 where he remained1 practically at my feet1 while ,i set up my tripod and deliberately made his picture--during which operation so inconspicuous was he that ,i invariably had to hunt for him each time ,i removed my eyes from the exact spot in which he was crouching4 ,wishing now to show him to better advantage1 he was picked up and placed on a wisp of driftweed4 ,at once his manner changed4 ,my touch had broken the spell2 what could be felt could be seen1 and1 whereas before he had been as motionless as the pebbles about him1#eg his one object now was to get out of sight as speedily as possible4 ,consequently1 time after time1 the moment ,i took my hand from him he was off1 and it was only by squeezing the bulb the moment he was released that ,i succeeded finally in securing his picture on the seaweed4 ,illustration3 #ef4 ,young ,tern hiding on rocky beach4 ,young ,terns1 apparently1 spend at least two days in the nest1 during which time they are brooded by the parents2 then they wander about within a limited space seeking the shade of a stone or bit of driftwood1 always of course under the parental care4 ,at ,penikese1 young of the year were seen on the wing1 and the series of pictures shown represents the stages of growth from the egg to the age at which the bird takes flight4 ,illustration3 #eg4 ,young ,tern hiding in the grass4 ,both the nature of the bird's haunts and the manner in which the members of a colony spread an alarm make it practically impossible to surprise a ,tern upon its nest4 ,but by lying prone upon the ground one attracts far less attention than when standing4 ,the hovering flock of birds gradually disperses1 and those which are incubating soon return to the vicinity of their nests1 hanging over them and dropping nearer and nearer1#ec until at the end of fifteen or twenty minutes they swoop down beside them1 raise their wings high over their backs1 then fold them gently and settle upon their eggs4#eh ,on a second visit to the island a bit of old sail was brought1 which ,i drew over me when lying on the ground--a plan resulting in my practical disappearance1 as far as the ,terns were concerned4 ,illustration3 #eh4 ,tern alighting on nest4 ,same nest as ,nos4 #fj-fb4 ,obviously the only manner in which photographs of the ,terns on their nests could be secured was to conceal one's camera near the nest and retire1 with a tube or thread1 to a distance of a hundred feet or more4 ,a nest was therefore selected about halfway up the bank on the westerly side of the island1 the camera staked to the ground with long iron pins1 and completely covered with the dried seaweed abundant on the beach below4 ,i then attached a black linen thread to the shutter and retired about one hundred feet to the top of the bank4 ,almost as soon as ,i lay down the tumult overhead ceased1 the birds scattered1 and the rasping te-a-r-r-r note of alarm was replaced by a variety of calls1 showing these birds to be possessed of an unexpectedly extended vocabulary4 ,one call was a chirp not unlike the ,white-throated ,sparrow's1 a second might be written tue1 tue1 tue1 and was uttered when one bird was in pursuit of another4 ,illustration3 #ei4 ,tern on hillside nest4 ,the seaweed not only concealed the camera perfectly1 but was so abundant near the bird's nest that the appearance of a fresh mound apparently did not even excite the bird's curiosity1 and within twenty minutes it had returned to its eggs4 ,it happened1 however1 that the nature of the site chosen induced the bird to face the water1 and as the camera was above1 and consequently behind it1 the view presented did not show it to advantage1 but after several unsuccessful trials the attempt to secure a more flattering view was abandoned4#ei ,a bird was now chosen who was incubating two eggs placed in a depression in a little mound of seaweed on the beach4 ,on this occasion the camera was placed on a driftwood box1 weighted with stones1 and completely covered with seaweed4 ,these eggs were hatching1 and the bird soon returned to them2 but before it had come back1 another bird in darting by had flown into the thread1 springing the shutter1 and making the picture#fj of the nest and eggs here given quite as effectively as many a similarly inexperienced photographer could have done4 ,illustration3 #fj4 ,tern's nest and hatching eggs in seaweed4 ,the day but one following--,july #bjth--these eggshells had disappeared1 and the nest was occupied by two young birds with just enough strength to crawl toward the parent bird when it appeared with food4#fa ,and when their appetites were appeased the parent bird took her place on the nest and brooded them with the care of an anxious hen4#fb ,a few yards from this new family were two young who could not have been over four days old1 but who had left the nest for the shade of a piece of driftwood4 ,here they were fed by two birds--doubtless both parents--whom they seemed to recognize among the other ,terns hovering above them4 ,they were apparently fed on small fish1 which the parent bird placed in their open mouths while standing just within reaching distance4 ,none of the several pictures of these birds were wholly successful1 but in all of them the old birds seem to be much more graceful in form than the parent of the newly hatched young in the seaweed4 ,illustration3 #fa4 ,tern about to feed young4 ,same nest as ,no4 #fj4 ,a less experienced ,tern had placed its nest of a few bits of seaweed among the pebbles1 almost within reach of the waves4 ,this bird was singularly restless1 turning its head from side to side so constantly that its picture was secured only by pulling the long thread the moment after the bird moved4#fc1 #fd ,like all the birds photographed on the nest1 it showed no alarm at the click of the shutter as the exposure was made4 ,this surprised me not a little4 ,the camera was usually about three feet from the bird1 the exposure was necessarily rapid 7 second and stop #h71 the snap of the old-style 8,henry ,clay10 used on the first day1 or even of the less loud ,iris diaphragm1 could be plainly heard at a distance of several yards1 and its failure to startle these nervous1 easily frightened birds makes one suspect that their hearing is deficient4 ,illustration3 #fb4 ,tern brooding young4 ,same nest as ,no4 #fj4 ,the nests of the ,terns that chose the upland for a home were often picturesquely surrounded by stunted sumach or blooming yarrow1 but the birds here were far less easy to photograph because of the difficulty of thoroughly concealing one's camera4 ,the owner of an especially pleasing nesting site kept me beneath my bit of sail for somewhat over two hours1 while she--if it was she--hung in the air just over her eggs1 on which ,i momentarily expected to see her settle4#fe ,illustration3 #fc4 ,tern on nest4 ,site shown in ,no4 #eb4 ,illustration3 #fd4 ,tern on nest4 ,site shown in ,no4 #eb4 ,in the meantime the tide had arisen and floated my boat1 which was carried by the wind across to ,naushon1 and ,i might have passed the night with the ,terns1 had not the ,fish ,commissioner's launch taken me off in the afternoon4 ,it would not have been an unwelcome experience4 ,there was an abundance of dry seaweed for a couch--a nest1 ,i had almost said--and some cavernlike openings beneath the piles of great bowlders had a very snug and cozy look1 which probably would have disappeared shortly after sunset4 ,illustration3 #fe4 ,tern on upland nest4 ,two days later ,i went to ,penikese1 and my dominant thought on recalling the experience is an intense desire to repeat it4 ,penikese1 or at least its northern part1 is an island of ,terns4 ,on the rocky beach1 from which the sides of the bank lead to the rolling upland above1 whichever way ,i looked was a ,tern's nest with its two1 or1 rarely1 three eggs4 ,less frequently young ,terns were seen1 varying in age from those just emerging from the shell to others almost ready to fly1 while overhead was a countless multitude of hovering1 darting ,terns1 whose voices united in one continuous1 grating te-a-r-r-r made the air tremble4 ,there was an occasional vibrant cack from a ,roseate1 but not more than a dozen birds of this species were heard4 ,asked to estimate the number of birds present ,i should have said ten thousand1 though ,i should not have been surprised to learn that there were twenty thousand4 ,however1 ,mr4 ,george ,h4 ,mackay1 of ,nantucket1 who may be regarded as a ,tern specialist1 placed the number of ,terns on ,penikese1 in #ahif1 at 8six or seven thousand10 and with the assistance of ,mr4 ,r4 ,h4 ,howe1 ,jr41 counted #a1daf nests containing #b1jee eggs 7,auk1 xiv1 #ahig1 p4 #bhc74 ,illustration3 #ff4 ,young ,terns2 first stage1 about four days old4 ,a small flock of sheep shared this part of the island with the ,terns1 and their presence accounted for the short grass which made the upland resemble a closely cut lawn1 and permitted one readily to see the ,tern's eggs when several yards distant4 ,for the same reason the birds could be seen even more plainly1 and my most pleasing memory of ,penikese is the greensward dotted with the white forms of breeding birds1 who had returned to their nests after ,i had partially concealed myself behind a bowlder4 ,illustration3 #fg4 ,young ,tern1 about a week old4 ,illustration3 #fh4 ,young ,tern2 third stage1 second plumage appearing4 ,in or near the nests many dead young birds were seen4 ,the cause of their death was not evident1 unless it may be attributed to the unguarded footsteps of the grazing sheep4 ,if this be true1 the parent birds seemed in no way to resent the sheep's carelessness1 but accepted their presence without protest2 one bird even exhibited a sign of good fellowship by perching on a sheep's back1 and the length of time it remained there showed that it was by no means an unwelcome visitor4 ,illustration3 #fi4 ,young ,tern1 fourth stage4 ,my time on ,penikese was too short to more than show what an admirable opportunity is here offered the ornithologist who desires to make a close study of the home life and social relations of ,terns4 ,the present owners of the island1 the ,messrs4 ,homer1 of ,new ,bedford1 take a greatly to be commended interest in the welfare of their feathered tenants1 and1 through posters and the agency of their representative on the island1 aim to afford the birds a much-needed protection4 ,what an enviable possession6 ,what a privilege to be able to give a refuge to so large a proportion of the remaining survivors of these persecuted birds6 ,illustration3 #gj4 ,young ,tern1 stage before flight4 ,with no desire to underrate the services to the ,commonwealth of these gentlemen1 ,i still could wish the ,terns more stable protectors4 ,not the ,state1 whose record as a ,tern protector does not invite our confidence1 but a society of bird lovers--the ,nuttall ,club of ,cambridge1 or the ,audubon ,society of ,massachusetts4 ,would it not be a fitting act for one of these organizations to ask from woman1 the ,tern's chief enemy1 contributions to a fund for the purchase of an asylum for her victims4 ,can no one so plead the ,terns' cause that many a feather-bedecked woman will be glad to send her conscience money to aid in securing their protection8 ,but in addition to being a home of the birds1 ,penikese has other claims upon ,nature lovers4 ,here ,agassiz1 through the medium of his summer school1 brought his pupils into direct contact with ,nature1 and the scene of his labors is fraught with associations to every one familiar with the inspiring history of his life4 ,let us keep this island sacred to his memory and the ,terns4 ,,the ,,bird ,,rocks ,,of ,,the ,,gulf ,,of ,,st4 ,,lawrence ,,perc ,,and ,,bonaventure ,the naturalist realizes with the utmost sadness that the encroachments of civilization are rapidly changing the conditions of animal life on this small sphere of ours1 and that soon he may find ,nature primeval only in its more remote or inaccessible parts4 ,forest life vanishes with the demand for timber1 which sends the axeman in advance of the agriculturist4 ,the tillable plains1 prairies1 and bottom lands are transformed by the plow4 ,the sandy beaches suffer with an eruption of summer hotels and cottages1 and within the confines of civilization only such useless portions of the earth's surface as the arid deserts and barren mountain tops1 marshy wastes and rocky or far-distant islets1 have been unaltered by man4 ,it is especially to the preserving influences of island life that we owe the continued survival of many animals which have greatly decreased or become exterminated on the mainland1 as has been remarked of the ,terns and ,heath ,hen--two illustrations among hundreds that might be given4 ,certain animals1 therefore1 are not only more abundant on islands1 but1 if their home be not shared by man1 they exhibit a tameness surprising to one who has known only the timid1 man-fearing creatures of the mainland4 ,on several uninhabited ,west ,indian islets the sailors of ,columbus killed ,pigeons and other birds with sticks1 or caught them in their hands4 ,darwin writes of the 8extreme tameness0 of the birds of the ,galapagos1 and tells of pushing a ,hawk off its perch with the muzzle of his gun4 ,moseley1 on ,inaccessible and ,kerguelen ,islands1 had similar experiences4 ,the ,albatrosses of the ,laysan ,islands show far less fear of man than do barnyard fowls--in short1 if it were necessary1 hundreds of instances might be cited to show that distrust of man is an acquired and not a natural trait of animals4 ,having these facts in mind1 therefore1 ,i bethought me of some island or islands which were neither at the antipodes nor either pole1 and where birds were not only abundant1 but in such happy ignorance of man that no difficulty would be experienced in securing their photographs4 ,these would not only have a present interest and value1 but would also form permanent records of conditions already threatened by the destructive tendencies of the age4 ,after carefully considering all the more easily reached islets of the ,atlantic and ,pacific coasts1 my choice fell on certain of the bird rocks of the ,gulf of ,st4 ,lawrence4 ,the name bird rock is used in both a general and a special sense4 ,in the former it may be applied to many of the rocky islets of the gulf1 in the latter it relates exclusively to the ,bird ,rocks at the northeastern end of the ,magdalen group4 ,perc ,rock1 ,bonaventure ,island1 the ,magdalens1 and the ,bird ,rocks themselves seemed to offer the best opportunities to the bird photographer1 and1 accompanied by my best assistant1 ,i departed for the first named on ,july #b1 #ahih4 ,perc ,rock#ga 7so named because its base has been pierced by the action of the waves7 lies about three hundred feet off the land at the town of ,perc1 on the west side of the ,gulf of ,st4 ,lawrence4 ,a semiweekly steamer from ,dalhousie1 near the head of ,bay of ,chaleur1 furnishes the regular means of communication with ,perc1 and the town at once possesses a distinction over any place on the line of a railway4 ,for1 aside from every other reason1 there is a pervasiveness about the smoke of a railway locomotive which contaminates the atmosphere and robs local influences of half their potency4 ,doubtless there are persons who would be glad to change the aroma of ,perc's fishyards for the stifling air of a railway tunnel1 but give me the pungent odor of ,perc's drying cod unadulterated4 ,even the steamer does not touch ,perc1 and we were landed by a boat in a sea just rough enough to make the experience interesting4 ,at the pier no hotel agent greeted us1 for ,perc possesses neither hotel nor boarding house1 and summer resorters are almost unknown4 ,this was a delightful discovery4 ,we had come in search of an isolated colony of birds1 and we found also an isolated colony of man--quaint fisher folk whose patois ,french had a gratefully foreign sound4 ,illustration3 #ga4 ,perc ,rock from the north4 ,lodgings were secured at the home of a retired fisherman1 and immediately we sallied forth to pay tribute to the ,rock from the nearest point on the mainland4 ,its size and precipitousness were both surprising and impressive4 ,seen from the land it seemed like the hull of some great ship which had gone ashore here in the age of the ,titans4 ,nearly three hundred feet high at the bow1 with a beam of about one hundred1 and a length over all of twelve hundred feet1 it was not likely to be boarded by the most nimble seaman4 ,doubtless an expert climber1 properly equipped with ropes and assistants1 might reach the summit2 but as the last man to make the attempt1 some fifty years ago1 lost his life1 the town authorities have imposed a fine of five pounds on any one who shall be found guilty of scaling or trying to scale the ,rock1 and the law1 incidentally1 protects the birds as well as man4 ,the top of the ,rock is occupied by a colony of probably between two and three thousand ,herring ,gulls and ,double-crested ,cormorants4 ,the guidebooks array these birds in picturesque cohorts which make the ,cormorants' part of the ,rock black1 the ,gulls' white2 and they further state that should a black bird chance to trespass on the ,gulls' territory1 he is immediately surrounded by a consuming white cloud1 and vice versa4 ,but be it said to the disgrace of man and the credit of birds1 that the ,cormorants and ,gulls nest side by side apparently on terms of the greatest amity4 ,at this point it should be stated that my photographic outfit consisted of an ancient but useful #d #e 8,waterbury ,detective10 containing a wide angle1 short-focus lens1 and designed for general handwork2 a #d #e long-focus 8,premo0 with a #f-;inch trade lens and ,unicum shutter1 for use from a tripod or in photographing nests1 landscapes1 etc41 and a #e #g twin lens with a #aj-;inch lens and ,prosch shutter1 a camera made especially for animal photography1 but which was undesirably bulky4 ,none of these was of service in photographing the inhabitants of ,perc ,rock from the land1 nor could a telephoto be used to advantage1 the ,rock being so much higher than the adjoining mainland4 ,from a boat near the base of the southeast side of the ,rock a better opportunity is afforded for photographing its summit1 and the best of several attempts made at this point is here presented4#gb ,examined under a glass it conveys some idea of the number of birds occupying the top of the ,rock2 and while one regrets that the camera does so little justice to the subject1 one can not but rejoice that here1 at least1 is one place to which probably for all time birds may return each year and rear their young in perfect security4 ,in crevices in the face of the ,rock numbers of ,guillemots nest1 and directly above the pierced opening dwell a colony of about thirty ,kittiwakes1 who have apparently taken up their residence in the ,rock within comparatively recent years1 since none were here in #ahha when ,mr4 ,william ,brewster visited ,perc4 ,illustration3 #gb4 ,perc ,rock from southeast end4 ,the ,cormorants and ,gulls may be dimly seen on the summit of the ,rock4 ,wherever one be about ,perc1 in the town or out1 the ,rock is the prominent feature of the coast line4 ,it dominates its surroundings as a snowcapped mountain rules its dependent ranges4 ,to the bird lover it possesses a double fascination1 and one is constantly attracted by the ceaseless cries of the throng of hovering birds1 who in some indescribable way seem to invest their home with a sense of the charm1 the freedom1 the wildness of a sea-bird's life4 ,it is a true bird rock2 man has no part in it4 ,at sunset this bond between the ,rock and its inhabitants seemed especially strong and real4 ,through a notch in the western hills the last rays of the sun fell squarely upon the ,rock1 illuminating it and the ever-present soaring ,gulls after the land and the sea were in shadow4 ,slowly the light left the ,rock1 until it1 too1 was of the same gray-blue as its surroundings2 then1 like the beams from a searchlight1 it struck the circling mass of ,gulls1 making them seem a flurry of snowflakes descending into the gloom below4 ,the pilgrim to ,perc ,rock will find that the object of his journey not only exceeds in grandeur his brightest imagination of it1 but he will be further rewarded by discovering ,perc itself and the country round about to be of exceptional interest and beauty4 ,it was the season of codfishing1 and every morning a fleet of a hundred or more stanch little boats1 each with two men1 put out into the bay for a day's fishing4 ,their return1 late in the afternoon1 was an eventful part of the day4 ,then the beach was the center of attraction as boat after boat came in1 the men depositing their catch on the sands1 then setting up their tables and 8splitting0 the cod with surprising dexterity4#gc ,illustration3 #gc4 ,splitting cod on ,perc beach4 ,perc ,rock in the distance4 ,this industry resulted in a singular habit among the ,herring ,gulls1 which1 when first seen1 ,i was at a loss to explain4 ,in a cultivated hillside bordering the town a flock of about fifty ,gulls was observed eagerly devouring some food1 which was apparently abundant4 8,grasshoppers10 ,i thought1 but on investigation the grasshoppers proved to be entrails1 heads1 vertebr1 etc41 of codfish1 which had been strewn over the fields as fertilizer4 ,the ,gulls took wing at my approach1 and perched in long rows on the fences2 a curious sight1 of which ,i tried1 but failed1 to secure a picture4 ,it was through these fields1 and along the crests of the red sandstone cliffs northwest of the town1 that my walks oftenest led me4 ,a few ,herring ,gulls nested on the ledges1 and ,mr4 ,kearton might have succeeded in securing the photographs of them4 ,but ,i freely confess to an absence of both taste and talent as a cliffman1 and was quite content1 under the circumstances1 to view the birds from above4 ,they1 however1 had no scruples about approaching me1 and uttering a threatening ka-ka-ka1 which suggested the voice of a gigantic katydid1 circled about my head or1 with an alarming swish1 swooped down so near me that ,i invariably was surprised into 8ducking40 ,here also were croaking ,ravens1 who seemed by no means shy1 and on nearly every fence post was a ,savanna ,sparrow1 by all odds the most abundant land bird observed4 ,illustration3 #gd4 ,young ,savanna ,sparrow4 ,turning from the cliffs1 one soon reached the spruce and balsam forests1 with their twittering ,juncos1 sweet-voiced ,white-throated ,sparrows1 ,pine ,finches1 and numerous ,warblers1 and following the gently ascending lanes and pathways leading through the fragrant woods1 arrived at the shrine-crowned summit of ,mount ,st4 ,anne1 twelve hundred feet above the gulf4 ,it is a superb view of boundless sea and forest which greets one from this vantage point--a striking combination of the charms of land and water4 ,to the south1 the ,bay ,chaleur with its broken coast line2 to the west1 a grand panorama of mountain and valley1 all densely wooded--the home of bear1 and deer1 and caribou2 to the north1 a foreground of red cliffs and blue water1 and1 in the distance1 ,gasp2 to the east1 the apparently limitless gulf and1 seemingly beneath one1 ,bonaventure ,island1 ,perc1 and the ,rock4 ,it was a view to remember2 one1 ,i trust1 ,i may be privileged to behold again4 ,i longed for time to explore the surrounding woods1 but ,bonaventure with its ,gannets wielded a stronger fascination1 and two days after our arrival we chartered a cod boat1 with its crew1 for the voyage to the ,gannet rookeries on the eastern side of ,bonaventure1 distant about four miles4 ,the evident great strength of our craft in proportion to its size made it seem like a stunted vessel1 and her captain and the crew1 of one man1 seemed built on the same lines4 ,during the winter they were lumbermen in the region north of ,ottawa1 in the summer codfishers4 ,it is doubtful if they could have selected occupations requiring greater endurance4 ,they seemed as tough as rawhide1 and as rough as pirates4 ,my good assistant they invariably spoke of as 8the woman10 but both proved true men at heart1 and as solicitous for our welfare as though their own lives of exposure had not trained them to laugh at hardship4 ,i may seem to give undue attention to the boatmen of a day2 but there are days and days in our lives1 and with neither my companion nor myself will time dim the memory of the day off ,bonaventure4 ,there had been a heavy blow from the east the night before1 the tide was ebbing1 and ere we had passed the ,rock1 and while still under the lee of ,bonaventure1 our boat began to toss in a very disquieting manner4 ,as we rounded the southwest end of ,bonaventure we were more exposed to the action of the waves1 but my physical balance was sustained by the anticipation of seeing 8two1 tree million of bird10 which the men declared would soon be visible on the cliffs4 ,the farther we advanced the less shelter had we from the land1 and finally1 passing the northwest end of the island1 we were at the mercy of the full force of a long rolling sea1 which made it impossible to stand1 or even sit1 without clinging to one's surroundings4 ,at this point1 ,i believe1 the promise of the most wonderful sight in the bird world would not have induced me to continue on our course another minute2 but fortunately no promise was required1 the sight itself existed1 and under its inspiration ,i battled with weak nature for the next half hour with a courage born of enthusiasm and a desire to picture the wonders of the scene before me4 ,illustration3 #ge4 ,the ,gannet cliffs of ,bonaventure4 ,on the ledges of the red sandstone cliffs1 which rose sheer three hundred feet above the waves at their base1 was row after row of snow-white ,gannets on their nests4#ge ,their number was incredible1 and as we coasted slowly onward1 the red walls above us were streaked with white as far as one could see in either direction1 and the hoarse cries of the birds rose in chorus above the sound of the beating waves4 ,it was a wild picture1 which the majesty of the cliffs and the grandeur of the sea rendered exceedingly impressive4 ,how ,i longed for the internal composure of my boatmen6 ,one moment ,i bowed to the waves1 the next propped myself against the mast and1 held by the captain1 attempted to use the twin-lens camera4 ,water1 cliff1 and sky danced across the ground glass in bewildering succession1 as1 like a wing-shot1 ,i squeezed my pneumatic bulb and snapped at the jumping sky line4 ,one or two exposures were followed by collapse1 and in time by partial recuperation1 which permitted fresh efforts4 ,in the picture presented the cliff is well shown1 but the birds are not so numerous as in others less successful photographically4 ,and during this time how fared my assistant8 ,charity forbids a reply4 ,i will only say that1 in response to a hail from a passing fisherman1 our captain shouted1 8,son malade60 ,the supply of #e #g plates exhausted1 we came about1 and sailing before the wind quickly reached the leeward side of the island1 where1 under the reviving influence of calmer water1 we determined to revisit the ,gannets1 this time1 however1 by land4 ,disembarking at the fishing village1 which is situated on the west side of ,bonaventure1 we were soon in the spruce and balsam forests1 which occupy all but the borders of the island1 here about a mile and a half in width4 ,the change from the turmoil and vastness of the sea to the quiet and seclusion of the forest made the previous hour's experience seem distant and unreal4 ,the wind which had roared through our rigging now breathed peacefully through the tree tops2 the heaving1 frothy sea was replaced by stable earth1 wondrously carpeted with snow-white cornel and dainty twin-flowers2#gf instead of the harsh cries of the ,gannets1 we heard the ,ave ,maria of the ,white-throated ,sparrow4 ,rarely have the woods seemed so beautiful4 ,approaching the eastern cliffs1 the trees became dwarfed and singularly malformed by the winds4 ,finally they disappeared altogether1 and were succeeded by fields blue with iris4 ,never have ,i seen this plant so abundant4 ,there were acres of flowers reaching to the very edge of the cliffs1 where1 with only a change in the tint1 the blue of the iris faded into the blue of the sea4 ,illustration3 #gf4 ,cornel or bunchberry4 ,we were now nearing the ,gannets2 desiring to secure a picture of a fully occupied ledge1 ,i urged due caution1 and advanced quietly to the edge of the cliff4 ,the point was well chosen--almost directly beneath us1 and about halfway down to the sea1 there being a broad1 rocky shelf so thickly dotted with nesting ,gannets that every bird in the group was within reach of his immediately surrounding fellows4#gg ,it was an astonishing picture of bird life1 but only a fragment of what we had beheld from the sea4 ,under the circumstances1 however1 this fragment brought more satisfaction than had been before received from the entire ,gannet colony4 ,the #d #e 8,premo0 was now erected1 care being taken to make no move which would alarm the birds1 and several exposures were made at leisure4 ,then changing the lens to an old 8,henry ,clay10 and attaching several elastics to the shutter1 ,i prepared to make a flight picture of the birds as1 at the report of my gun1 they left their nests4 ,all ready1 ,i took firm hold of the bulb and gave the word to the captain to fire4 ,the result may fairly be called a failure4 ,as far as we could determine1 the birds gave no evidence of hearing the shot or the others which followed1 and our best efforts did not succeed in making a single ,gannet leave its nest4 ,like ,darwin's ,hawk and ,moseley's ,penguins1 these birds seemed happily ignorant of man and his ways4 ,one could doubtless descend to their ledge without causing them to leave it4 ,illustration3 #gg4 ,a ledge of nesting ,gannets4 ,about four hundred birds are shown in this picture4 ,it is conceivable that the wearing of ,gannets' heads1 or feet1 or wings may some day become fashionable1 but unless the demand be urgent and the price sufficient to tempt men to risk their lives1 the ,gannets will long continue to nest on the cliffs of ,bonaventure4 ,,the ,,magdalens ,from ,perc to the ,magdalens by sea is about a hundred and twenty miles1 but lacking a proper vessel we were forced to return to ,dalhousie and there take the ,international ,railroad to ,pictou1 where a weekly steamer leaves for ,prince ,edward ,island and the 8,madalenes10 as the natives call them4 ,the journey is possessed of both present and historic interest1 and the hospitality for which the residents of ,pictou are noted assures one of a pleasant stay in their picturesque little town4 ,here ,i met a veteran ornithologist--,james ,mc,kinlay--who1 although over threescore and ten and isolated from others of kindred tastes1 still possesses the enthusiasm of the genuine naturalist4 ,his collection1 the greater part of which he has presented to the ,pictou ,academy1 contains1 among other birds1 a ,brown ,pelican1 a ,corncrake1 and a ,chuck-will's-widow--all shot in the vicinity4 ,the ,magdalen steamer is neither a yacht nor an ocean greyhound1 but answers very well for the short voyage of a hundred and fifty miles across the gulf4 ,pictou was left at noon1 and the following morning we awakened to find the steamer at anchor off an island with red sandstone cliffs1 and green fields rising gently into hills clad with stunted spruce forests4 ,this was at the southern end of the long sand bar which joins these so-called islands2 and our destination1 ,grand ,entry1 near the northern end of the chain1 was reached late in the afternoon4 ,at this point we embarked in a small sailboat1 and in a driving rainstorm flew before the wind across a bay two miles in width1 and up an arm a mile or so in length1 to the settlement of ,grosse ,isle1 on the island of the same name4 ,the tide was out2 ,black-backed ,gulls were feeding on the flats1 and ,gannets fishing in the deeper water2 ,guillemots rose before the boat2 a seal showed itself for a moment and disappeared--moving figures in a picture which impressed itself very vividly on my memory4 ,a landing was made with difficulty1 and a walk of nearly a mile through the scrubby spruces brought us to the home of the fisher folk1 who had agreed to take us in4 ,if ,perc is isolated1 ,grosse ,isle is in another sphere4 ,even the weekly steamer which plies between ,pictou and the ,magdalens from ,may to ,november comes no nearer than ,grand ,entry1 and its arrival seemed a rather vague incident1 made real only by the appearance of mail4 ,the lobster season had just closed1 the 8pots0 were piled in heaps on the beaches1 and mackerel fishing was now the presumable industry of the male population of ,grosse ,isle4 ,but few fish were running1 and each day boat after boat of glum-looking men came in from the sea with often only a few cod to show for their labor4 ,this1 however1 was midsummer1 and the ,grosse ,isle 8season0 was in full swing4 ,there was a school picnic one day2 on another1 service was held in the little white church on the hillside2 but1 as ,i considered the deathlike quiet which1 as a rule1 reigned in the village1 ,i wondered what life must be there in winter4 ,then the entire ,magdalen group is frozen in a sea of ice1 which renders communication with the mainland 7except by cable1 generally out of repair7 impossible4 ,when the ice breaks in the spring1 seals appear and furnish a hazardous occupation to those who are venturesome enough to go in pursuit of them--a form of sport which ,i imagine is eagerly welcomed after the lethargy of winter4 ,with us the ,magdalens were only a stepping-stone to ,bird ,rock1 but while preparing for the continuation of our journey to that point we took some note of our surroundings4 ,illustration3 #gh4 ,nest and eggs of ,fox ,sparrow4 ,the ,magdalens have an interesting avifauna1 but it was now the latter half of ,july and the song season of most species was over4 ,fox ,sparrows1 however1 were still singing1 and their clear1 ringing whistle came from the spruces all about4 ,the fogs1 so characteristic of the region1 seemed in no way to dampen their spirits1 and when the gray mists closed in thick about us their notes rang out as cheerily as though the sun shone from a blue sky4 ,my short excursions1 however1 were largely made along the beaches in search of some sea waif1 and for the shore birds that would soon migrate through these islands in large numbers1 or to the cliffs where the ,guillemots were nesting4 ,the latter were comparative strangers to me1 and ,i had not become accustomed to the plump1 black1 white-winged1 little birds that sat so lightly on the water4 ,they nest in scattered pairs1 in crevices1 in the face of the cliffs1 where my guide1 ,mr4 ,shelbourne1 a resident collector1 was particularly apt at discovering them4 ,grosse ,isle is not beyond the range of the nestrobbing small boy1 and only the few ,guillemots that had contrived to escape him now had young4 ,they were feeding them on sand eels1 and with bills full of their shining prey made frequent visits to their nests4 ,the young varied in development from those as yet covered only with the scanty natal down to others half grown and with the black and white second plumage appearing beneath4 ,they were active enough to test the temper of the most patient bird photographer1 and the accompanying picture was secured only after many trials4#gi ,illustration3 #gi4 ,young ,guillemots4 ,in the meantime we were endeavoring to make some arrangements for our voyage to the ,rock1 which on clear days could be seen from the tops of the higher hills--a hazy dot in the sea4 ,imagination peopled the view with ,cartier1 ,audubon1 and his successors1 and ,i could scarcely believe that the scene of the wonders they had described was actually on my horizon4 ,but1 although only twenty miles away1 ,bird ,rock now seemed more distant than before we had taken the first step of our journey4 ,this in a measure is due to the uncertainty of gulf weather1 the strong tides1 the sudden and severe squalls1 the prevalence of fogs1 and the surprising rapidity with which the latter change a sunlit horizon to closely crowding gray walls--all of which make navigation in these waters more than usually dangerous4 ,furthermore1 it is to be remembered that ,bird ,rock is not a port in which one could seek safety from a storm1 but a spot to be approached only in the calmest weather4 ,one might therefore start for the ,rock under the most favorable conditions1 be caught in a squall and1 as a result1 find one's self at sea with the recently desired haven changed to an element of danger4 ,with the ,rock glimmering in the sunlight and apparently almost within reach1 it was not easy to believe tales of disaster which had befallen those who in small boats had attempted to reach it1 and ,i was more impressed with its inaccessibility by the fact that only one of the many fishermen with whom ,i talked1 had ever landed on this inhospitable resort of sea birds4 ,this man proved a friend in need--one ,captain ,hubbard ,taker1 of the thirty-ton schooner ,sea ,gem4 ,i commend him to every visitor to the ,magdalens as a man and a sailor4 ,it was when the difficulties of reaching the ,rock by small boat appeared insurmountable that ,captain ,taker returned from a fishing trip to the ,labrador coast4 ,he proved to be one of those rare but exceedingly satisfactory individuals with whom anything is possible1 or at least who believes it is until the contrary is shown4 ,could he take us to ,bird ,rock8 8,why1 of course2 and whenever you are ready40 ,so without delay we boarded the ,sea ,gem4 ,,bird ,,rock ,if as a result of a conference between the birds and the ,audubon ,society a home were to be selected which should prove a secure retreat for certain of the feathered kind1 ,i imagine that ,bird ,rock1 in its primal condition1 would have admirably filled the requirements set forth by both conferees4 ,with precipitous1 rocky walls weathered into innumerable ledges1 shelves1 and crevices--all fit nesting sites--one might think of it as a colossal lodging house for the countless sea-bird tenants who find here not only a suitable place for the reproduction of their young1 but in the surrounding waters an abundant and unfailing supply of food4 ,add to these conditions the ,rock's isolation and inaccessibility1 its shoreless outline1 and the difficulty with which it may be ascended1 and we have indeed an ideal refuge for sea fowl1 one in which1 unless they were subjected to special persecution1 they might have continued to exist for centuries1 had not the transforming influences of civilization reached even to this isle of the sea4 ,bird ,rock is about fifty miles northwest of ,cape ,breton1 the nearest mainland1 and twelve east of ,bryon ,island1 its next neighbor in the ,magdalen group1 to which it belongs4 ,it is three hundred and fifty yards long1 from fifty to one hundred and forty yards wide1 and rises abruptly from the sea to a height of from eighty to one hundred and forty feet4 ,its outline1 the nature of its base1 sides1 and summit are well indicated by the accompanying pictures4 ,illustration3 #hj4 ,bird ,rock from the southwest2 distant about one half a mile4 ,three quarters of a mile northeast of ,bird ,rock1 or ,great ,bird1 as it is more specifically called1 lies ,little ,bird1 a red sandstone rock which at high tide1 or from a distance1 appears as two4 ,the shallow water between ,great and ,little ,birds suggests the possibility of a past connection and the probability that in some future geological age the waves will have completed their work of destruction1 when both islands will have disappeared4 ,the history of these bird-inhabited islands is interesting1 and gives us some information of the changes which man has wrought in their bird life4 ,it begins with the account given by ,jacques ,cartier of his voyage to ,canada in #aecd4 ,of the ,bird ,rocks he wrote3 8,we came to three islands1 two of which are as steep and upright as any wall1 so that it was not possible to climb them1 and between them is a little rock4 ,these islands were as full of birds as any meadow is of grass1 which there do make their nests1 and in the greatest of them there was a great and infinite number of those that we called ,margaulx1 that are white and bigger than any geese1 which were severed in one part4 ,in the other were only ,godetz1 but toward the shore there were of those ,godetz and great ,apponatz1 like to those of that island that we above have mentioned4 ,we went down to the lowest part of the least island1 where we killed above a thousand of those ,godetz and ,apponatz4 ,we put into our boats as many as we pleased1 for in less than one hour we might have filled thirty such boats of them4 ,we named them the islands of the ,margaulx40 ,concerning this quotation ,mr4 ,f4 ,a4 ,lucas remarks 7,the ,auk1 v1 #ahhh1 page #abi73 8,while this description1 as well as the sentences which immediately precede it1 contains some statements that apparently are at variance with existing facts1 there is nevertheless good reason to believe that ,cartier here refers to the ,bird ,rocks in the ,gulf of ,st4 ,lawrence4 ,the birds called ,margaulx1 which bite even as dogs1 were ,gannets1 whose descendants1 in spite of centuries of persecution1 are to be found to-day nesting where their ancestors did before them4 8,that ,cartier's description does not accord with their present appearance is not to be wondered at4 ,the material of which they are composed is of a soft1 decomposing1 red sandstone that succumbs so easily to the incessant attacks of the sea that ,dr4 ,bryant's description of them in #ahfj does not hold good to-day4 ,if1 then1 the ,bird ,rocks have undergone visible changes in twenty-five years1 it is easy to imagine how great alterations the islets may have undergone during three and a quarter centuries40 ,examination of the narratives left by other early voyagers in this region would yield further information concerning the ,rocks and the destruction of its inhabitants2 but passing to records of greater ornithological value1 we find that ,audubon1 whose energy in exploration no ornithologist has ever surpassed1 was the first naturalist beholding ,bird ,rock to leave us a description of its wonders4 ,it was during his cruise to ,labrador in the schooner ,ripley that he wrote in his journal1 under date of ,june #ad1 #ahcc1 the following graphic account of the day's experiences3 ,illustration3 #ha4 ,north side of the ,rock1 west of the crane4 8,about ten a speck rose on the horizon1 which ,i was told was the ,rock4 ,we sailed well1 the breeze increased fast1 and we neared this object apace4 ,at eleven ,i could distinguish its top plainly from the deck1 and thought it covered with snow to the depth of several feet2 this appearance existed on every portion of the flat1 projecting shelves4 ,godwin said1 with the coolness of a man who had visited this ,rock for ten successive seasons1 that what we saw was not snow1 but ,gannets4 ,i rubbed my eyes1 took my spyglass1 and in an instant the strangest picture stood before me4 ,they were birds we saw--a mass of birds of such a size as ,i never before cast my eyes on4 ,the whole of my party stood astounded and amazed1 and all came to the conclusion that such a sight was of itself sufficient to invite any one to come across the gulf to view it at this season4 ,the nearer we approached the greater our surprise at the enormous number of these birds1 all calmly seated on their eggs or newly hatched brood1 their heads all turned to windward and toward us4 ,the air above for a hundred yards1 and for some distance around the whole ,rock1 was filled with ,gannets on the wing1 which1 from our position1 made it appear as if a heavy fall of snow was directly above us40 7,audubon and his ,journals1 i1 p4 #cfj47 ,from his pilot1 ,godwin1 ,audubon secured some information concerning the ,gannets that then nested on the top of the ,rock4 ,he writes3 8,the whole surface is perfectly covered with nests1 placed about two feet apart1 in such regular order that you may look through the lines as you would look through those of a planted patch of sweet potatoes or cabbages4 ,the fishermen who kill these birds to get their flesh for codfish bait ascend in parties of six or eight1 armed with clubs2 sometimes1 indeed1 the party comprises the crews of several vessels4 ,as they reach the top1 the birds1 alarmed1 rise with a noise like thunder1 and fly off in such a hurried1 fearful confusion as to throw each other down1 often falling on each other until there is a bank of them many feet high4 ,the men strike them down and kill them until fatigued or satisfied4 ,five hundred and forty have been thus murdered in one hour by six men4 ,the birds are skinned with little care1 and the flesh cut off in chunks2 it will keep fresh about a fortnight4 ,so great is the destruction of these birds annually that their flesh supplies the bait for upward of forty fishing boats which lie close to ,bryon ,island1 each summer40 ,this slaughter was evidently attended by some danger1 for not only did the sitting birds bite viciously1 but old fishermen in the ,magdalens state that if the invader of the ,gannets' domain on the summit of the ,rock should have happened to be caught in a rush of stampeded birds1 he could with difficulty have avoided being carried off the edge of the cliff4 ,in concluding his description of the ,rock1 ,audubon says3 8,no man who has not seen what we have this day can form the least idea of the impression the sight made on our minds40 ,one need not be a naturalist1 therefore1 to realize the depth of his disappointment when the pilot told him that the wind was too high to permit them to land on the ,rock4 ,however1 they did not leave without at least making an attempt4 ,a boat was launched1 manned by the pilot1 two sailors1 ,audubon's son ,john1 and ,tom ,lincoln1 for whom ,lincoln's ,finch1 discovered subsequently in ,labrador1 was named2 but after an hour's absence they returned without having made a landing1 and the increasing force of the wind compelled them to continue their voyage to the northward4 ,apparently the first naturalist to set foot on ,bird ,rock was ,dr4 ,henry ,bryant1 of ,boston1 who landed there ,june #bc1 #ahfj4 ,this was before the days of the lighthouse1 and ,dr4 ,bryant reached the top of the ,rock only after a climb which he characterizes as both 8difficult and dangerous40 ,in addition to the ,gannets1 which he found resting on the ledges on the face of the ,rock1 he found these birds nesting over the entire northerly half of the summit1 and after measuring the surface occupied by them1 he estimated that this one colony alone contained no less than one hundred thousand birds1 while the number living on the sides of the ,rock and ,little ,bird he placed at fifty thousand4 ,the position of the ,rock1 at the gateway to ,canadian ports1 makes it particularly dangerous to vessels plying in these waters1 and in #ahfi a lighthouse was erected on its summit4 ,while constructing the light keeper's dwelling and storehouses1 the ,government built two cranes--one on the northerly1 the other on the southerly side of the ,rock--for use in hoisting supplies4 ,there are also now three other places where by means of ladders and ropes one may ascend4 ,the top of the ,rock was thus made more accessible1 and the birds were consequently less protected from the attacks of fishermen4 ,it is said1 also1 that the light keepers did not appreciate the companionship of the ,gannets1 and made special efforts to drive the birds from the nesting site which they so long had held undisturbed4 ,illustration3 #hb4 ,a corner of the ,rock4 ,hence1 when ,mr4 ,c4 ,j4 ,maynard visited the ,rock in #ahgb1 he found that the colony of ,gannets on its summit contained only five thousand birds1 which1 nine years later1 ,mr4 ,william ,brewster reports had decreased to fifty pairs4 ,mr4 ,brewster also noted a fresh cause for the destruction of the eggs of the birds nesting on the sides of the ,rock1 in the shape of a cannon which had been introduced shortly before his visit4 ,he writes3 8,at each discharge the frightened ,murres fly from the ,rock in clouds1 nearly every sitting bird taking its egg into the air between its thighs and dropping it after flying a few yards4 ,this was repeatedly observed during our visit1 and more than once a perfect shower of eggs fell into the water about our boat40 ,while the birds have become comparatively accustomed to the report of the guncotton bomb1 which has succeeded the cannon1 large numbers still leave the ,rock each time a bomb is exploded1 so that it continues to be a means of destroying not only eggs but young birds1 which are carried off the narrow ledges by the precipitous flight of their parents4 ,since that date 7#ahha7 ,cory1 ,lucas1 ,palmer1 ,bishop1 and doubtless others1 have visited ,bird ,rock1 but with the entire disappearance of the ,gannets from its summit no attempt has been made to estimate the further decrease in the number of its feathered inhabitants4 ,in spite of the great diminution which this outline of its history shows to have occurred in ,bird ,rock's population1 the casual observer of to-day will believe with difficulty that it could ever have been more densely inhabited4 ,it is still one of the ornithological wonders of our ,atlantic coast1 and1 comparatively speaking1 as well worth visiting as in the time of ,audubon4 ,writing now in the light of experience1 ,i anticipate a return to ,bird ,rock with even more enthusiasm than ,i felt when after the discouraging uncertainties of delay we boarded the ,sea ,gem on the afternoon of ,july #bc;d1 and with a fair wind set sail for ,bryon1 where we were to anchor for the night4 ,what a stanch1 powerful vessel the little schooner seemed when compared with the fishing boats in which we had at first prepared to make the voyage6 ,investigation below1 however1 did not seem to offer prospects of undisturbed repose1 and reaching ,bryon late in the afternoon we decided to go ashore and apply to the island's owner for a night's lodging4 ,bryon ,island1 with its several thousand acres of stunted spruce and balsam forests1 its rolling pasture lands and grazing cows and sheep1 its precipitous red sandstone cliffs rising to a height of two hundred feet from the sea and furnishing a home for a few ,murres and ,puffins1 is the property of one man1 who purchased it from the ,government for a nominal sum4 ,a lobster cannery furnishes employment for twoscore or more itinerant fishermen and laborers1 who after the lobstering season ends in ,july remain for the mackerel fishing4 ,when they have departed the population of ,bryon is reduced to about half a dozen families1 over whom the owner reigns supreme4 ,we landed at the cannery and wended our way over a path through the stunted forests1 which at the end of a mile or more led us to the monarch's home--a small frame house adjoining large barns4 ,the ruler of ,bryon proved to be absent in the ,magdalens1 but his wife made us both welcome and comfortable4 ,we recall with pleasure the night passed beneath her roof1 and the magnificent view of the setting sun from ,bryon's red cliffs4 ,we awoke in the clouds1 gulf clouds1 which so often in swift-spreading banks envelop both sea and land in this region4 ,it was ten o'clock before the sun could force its way through them1 and when we returned to the ,sea ,gem we found the captain impatient at our tardiness4 ,we explained that of course we did not suppose that he would care to start in so dense a fog1 but he laughed at us4 8,fog60 ,what had fog to do with sailing when the wind was favorable8 ,later he gave us an exhibition of seamanship in a fog which deeply engraved the name of ,captain ,taker on our memories4 ,however1 the wind still held from the right quarter not only for the run to the ,rock1 but for a landing on its one bit of beach1 and we quickly hoisted sail for this last stage of a long journey4 ,for two hours we watched the ,rock grow slowly larger1 then its outlines more rapidly assumed individuality1 the lighthouse and other buildings on its summit took definite form1 its rocky ledges were seen to be lined with rows of white ,gannets1 and ,bird ,rock became for us a reality4 ,the storm of circling birds which ,audubon described is not to be seen to-day1 but enough are left to quickly exhaust our stock of adjectives4 ,a ,british flag was displayed from the tall staff near the lighthouse4 ,if it had been marked with stars and bars it would have looked less like a signal set as a greeting from the island's keeper to his unknown guests4 ,a figure on the rock now vigorously motioned us toward its only landing place1 and heaving to the schooner we dropped a dory overboard and sent ,captain ,taker ashore as our emissary to treat with the representative of the ,canadian ,government1 and explain to him that through the courtesy of his chief1 the ,hon4 ,j4 ,u4 ,gregory1 we were empowered to invade the territory under his control4 ,at the end of half an hour a large dory1 manned by two oarsmen1 appeared from behind the ,rock and headed for the schooner4 ,in the stern was ,captain ,taker1 in the bow a stranger whose face was eloquent with an unspoken welcome4 ,this was ,keeper ,captain ,peter ,bourque4 ,if we had been at the head of the ,lighthouse ,board itself1 he could not have received us more cordially4 ,what a hunger he had for news6 ,nearly two months had elapsed since he had heard from the world--months rich with the history of the defeat of ,cervera and surrender of ,santiago4 ,illustration3 #hc4 ,the landing at the base of the ,rock1 showing crate4 ,illustration3 #hd4 ,the landing on top of the ,rock1 showing crane4 ,the ,kittiwakes at the bottom of the picture are shown in ,no4 #he4 ,our outfit was speedily placed in the dory1 and with the ,rock and its birds now looming high above us1 we pulled for the bit of rock-fringed beach which constitutes the only available landing place4 ,it was already evident that the island offered endless opportunities to the bird photographer1 and as each stroke of the oars brought us nearer ,i felt a sense of exultation1 such perhaps as a miner experiences when he discovers that his claim promises an assured fortune4 ,the boat was beached with a rush1 and landing at the base of the cliff1#hc which rose like a wall somewhat over one hundred feet above us one could realize the danger attending an attempt to land here in anything but the calmest weather4 ,we were now introduced to the car or basket in which we were to make actually the final stage of our journey4 ,it seemed a frail1 cratelike affair of light strips of wood1 and measured about two and a half feet square and three feet high4 ,after our cameras1 plates1 gun1 ammunition1 etc41 had been snugly stowed1 we obeyed the direction to enter the crate and take seats on bits of board placed across opposite corners4 ,the end of the long1 dangling rope was attached1 in response to ,captain ,bourque's roaring 8,hoist away60 a faint reply came from the tiny figure which in a sickening way had been leaning over the edge of the rock above1 watching our proceedings1 and a moment later the rope tightened1 strained1 and we were clear of the ground and slowly rising4 ,a long experience in elevators had made me anticipate this part of the ,bird ,rock journey without concern1 but the instant after the ascent began ,i discovered that we were not only going up but around as well1 and the twisting motion was so novel1 so unlike anything to which ,i had previously been accustomed1 that ,i confess to a feeling of surprise1 to say the least4 ,the sudden jars1 as the rope in winding slipped off the preceding coil and dropped suddenly1 perhaps an inch1 gave us a sufficiently clear idea of the feelings which would attend the beginning of a fall1 and it was with a decided sense of having had a narrow escape that1 on being hoisted slightly above the level of the summit of the ,rock1 we saw the arm of the crane#hd pulled inward1 bringing the crate over the land1 to which we were gently lowered4 ,the twenty years which have elapsed since ,cory visited the ,rock have reduced the time required for the ascent from twenty-seven to six minutes4 ,the world moves1 therefore1 even at ,bird ,rock4 ,to a naturalist this slow passage through the air1 about six feet from ledge after ledge1 crevice above crevice1 filled with ,kittiwakes1#he ,murres1 and ,razorbills1 with great white banks of snowy ,gannets on either side1 possesses an almost stupefying fascination4 ,the birds were so abundant and showed such entire lack of fear1 ,i seemed to have reached1 if not the heart1 at least one of the most important centers of the bird world4 ,alighting from the crate1 we were greeted by ,mr4 ,bourque's two assistants and his daughter1 a girl of sixteen1 who1 with a third assistant1 now absent on leave1 completed the population of the island4 ,there should be added1 however1 one cow--an important member of the ,rock colony1 who had reached her elevated position in life by means of the same apparatus with which we had just gratefully parted company4 ,numerous buildings1#hf which we had barely noticed from the sea1 were found to form a miniature village on the grassy1 nearly level summit of the ,rock1 giving to the scene an atmosphere of comfort and homeliness which strongly emphasized one's sense of isolation4 ,illustration3 #he4 ,kittiwakes and young on nests4 ,from the crate4 ,illustration3 #hf4 ,the lighthouse1 keeper's dwelling1 and other buildings4 ,the favorable light prevailing at the time of our arrival was far too valuable to be used for anything but photography4 ,no sooner1 therefore1 was our luggage removed from the crate than1 without waiting to inspect our quarters1 ,i made ready the cameras and plate-holders4 ,the latter1 numbering twenty-one1 furnished forty-two glass plates4 ,i wished for twice that number before the day ended4 ,going to the western end of the ,rock1 now brightly illumined by the afternoon sun1 ,i found that the jutting1 shaly ledges permitted one to descend easily1 and in a moment ,i was in the midst of groups#a of ,puffins1 ,razorbills1 ,brnnich's and ,common ,murres1 who apparently regarded me with as much surprise and interest as ,i did them1 and exhibited an astonishing confidence in mankind4 ,in fact1 ,i was at times vigorously scolded by some ,murre parent1 who waddled toward me1 bobbing her head1 and uttering a series of protesting murres in a tone so like that of a bass-voiced man1 ,i half expected a larger biped to appear4 ,illustration3 #hg4 ,razorbilled ,auks and 8,ringed0 ,murre4 #c4 ,the ,razorbills were fully as tame1 sometimes leaving their crevices in the cliff and1 with a hoarse croak1 almost flying in my face1 while the ,puffins exhibited a spirit of combined indifference and independence1 which plainly said1 8,this ,rock is ours40 ,i sat down on a convenient ledge1 and as the birds gathered about me in rows and groups on the border of the cliff1 its ledges and projections1 ,i seemed almost to be on speaking terms with them4 ,so unusual and pleasing was this experience of having birds admit me at once to the inner circles of their society that ,i felt as though ,i had indeed been initiated into their ranks2 and my enjoyment of the strange scene was heightened tenfold by the knowledge that ,i could satisfactorily record it4 ,so ,i prepared the twin-lens--a camera exactly adapted to my present needs--and at a distance of twenty feet or thereabouts loaded and fired as many times as ,i pleased1 with the birds none the wiser1 and offering me each moment some new picture differing in composition from the last4 ,here was a triumph for the bird photographer4 ,who so nearly could have done justice to the subject8 ,the taxidermist8 ,one shot would have broken the spell8 ,the artist8 ,whose pencil could compete with the lens in the convincing realism of its impression8 ,but as yet ,i had seen only a fragment of the ,rock4 ,climbing1 therefore1 from ledge to ledge1 ,i reached a corner where an abrupt turn exposed a great expanse of perpendicular wall so inaccessible to man that it had become a favorite nesting site for the birds4#hb ,here were gathered ,gannets1 ,murres1 ,razorbills1 and ,kittiwakes1 distributed singly or in rows1 according to the nature of the shelves or ledges on which they were nesting1 the ,gannets taking the widest1 the ,murres and ,kittiwakes the narrowest ledges1 while the ,razorbills sought the more sheltered crevices4 ,what noise and seeming confusion were here6 ,a never-ceasing chorus in which the loud1 grating gor-r-r-rok1 gor-r-rrok of the ,gannets predominated1 while the singularly human call of the ,murres and the hoarse note of the ,razorbills formed an accompaniment4 ,occasionally the ,kittiwakes found cause for excitement1 and hundreds of birds swooped downward from their nests and circled about1 calling their rapidly uttered1 distinctly enunciated kt-ti-wake1 kt-ti-wake4 ,illustration3 #hh4 ,puffins4 #b4 ,in addition to the great number of birds resting or nesting on the ,rock1 an endless procession of ,gannets1 ,puffins1 and ,razorbills were flying around1 but never over it4 ,unconsciously one expected a pause in this whirling throng1 but although its numbers fluctuated1 birds were always passing4 ,the exposure of my last plate recalled me to a sense of other duties1 and when ,i had returned to the little group of buildings with their inhabitants1 ,i seemed to have been in another sphere4 ,my object in visiting ,bird ,rock was not only to secure pictures of its bird life1 but a certain number of birds for the ,american ,museum of ,natural ,history1 where it is proposed to represent a portion of the ,rock with its tenants4 ,during my absence in the world of birds my good assistant had turned one of the supply houses into a laboratory1 and was already at work preparing specimens with which the active ,shelbourne and attentive keepers had plentifully supplied her4 ,a gun was necessary only in securing ,gannets and ,kittiwakes1 the ,murres and ,razorbills being caught in a dip-net by the keepers2 one of whom1 having a rope about his waist which was held by his associate1 advanced to the edge of the cliff or 8cape10 as it is termed locally1 and looked cautiously over in quest of the birds resting on the ledges immediately below4 ,having learned their position the net was thrust quickly downward1 and the birds1 in attempting to escape1 often flew directly into it and became entangled in its meshes4 ,puffins were captured on their nests in crevices in the face of the ,rock or in the holes they had burrowed in the earth on the top4 ,the latter were sometimes shared with ,leach's ,petrel1 who also occupied small burrows of their own4 ,the schooner had dropped anchor near the ,rock1 but the wind increasing in strength1 ,captain ,taker set sail for the lee of ,bryon1 and at midnight1 when we concluded our day's work1 there was a promise of a stormy morrow1 which daylight fulfilled4 ,the wind drove the waves to the rock-set base of our islet with terrific force1 making landing or departure out of the question4 ,we had come just in time4 ,the light prohibited successful photography1 and the day was devoted to collecting and preserving specimens and exploring the ,rock4 ,illustration3 #hi4 ,murre's egg4 ,we had arrived in the height of the nesting season1 all of the seven species breeding on the ,rock having eggs and young in various stages of development4 ,it was evident1 however1 that the number of eggs and young was small as compared with the number of adults1 a condition which was explained by ,captain ,bourque's statement1 that he thought about five thousand eggs had been taken from the ,rock by fishermen that year4 ,these were the eggs of ,murres and ,razorbills1 the former being the most abundant birds on the ,rock4 ,both the ,common and ,brnnich's ,murre were present1 but ,i am unable to say which was the more numerous4 ,there were also a few of the singular1 so-called 8,ringed0 ,murres1#hg a bird whose standing is in doubt1 some ornithologists regarding it as a distinct species1 others as an individual variety4 ,both species of ,murre laid their single peculiarly marked eggs on the bare shelves or ledges in the most exposed situations2#hi and seeing them now for the first time in ,nature1 ,i was quite willing to accept the theory which has been advanced to account for their markedly toplike or pearlike shape4 ,a round or elliptical egg1 laid in the situations often chosen by the ,murres1 would1 when moved by the wind or incubating bird1 readily roll from its precarious position1 but the pointed egg of the ,murre when disturbed describes a circle about its own end4 ,thus1 like a diplomat1 it seemingly yields to superior force while retaining its original position4 ,the eggs vary in color from greenish blue to buff1 and are strikingly scrawled and blotched with shades of chocolate4 ,no two are alike1 a fact which it is supposed may aid the parent ,murre in distinguishing her own egg among the dozens with which it may be placed4 ,illustration3 #ij4 ,young ,murres and egg4 ,the few eggs seen were doubtless laid by birds which had been robbed earlier in the season1 but young were found in every stage1 from the newly hatched downy chick1#ij who sat on his narrow ledge vigorously screeching for food1 to others half grown and with the natal down almost entirely replaced by the first winter plumage4 ,the parents were still in attendance on the oldest birds1 and no young were seen in the water4 ,illustration3 #ia4 ,kittiwakes and young on nest4 ,from the crate4 #b4 ,an enlarged detail of ,no4 #he4 ,razorbills1 perhaps because the ,rock contained comparatively few of the sheltered nooks they require for nesting sites1 were less abundant than ,murres4 ,their downy young were much lighter in color than the young of the ,murres1 and their high squealing whistle could easily be distinguished from the screech of the young ,murres4 ,of two specimens which had nearly completed the acquisition of their winter plumage1 one had the white line from the eye to the bill so characteristic of the adult fully developed1 while in the other it was wholly wanting--a variability in marking which suggests that the white stripe of the ,ringed ,murre is a similar individual peculiarity4 ,next to the ,murres the ,kittiwakes are probably the most numerous birds on the ,rock4 ,doubtless for the reason that they select the less accessible ledges where their eggs can not be so readily taken1 their young were more advanced than those of any other of the birds breeding here4 ,their nests1 rather bulky structures of seaweed1 which often projected well over the edge of the ledge on which they were built1 contained only young with their parents1 one or two birds constituting a brood4#ia ,illustration3 #ib4 ,entrance to ,puffin's burrow4 ,kittiwakes were never observed perching on the upper ledges or rim of the ,rock in the situations commonly selected by ,murres1 ,razorbills1 and ,puffins4 ,the last-named species1 in fact1 was never seen resting far from the top of the ,rock1 and its nests were placed in burrows excavated on the summit of the ,rock1 at the west end4 ,occasionally advantage was taken of an opening beneath a ledge1 but generally the bird excavated a hole1#ib about four inches in diameter and three or four feet in length1 at the end of which we found the nest of grasses and feathers1 with its single elliptical white egg#ic and sitting bird1 or a sooty1 down-covered nestling4#id ,illustration3 #ic4 ,puffin's nest and egg at the end of excavated burrow4 ,woe to the unsuspecting person who thrusts his hand into the jaw1 one might say1 of an incubating ,puffin4 ,nature has not only provided the bird with an uncommonly powerful and efficient pair of mandibles1 but also with a disposition which prompts it to use them to the best advantage4 ,never have ,i seen anything in the shape of a bird so diabolically vicious as a ,puffin4 ,an individual which we captured alive and attempted to study in our workroom1 proved altogether too fierce a creature to have about1 and its hoarse voice--half grunt1 half groan--added to its unattractiveness4 ,illustration3 #id4 ,young ,puffin on nest at the end of burrow4 ,in ,nature1 however1 their trim appearance was very pleasing2 ,paroquets1 the ,french-,canadians call them1 and one has only to see the bird in life to appreciate the applicability of the name4 ,it is not alone their looks but also their actions which suggest the ,parrot4 ,unlike the ,murres and ,razorbills1 they do not rest on the whole foot1 but stand quite erect on the toes alone1 and run about with the characteristic pattering steps of ,parrots4 ,when the wind blew fresh from the sea they often faced it1 hovering a foot or two above the rocks on outstretched1 motionless wings1 and retaining for several seconds this perfect balance between gravity and air pressure4 ,it is quite possible that ,i may have wholly misjudged the ,puffin's character1 and that when unmolested their nature is peaceable in extreme4 ,at any rate1 they seem to be not only on excellent terms with their own kind1 but with the very distantly related ,leach's ,petrels1 with which they sometimes shared their underground homes1 one bird's nest being at the end of the burrow1 the other about half way to the entrance4 ,the ,petrels also occupied burrows of their own1 which1 judging from the actions of the birds found in them1 they had excavated by the aid of their toes4#ie ,illustration3 #ie4 ,leach's ,petrel on nest at end of excavated burrow4 ,the ,petrel's nests were composed of fine grasses and a few feathers1 and one nest contained two bits of white birch bark1 the presence of which raised the question as to whether these gleaners of the sea do not gather suitable nesting material when they find it floating on the surface of the water4 ,two of the eight or ten ,petrels' nests examined contained a single white egg2 one egg constituting a full set with this species1 as with all the other rock-nesting birds1 except the ,kittiwake4 ,the remaining nests were each occupied by a newly hatched young bird--a gray ball of down1 so unlike anything in feathers ,i had ever seen that1 if it had not been for their tiny1 young chickenlike peep1 ,i should have been inclined to pass it by as a wad of gray cotton4#if ,never more than one of the parent birds1 either the male or female1 was found on the nest1 nor was a single ,petrel seen about the ,rock during the day4 ,illustration3 #if4 ,young ,leach's ,petrel removed from burrow with nesting material4 ,the ,puffins and ,petrels are now the only birds nesting on the summit of the ,rock1 not a single descendant of the one hundred thousand ,gannets which1 according to ,bryant1 occupied the top of the ,rock in #ahfj now being found there4 ,to-day this species nests only on the less accessible border ledges on the face of the ,rock1 where they are grouped in colonies4 ,most of them were incubating1 but several were brooding their young1 which ranged in size from the naked1 black-skinned1 newly hatched chick to those that had acquired the white1 swan's-downlike first plumage4#ig ,with the exception of two white1 black-spotted birds1 all the ,gannets seen1 both on ,bird ,rock and ,bonaventure1 were in the adult white plumage1 and if1 as has been stated1 this plumage is not gained until the bird is two years old1 the question arises1 ,what becomes of the immature birds during the nesting season8 ,illustration3 #ig4 ,young ,gannet4 ,an estimate of the number of individuals representing the seven species just mentioned as nesting on the ,rock1 is perhaps not warranted by my brief experience1 nor should ,i attempt to give one1 did not my photographs permit me to count with a fair degree of accuracy the number of birds in view on that part of the ,rock shown in these pictures4 ,time was lacking to make1 from a boat1 a series of photographs of the ,rock which would include all its bird-inhabited portions1 and the appended estimates are based on the results of a count of the birds in photographs of about one half the occupied area4 ,murres1 ,razorbills1 and ,puffins can not be distinguished in these pictures and are therefore grouped under one head1 it being calculated that about from fifteen hundred to two thousand individuals of these species make the ,rock their home4 ,of this number probably not more than one hundred are ,puffins1 while the ,common and ,brnnich's ,murres 7,uria troile et ,u4 lomvia7 outnumber the ,razorbills at least four to one4 ,illustration3 #ih4 ,gannets4 #c4 ,an enlarged detail of ,no4 #ii4 ,the ,kittiwake population of the ,rock probably numbers between six hundred and eight hundred birds2 of ,gannets1 there are perhaps left only fifteen hundred of the more than one hundred thousand birds which ,dr4 ,bryant writes of as living on the top of the ,rock alone2 and of ,petrels1 not more than fifty4 ,when on the ,rock ,i should have said that it was tenanted by at least ten thousand birds1 and ,i was not a little surprised to find that the evidence furnished by my photographic records gave a total of about four thousand birds4 ,however1 the sight of four thousand birds domiciled in one small islet is sufficiently impressive to increase the pulse beat of the most phlegmatic traveler2 and even if this estimate be too large1 the ,rock's merits as a bird resort are too substantial to be affected by any decrease in it which truth demands4 ,to return to an account of the day's doings1 the light1 as has been said1 was unfavorable for photography1 and the time was devoted to collecting and preparing specimens and making a hurried survey of the bird rookeries on the ,rock1 with results briefly set forth above2 but late in the afternoon the sun gave indications of its whereabouts behind the clouds1 and ,i immediately substituted the camera for the scalpel1 and had ,keeper ,bourque lower me in the crate in order that ,i might secure photographs of the birds observed on our ascent4 ,neither the stability of the crate nor its constant turning were conditions which a photographer would choose1 and1 without the twin-lens it would have been impossible to secure pictures of the ,kittiwakes#he and ,murres1 who in a surprised but unalarmed manner regarded me from their nests on the ,rock1 in some instances at a distance of not more than six feet4 ,at ten o'clock at night ,i visited the west end of the ,rock to see and hear the ,petrels that nest there4 ,the casual visitor to ,bird ,rock would be quite unaware of the presence of these birds2 indeed1 one might live there for years without knowing that ,petrels made it their home4 ,as far as the ,rock is concerned1 the birds are strictly nocturnal2 but as usually only one bird--either male or female--is found on the nest1 it is supposed that its mate is at sea feeding4 ,if this supposition be true1 ,i am at a loss to account for the entire absence of the birds during the daytime4 ,why should they not return to their nests before nightfall8 ,and if1 as stated1 the sea bird takes the place of the nest bird1 does the latter always feed at night and the former by day1 or do they sometimes change about1 thus making the same individual both nocturnal and diurnal in habit8 ,however this may be1 ,i had no sooner reached the part of the ,rock tenanted by the ,petrels than ,i was given the most surprising evidence of their activity during the night4 ,from the ground at my feet and on every side there issued the uncanny little song--if ,i may so call it--of birds doubtless sitting at the mouths of their burrows4 ,it was not like the cry of a sea bird1 but a distinctly enunciated call of eight notes1 possessing a character wholly its own1 and not to be compared to the notes of any bird ,i have ever heard1 though at the time it impressed me as having a certain crowing quality4 ,such a call might be uttered by elves or brownies4 ,occasionally ,i saw a blur of wings as a bird passed between me and the lighthouse4 ,illustration3 #ii4 ,gannets on nests4 ,later1 the fog1 which had been scudding over us in wisps and ribbons1 closed in1 and through the medium of a guncotton bomb the ,rock gave notice of its presence to the mariners who might be in the surrounding waters4 ,captain ,taker heard the dull1 booming voice as with disappointing promptness he came to take us from the ,rock1 and early in the morning we heard his fog horn from the gray bank below telling where the ,sea ,gem1 as yet unseen1 was anchored4 ,in the hope of better weather ,i deferred photographing the ,gannets1 the only accessible colony of which was on the north side of the ,rock2 but forced now to make the best of the existing conditions1 ,i took the twin-lens1 fastened one end of a rope about my waist1 and gave the other end to ,captain ,bourque1 in order that1 unhampered by thought of fall1 ,i might creep along the slippery ledges where the birds nested4#ii ,the fog had lifted1 but the day was gloomy1 and only the white plumage of the birds and a wide-open lens yielded successful photographs4 ,it was my first visit to the big white birds1 who1 in spite of persecution1 have as yet acquired but little fear of man1 and as with hoarse croaks and a dashing of wings they pitched onto the narrow ledges near me1 their size and boldness1 in connection with my somewhat insecure footing1 aroused in me a feeling which ,i had not experienced when surrounded by the smaller ,murres1 ,auks1 and ,puffins4 ,the main nesting ledge was out of reach below1 but small groups of birds were nearer1 and these ,i photographed at a distance of about ten feet4#ajj ,these ,gannets are magnificent birds1 and when on the wing exhibit a combination of power and grace excelled by no other bird ,i have seen4 ,they are most impressive when diving1 as with half-closed wings1 like great spearheads1 they descend from a height of about forty feet with a force and speed that takes them wholly out of sight1 and splashes the water ten feet or more into the air4 ,cory graphically compares the sight of a distant flock of ,gannets diving at a school of fish1 to a continuous stream of beans poured from a pail4 ,illustration3 #ajj4 ,gannet on nest4 ,two nests in foreground4 ,captain ,bourque tells me that ,gannets are no longer used for bait by the codfishers2 but when one realizes that only two colonies of these grand birds1 comprising a few thousand individuals1 are all that are left of the species in this hemisphere1 one could wish for these survivors something more than negative protection4 ,in the afternoon the weather gave promise of clearing1 and entering the crate we were swung out over the edge of the ,rock on the first stage of our homeward journey4 ,the collections and outfit were placed aboard the schooner1 while in a dory we attempted to visit ,little ,bird2 but before we had rowed a quarter of a mile the fog crept back1 ,great ,bird slowly disappeared from view and became only a periodic boom in the gray wall1 and we returned to the schooner without delay4 ,the sail to ,bryon1 where we passed the night1 apparently demonstrated ,captain ,taker's possession of the sense of direction4 ,in spite of a head wind1 violent squalls1 and a strong tide1 he made his way through the fog with perfect assurance and dropped anchor at a particular lobster buoy1 visible less than fifty yards from the schooner1 but which in effect he appeared to have seen before we left the ,rock4 ,it was a remarkable bit of seamanship4 ,in ,bird ,rock the ,canadian ,government possesses an object of surpassing interest1 one which1 south of ,greenland1 is unique in eastern ,north ,america4 ,it is the obvious duty of the proper authorities to preserve it1 and the ease with which this can be done makes further neglect inexcusable4 ,the appointment of the light keeper as a game warden is the only step required to make ,bird ,rock a safe retreat for sea fowl1 until1 in some future geologic age1 it shall have yielded to the relentless attack of the waters4 ,,life ,,on ,,pelican ,,island1 ,,with ,,some ,,speculations ,,on ,,the ,,origin ,,of ,,bird ,,migration ,the study of isolated colonies of birds1 particularly of those situated on islands1 throws much light on several as yet little-understood problems of bird migration4 ,with mainland birds of general distribution--the ,robin1 for example--the individual is1 except when nesting1 lost in the species1 and unless the bird be peculiarly marked who can say whether the ,robins which nest with us one year are the same as those of the preceding season--where our summer ,robins winter1 or our winter ,robins summer8 and who can tell whether the first ,robins to come in the spring are our summer resident birds1 or early migrants en route to more northern nesting grounds8 ,in the case of certain island-inhabiting birds1 however1 some of these questions may be answered with a fair degree of certainty4 ,thus ,ipswich ,sparrows are known to nest only on ,sable ,island1 off the ,nova ,scotia coast1 and we are warranted in believing that the same birds1 fate permitting1 return to their sandy home year after year4 ,gannets 7,sula bassana7 nest in the western hemisphere only on three islets in the ,gulf of ,st4 ,lawrence1 and it is probable that the surviving individuals return each year to their former breeding grounds4 ,the ,terns of ,muskeget and ,penikese1 forming the only two large colonies of these birds remaining on the ,atlantic coast1 return to their island retreats every spring2 and actuated by this same love of home1 the ,brown ,pelicans of the ,indian ,river region of eastern ,florida annually repair to a certain small island for the purpose of rearing their young4 ,many similar cases might be cited in confirmation of the belief--supported also by isolated observations on the mainland--that birds nest in the same locality throughout their lives1 and1 on occasion1 may even occupy their previous season's nest4 ,as regards the manner in which these island-inhabiting birds arrive at the nesting grounds1 as far as our recorded information goes1 it seems that without relation to latitude they appear each spring with remarkable regularity1 not straggling back a few at a time1 but sending on an advance guard1 which usually remains only a short time and is followed1 a few days later1 by apparently the entire colony4 ,thus1 ,mackay writes of the ,terns of ,penikese3 8,in #ahic the ,terns arrived on ,may #ajth1 in the night1 an advance guard of several hundred being noted early the following morning at daylight2 these all left before noon of the #aath1 and on the morning of the #abth1 before daylight1 immense numbers had again arrived4444 ,in #ahif the ,terns commenced to arrive during the night of ,may #ith2 they were in evidence at daylight on the #ajth1 and continued to arrive all day1 and on the morning of the #aath the usual colony had taken possession of the island40 7,auk1 xiv1 #ahig1 p4 #bhd47 ,the migration of the island-nesting ,terns in the tropics is apparently no less regular4 ,scott states that the ,noddy arrived in the ,tortugas 8on ,april #bjth in large numbers1 but remained only two days2 after inspecting their breeding grounds1 all departed to return about a week later in greatly increased numbers1 when breeding was almost at once commenced40 7,auk1 vii1 #ahij1 p4 #cjf47 ,these insular colonies1 however1 not only throw much light on certain existing phases of bird migration1 but they also furnish us with a clew to the origin of migration itself4 ,this is especially true of those species whose lives are passed in the tropics or subtropics1 and which we are accustomed to class as nonmigratory or as 8permanent residents10 but which are as regularly migratory1 in the real meaning of the word1 as if they summered within the arctic circle and wintered south of the equator4 ,their movements are apparently in no way influenced by climate nor1 at this season1 are they governed by the food supply1 but prompted solely by the annually recurring physiological change which fits both sexes for reproduction1 they repair to a certain islet1 perhaps in the heart of their range1 with the one object of finding a suitable nesting site in which their eggs may be laid and young reared in safety2 and this object accomplished1 they desert the locality1 where they may be unknown until the following spring4 ,divested1 therefore1 of the complications which ensue when in studying the migration of birds the questions of food and climate must be considered1 we have here the problem reduced to its simplest terms2 and in the desire for seclusion during the breeding season which induces birds to conceal their nests1 if possible perhaps near by1 but if necessary after a journey of varying length undertaken especially for the purpose1 we have a good and sufficient cause for the origin of bird migration4 ,an attempt to explain the present manifestation of the migratory movement involves a study of the climatic changes to which our globe has been subjected4 ,no doubt many birds controlled by 8heredity of habit0 make semiannual journeys which at one time were necessary1 but under existing circumstances are no longer required4 ,why1 for example1 should the ,bobolink winter south of the ,amazon1 while its ally1 the ,red-winged ,blackbird 7,agelaius phniceus71 does not leave the eastern ,united ,states8 ,i have1 however1 no intention of writing an essay on bird migration1 and these thoughts are presented merely as preliminary to a study of the life of ,pelican ,island1 of a visit to which they are in part the outcome4 ,pelican ,island is situated midway between the northern and southern extremities of ,indian ,river1 near the eastern shore of a key which here makes the river about three miles wide4 ,it is triangular in shape and contains about three acres of ground1 on which grow a few black mangroves1 a cabbage palm or two1 and great patches of grass2 but at least one fourth of its surface is bare ground4 ,on one of the islands of the near-by ,narrows a few pairs of ,brown ,pelicans are said to have nested1 but1 with this exception1 ,pelican ,island doubtless forms the nesting ground of all the ,pelicans of ,indian ,river4 ,the question why the birds should select this particular island in preference to the scores of others which1 to the human eye1 appear to be equally well suited to their needs1 is a difficult one to answer4 ,perhaps no true selection is shown by the existing birds1 which1 as with many other island-inhabiting species1 may be the survivors of a once more widely distributed species1 who have been preserved by the protection afforded by their island home4 ,such a colony might owe its beginning to a pair of birds who were the true selectors of the site of the future colony4 ,the preserving influences of the situation were potent from the beginning4 ,the first brood reached maturity without mishap1 and in response to the instinct which prompts a bird to return to the region of its birth1 they1 with successive generations1 came back and eventually established the prevailing conditions4 ,the attachment of these ,pelicans for their home affords a remarkable illustration of the power of habit4 ,ever since the ,indian ,river region has been subject to annual invasion by tourists1 among whom the man with the gun is conspicuous both by numbers and actions1 the inhabitants of ,pelican ,island have been wantonly and1 on occasions1 brutally persecuted4 ,scarcely a day passes during ,february and ,march that one or more boat loads of tourists1 perhaps from the mainland or a passing yacht1 do not land on ,pelican ,island and thoughtlessly cause the death of many young birds by driving them from the vicinity of their nests2 or1 by frightening the brooding birds1 they expose the newly hatched and naked nestlings to the roasting rays of the sun4 ,the harm caused by these visitors1 however1 is not to be compared to that wrought by so-called 8sportsmen10 who1 in defiance of every law of manhood1 have gone to ,pelican ,island and killed thousands of the birds simply because they afforded a ready mark for their guns4 ,they had not even the excuse of a demand upon their skill1 and must indeed have been very near the level of the brute to have found pleasure in killing birds which the merest novice with a gun would find it difficult to miss4 ,perhaps even worse than this exhibition of pure savagery are the raids of the self-styled 8ologists10 who1 in the name of science--save the mark6--have journeyed to ,pelican ,island with the express purpose of taking every egg they could lay their insatiable fingers upon1 afterward to boast1 in some journal devoted to reporting similar crimes1 of the hundreds they had collected in so many hours4 ,so persistently have the ,pelicans been molested that at times they have been foiled to desert their beloved island2 but they have exhibited their attachment for it by establishing themselves on the nearest available islet1 and on the first opportunity have returned to their native land4 ,it was in ,march1 #ahih1 that my best assistant and ,i boarded the little sloop which was to take us to ,pelican ,island4 ,fortunately the birds were now in possession of their ancestral domain1 and1 as we approached1 files of ,pelicans were seen returning from fishing expeditions1 platoons were resting on the sandy points1 some were bathing1 others sailing in broad circles high overhead4 ,soon we could hear the sound of many voices--a medley of strange cries in an unknown tongue4 ,arriving and departing on wings1 the inhabitants of ,pelican ,island have little need of deep water harbors1 and we were obliged to anchor our sloop about a hundred yards from the island and go ashore in a small boat4 ,illustration3 #aja4 ,pelicans on ground nests4 ,no traveler ever entered the gates of a foreign city with greater expectancy than ,i felt as ,i stepped from my boat on the muddy edge of this ,city of the ,pelicans4 ,the old birds1 without a word of protest1 deserted their homes1 leaving their eggs and young at my mercy4 ,but the young were as abusive and threatening as their parents were silent and unresisting4 ,some were on the ground1 others in the bushy mangroves1 some were coming from the egg1 others were learning to fly2 but one and all--in a chorus of croaks1 barks1 and screams1 which rings in my ears whenever ,i think of the experience--united in demanding that ,i leave the town4 ,if ,i approached too near1 their cries were doubled in violence and accompanied by vicious lunges with their bills1 which were snapped together with a pistol-like report4#ajb ,as ,i walked from tree to tree1 examining the noisy young birds that were climbing about the branches1 ,i seemed to be passing from cage to cage in a zological garden2 and as ,i entered that part of the island where the nests were on the ground1#aja every bird that could walk left its home1 and soon ,i was driving a great flock of young ,pelicans1 all screaming at the tops of their voices4 ,illustration3 #ajb4 ,interviewing a group of young ,pelicans4 ,illustration3 #ajc4 ,among the ,pelicans4 ,the old birds1 in the meantime1 were resting on the water4 ,they might have been unpleasant foes1 but in their stately1 dignified way they accepted the situation1 and waited in silence for us to retire4 ,then they at once returned to their nests1 and in a short time comparative quiet was restored on the island4 ,this is a sketch of life in the ,pelicans' metropolis as one sees it during a brief visit1 and all the accounts of the island ,i have seen were based on just such an experience4 ,consequently1 ,i shall relate here what was learned of the ,pelicans and their home during four days passed with them4 ,illustration3 #ajd4 ,head and pouch of ,brown ,pelican4 ,from a fresh specimen4 ,during no hour of the twenty-four did silence reign on ,pelican ,island2 if ,i went on deck at midnight1 the notes of some complaining or pugnacious young ,pelicans1 who in their sleep had come into too close quarters1 were sure to be heard4 ,but the ,pelicans' day began at early dawn1 when ,i could distinguish the diagonal files of from two to a dozen birds solemnly and silently starting out for the fishing grounds4 ,one might think that1 like a boat's crew1 their strokes were controlled by a coxswain1 as in perfect unison they all flapped their broad wings for about ten beats1 and then spread them and sailed for as many seconds4 ,illustration3 #aje4 ,same as ,no4 #ajd1 seen from above1 to show extent to which sides of the lower bill are spread4 ,generally they headed for the ocean1 there to follow the line of the beach1 sometimes high in the air1 at others low over the curling surf1 as their progress was aided or retarded by the wind4 ,how far they went ,i can not say1 but at a point ten miles north of ,pelican ,island many have been seen still winging their way to the northward1 doubtless to some point where fish were abundant4 ,not once during the four days passed off ,pelican ,island did ,i see a ,pelican fishing over the surrounding waters4 ,it was not because they were lacking in fish1 for they contained a plentiful supply of food2 and ,i could explain the unexpected abstinence of the birds only on the supposition that the fish in the immediate vicinity of the nesting ground were left for the early efforts of the young birds before they were strong enough of wing to accompany their parents to distant fishing grounds4 ,brown ,pelicans fish at a height of from twenty to thirty feet above the water1 not hovering1 but flying slowly about1 and without a moment's pause plunging on their prey with a force which would produce serious results if the bird's breast were not well padded with cellular tissue between the skin and the flesh4 ,i observed that when the young birds struck at me the movement was accompanied by a widening or bowing out of the sides of the lower mandible1 and it is doubtless the same muscular effort which turns the pouch of the diving ,pelican into a scoop net1 as it were1 with an elliptical ring4#aje ,by sunrise most of the fishers appeared to have departed1 and at this time1 whether because of the absence of so many of the adults or because it was their breakfast hour1 a swarm of ,fish ,crows came from the mainland1 apparently from both sides of the river1 seeking what they might devour in the way of eggs or young ,pelicans1 and departing after several hours' feasting4 ,about eight o'clock the fishers began to appear1 coming1 as they went1 in dignified lines1 which broke up as they reached the island1 each bird going to its young4 ,then the outcry began1 and the ensuing two hours were the noisiest of the day4 ,pelicans are so well able to supply the wants of their families that1 unlike smaller birds who bring to their ever-hungry broods only a mouthful at a time1 they are not forced to feed their young at short intervals throughout the day1 but the morning meal concluded1 they do not again have to provide for their nestlings until afternoon4 ,immediately after breakfast1 therefore1 the parent birds went out into the bay to bathe1 and the flapping of their wings as they dashed the water over themselves could be heard at a great distance4 ,the bath concluded1 the birds gathered in rows on the sand bars jutting out from the island1 to vigorously preen their feathers1 and doze in the sun2 and then1 at irregular intervals1 bird after bird1 prompted apparently purely by a love of exercise1 or tempted by a possible resulting exhilaration1 mounted slowly into the air until they had attained a great height1 when1 spreading their wings1 they sailed majestically about on broad circles for hours at a time4 ,i was at first inclined to connect this habit with the season of courtship1 but observing several birds of the year1 who had but recently learned to fly1 join their elders1 ,i came to the conclusion that the habit had no sexual significance1 and was indulged in solely because the birds enjoyed it4 ,in the afternoon the fishing parties again started out1 and after the resulting catch had been delivered to the clamoring young1 the ,pelican's day's work was concluded1 and he betook himself to his favorite roost for the night4 ,at dark a few ,cormorants returned to the branches of a dead tree1 a single ,frigate1 after carefully and repeatedly reconnoitering the situation1 decided to take lodgings on a neighboring stub1 and a ,pelican ,island day was ended4 ,whether1 as in the case of the ,terns and ,gannets previously mentioned1 the ,pelicans all return to their island on a certain day ,i can not say4 ,probably1 however1 the short duration of their migratory journey1 and the fact that they come from both the north and the south1 prevents them from joining many other birds en route4 ,however1 apparently most of the birds are warned at nearly the same time by a physiological change that the season has come for them to return to their nesting grounds4 ,this is evidently in ,january1 since in ,march a large number of the young on the island were found almost ready to fly1 while some1 as has been said1 were already on the wing4 ,there was1 it is true1 a great variation in the development of the young found1 and indeed the birds were still laying1 but ,i believe that the parents of these later broods had been robbed of their eggs by tourists4 ,a careful count yielded a total of #hde nests1 which had evidently been built during the season1 but only #bea of them were occupied4 ,most of the vacant nests were on the ground1 and had been deserted by their tenants1 who were now running about the island4 ,the #bea occupied nests contained eggs or young1 as follows3 #ee nests with #a egg each2 #fc #b eggs #bc #c #fc #a young each2 #df #b #a nest #c ,incubation was found to be well advanced in eggs which were alone in their nest1 showing either that one egg sometimes composes the set1 or that the other eggs of the set had been destroyed4 ,the fact that one nest was found with three young while twenty-three were found each containing three eggs1 would indicate a high mortality among the young birds2 and1 indeed1 no less than #id dead young were counted4 ,most of these1 however1 were birds which were old enough to leave the nest1 and death was doubtless due to the thoughtlessness of tourist visitors1 who chase the young about until they fall from exhaustion1 or are driven too far to find their way home4 ,estimating the number of young birds which had left the #eid deserted nests at #hia--which would be an average of one and a half birds to the nest--and adding two parent birds to each nest1 we have #b1eha birds on wing and on foot4 ,but this number is to be increased by the #aeb young that were still in their nests1 making the probable total population of ,pelican ,island #b1gcf4 ,this calculation1 however1 does not take into account the eggs1 from which almost hourly came new inhabitants of the island2 and it is with these eggs1 or rather with the nest in which they are placed1 that we may begin a brief outline of the young ,pelican's development4 ,the ,pelican1 although a low type of bird1 is altricial1 the young1 unlike the offspring of ,gulls1 ,ducks1 or ,snipe1 being hatched in a helpless condition4 ,the nest1 therefore1 is not only an incubator where with heat from the parent bird the eggs are hatched1 but it is a cradle for the young4 ,consequently1 ,pelicans' nests are unusually complicated structures as compared with the dwellings of other birds equally low in the evolutionary scale4 ,there was a very interesting and constant relation between the character of the nest and its site1 ground nests being composed largely or entirely of long grasses1 while those nests which were placed in the trees were made of sticks and were lined with grasses1 the nest proper being erected on a platform of larger sticks laid from crotch to crotch in the bushes in such a manner as to form a broad1 firm foundation1 though1 structurally1 it was not a part of the nest1 which could be lifted without removing the platform4 ,illustration3 #ajf4 ,newly hatched ,pelicans4 ,ground nest4 ,the difference between the nests of straw#ajf and those of sticks#ajg were so marked that it seems probable their makers regularly selected sites on the ground or in the trees respectively4 ,or1 assuming that the same individuals might build a stick nest in the bushes one year and a straw nest on the ground the next1 we have an unusual variation in the character of the nest of the same species4 ,in the case of the ,fish ,hawks of ,plumb ,island the birds evinced an appreciation of the protection afforded them by the owner of the island by often placing their nests on the ground4 ,photographs of these nests1 however1 made by ,dr4 ,c4 ,s4 ,allen1 show that the birds employed as much material when nesting on the ground as when nesting in trees1 the eggs on the ground being surrounded by a useless mass of large sticks4 ,certain of the birds1 therefore1 in response to new conditions1 had chosen new nesting sites1 but had not as yet made corresponding changes in the character of their nests4 ,when the nest is completed1 as we have seen1 from one to three eggs are laid4 ,the period of incubation is probably about four weeks1 and a careful listener may detect the presence of a hatching egg by the choking bark which the young ,pelican begins to utter as soon as he has made an opening in the shell which holds him4 ,when he has finally freed himself and appears in the world1 he is about as unattractive a bit of bird life as can well be conceived4#ajf ,his dark1 purple skin is perfectly naked1 he is blind1 and when he is deprived of shade provided by the brooding parent1 he twists restlessly about in the nest1 uttering the same choking bark with which he first greeted the light4 ,even at this early age he displays one of the strong characteristics of the immature ,pelican--a pugnacious disposition4 ,almost before his eyes are open he bites at his nest mates for apparently no other reason than that they come within reach of his bill4 ,soon his eyes open and within a few days a wonderful change begins to take place in his appearance4#ajg ,little bunches of white down sprout all over his body1 and1 growing rapidly1 transform the ugly1 purple-black nestling into a snowy creature clad in softest down4 ,illustration3 #ajg4 ,young ,pelican in tree nest1 showing first appearance of white down4 ,at the same time he has been growing much stronger2 he is able to sit up1#ajh his fighting abilities have greatly increased1 and his voice1 after passing through a rasping k-r-r-r-ing stage1 has become a high1 piercing cry very closely resembling the scream of a child in extreme pain4 ,young ,pelicans uttering this call chiefly made up the chorus one could hear all day and at intervals during the night on ,pelican ,island4 ,pelicans of the same nest never seem to recover from the mutual enmity with which they begin life4 ,quarreling is the normal condition of affairs among the children of a ,pelican family1 and as they always scream loudest when fighting1 one cause for the continuous uproar is evident4 ,another is the question of food1 and just at this point ,i may pause a moment to describe the manner in which the young ,pelicans are fed4 ,illustration3 #ajh4 ,young ,pelican1 downy stage4 ,so far as ,i know1 ,pelicans live wholly on fish1 and the difference between the fare of a young ,pelican and that of its parent is in the size of its finny food4 ,i have seen fish twelve inches long in the throat of an old ,pelican1 while the pouch of a very young bird contained several fishes less than an inch in length4 ,it is plain to be seen1 therefore1 that when an old ,pelican goes fishing for his family he must keep constantly in mind the size of his offspring and bring home little fish for little birds1 larger fish for larger ones4 ,immediately after the parent returns from its fishing expedition1 the young cluster about it and the outcry begins4 ,but the old one takes it very patiently1 sitting quite still until ready to open its creel1 as it were4 ,then he takes a stand if possible a little above the young1 drops his lower bill with its pouch1 when at once the young thrust in their heads to secure their morning's catch4 ,on one occasion ,i saw three half-grown ,pelicans with their heads and necks entirely out of sight in the parent's pouch1 and all were prodding about so vigorously that one would have thought it would be damaged past mending4 ,having been fed1 one might suppose that for a time peace would reign in the ,pelican household2 but1 after emptying their parent's pouch1 the young immediately begin to squabble over the contents of their own4 ,here is real cause for war1 and they grasp each other by the bill and twist and turn like athletes in a test of strength1 seldom1 however1 with serious results4 ,illustration3 #aji4 ,young ,pelican1 wing quills appearing4 ,returning to our sketch of the young ,pelican's growth3 shortly after the acquisition of the white down1 the wing feathers begin to grow4 ,as yet the sprouting feathers are useless1 but with them come strength and courage to leave the nest and to clamber about in search of the foes who perhaps have been mocking him for days1 from their nest on an adjoining limb4 ,in spite of his broadly webbed toes1 he manages to climb about in the bushes with more or less ease2#aji but in this climbing he is greatly aided by his bill4 ,indeed1 if it were not for the safety hook made by the bill1 head1 and neck1 many a young ,pelican would have a premature tumble4 ,as it is1 this hook is often the only thing that saves him if he chances to lose his footing2 catching by the bill and neck he hangs for a moment1 and then1 like a gymnast1 hauls himself up by the aid of his toes4 ,illustration3 #aaj4 ,young ,pelicans1 stage preceding flight4 ,if the young ,pelican's home is on the ground1 at this age he waddles about playing by himself or fighting all comers4 ,he dabbles in the shallow water1 filling his pouch with mud and water1 bits of sticks1 shells1 and weeds2 then dropping the point of his bill downward so that the mud and water ooze out1 he carefully examines the remainder1 piece by piece1 as if to see whether it is palatable4 ,even when alone he sometimes loses his temper4 ,i saw one evidently much annoyed by the appearance of a displaced feather in his wing1 and in a vain effort to catch it he whirled about like a kitten chasing its own tail4 ,but the fast-growing wing plumes soon seem to be a source of inspiration1 rather than of annoyance4 ,the young ,pelicans feel a new and strange power coming to them1 and they stand in the nest and aimlessly wave their now nearly grown wings1 until some day an impulse prompts them to spring into the air4#aaj ,the immediate result is a humiliating tumble1 for ,pelicans1 unlike smaller birds1 must learn to fly4 ,once on the ground he has a safer place to practice1 and with a hop1 skip1 and a flap1 he makes brave efforts to mount skyward4 ,finally he succeeds1 and the awkward nestling becomes a creature of power and grace1 sailing away on broad pinions to join its elders4 ,with this wonderful gift of flight comes a complete change in the ,pelican's character and behavior4 ,from a noisy1 quarrelsome fledgeling1 whose days were passed in screaming and squabbling1 he is transformed into a dignified1 patriarchal-like bird so absolutely voiceless that ,i have never heard a wild ,pelican utter a sound1 nor do ,i know of any one who has2 while in disposition he has become so peaceful that under the strongest provocation he shows no desire to protest4 ,just what has influenced him--who can say8 ,it is one of ,nature's mysteries4 ,but let us hope that the same charm may be exerted on every noisy1 quarrelsome creature4 ,,index ,audubon1 ,j4 ,j41 #aee4 ,auk1 ,razorbilled1 on ,bird ,rock1 #afg1 #afi2 tameness of1 #agj2 nesting of1 #agf2 young of1 #agf4 ,the1 #aed4 ,bayberries1 #bf4 ,bird-,lore1 #i4 ,bird photography1 definition of1 #a2 scientific value of1 #a1 #cd2 charm of1 #c1 #ci2 outfit for1 #f2 methods of1 #bf4 ,bird ,rock1 #acj1 #aej1 #aeb4 ,birds1 adult1 photographing1 #cc4 ,young1 photographing1 #cb2 return of1 to nesting ground1 #aib4 ,bittern1 ,american1 #bi1 #gj4 ,least1 haunts of1 #fb2 mode of progression of1 #fb2 notes of1 #fc1 #gb2 nest of1 #fe2 protective mimicry of1 #fg2 courage of1 #fh2 eggs of1 destroyed by ,marsh ,wren1 #gb2 intelligence of1 #ge2 eating eggs1 #ge4 ,blackbird1 ,red-winged1 #bf1 #fi1 #gj1 #id1 #aid4 ,blinds1 #bc4 ,bobolink1 #ie1 #ajj1 #aid4 ,bonaventure ,island1 #acj1 #ach1 #aci1 #ada4 ,bourque1 ,captain ,peter1 #afd4 ,brewster1 ,william1 #fc1 #ajc1 #acc1 #afj4 ,bryant1 ,dr4 ,henry1 #aei4 ,bryon ,island1 #aeb1 #afb4 ,bulb1 #ba1 #bb4 ,canadian ,government1 #ahi4 ,cartier1 ,jacques1 #aed4 ,cape ,breton1 #aeb4 ,catbird1 #cg4 ,cat-tails1 #ij4 ,camera1 uses of1 #a-d2 kinds of1 #f4 ,hand1 #h2 ,kearton's1 #g2 long-focus1 #g2 reflecting1 #h2 twin-lens1 #h2 snap-shot1 #h2 dummy1 #ce2 triumph of1 #aga4 ,cameras used in ,gulf of ,st4 ,lawrence1 #acc4 ,cannon1 #afj4 ,chickadee1 tameness of1 #dg2 in ,central ,park1 #dh2 photographing1 #di2 alighting on hand1 #ea2 nesting of1 #eb2 habits of1 when nesting1 #ec-ee2 young of1 #eg-fa4 ,chuck-will's-widow1 #adf4 ,civilization1 effects of1 on wild life1 #abh4 ,clamp1 ball-and-socket1 #bb1 #bd1 #bi4 ,cliff photography1 #be4 ,climbers1 #bd4 ,codfishing1 #acf4 ,cormorants1 ,double-crested1 #acb4 ,corncrake1 #adf4 ,cornel1 #adb4 ,crane1 #he4 ,crow1 #fe4 ,dalhousie1 #adf4 ,dark-cloth1 #bd4 ,deer1 #be4 ,dogwood1 #bf4 ,enlargements1 photographic1 #g1 #ab1 #ac4 ,finch1 ,pine1 #acg4 ,finders1 #h4 ,flash-light1 #be4 ,flicker1 #ad4 ,food1 photographing1 #bf4 ,galapagos1 #abi4 ,gallinule1 ,florida1 #fc1 #fi-ga4 ,gannets1 on ,bonaventure1 #aci1 #adc-ade2 destruction of1 by ,cartier1 #aed2 described by ,audubon1 #aeg2 killed for bait1 #aeh2 number of1 #aei2 decrease of1 #afj2 on ,bird ,bock1 #aga1 #aha-ahc2 photographing1 #ahg2 fearlessness of1 #ahg2 manner of feeding1 #ahg4 ,grand ,entry1 #adg4 ,grebe1 ,pied-billed1 #fi1 #gj4 ,gregory1 ,j4 ,u41 #afc4 ,grosse ,isle1 #adg4 ,guillemots1 #adi4 ,gulf of ,st4 ,lawrence1 ,bird ,rocks of1 #abh1 #abi4 ,gull1 ,black-backed1 #adg4 ,herring1 on ,perc ,rock1 #acd2 feeding in fields1 #acf2 nesting on cliffs1 #acg2 note of1 #acg4 ,hackensack marshes1 value of1 #hi2 beauty of1 #hi2 geological history of1 #hi2 flowers of1 #ij1 #ib2 animal life of1 #ic4 ,haunts1 photographing1 #bf4 ,hawk1 ,marsh1 #bi-ca1 #ib4 ,hen1 ,heath1 #aji4 ,moor1 #gj4 ,water1 #gj4 ,heron1 ,great ,blue1 killing of1 #he2 wildness of1 #hf2 rookeries of1 #hf2 nests of1 #hg4 ,night1 rookery of1 #gf2 call of1 #gg2 protection of1 #gg2 nests of1 #gh2 food of1 #gh2 limy deposits of1 killing vegetation1 #gh2 young of1 #gi2 death of young of1 #ha2 feeding by parents1 #ha2 fall from nest1 #ha4 ,home photography1 #dj4 ,howe1 ,r4 ,,ii1 ,jr41 #abc4 ,iconoscope1 #h4 ,inaccessible ,island1 #abi4 ,iris1 #adb4 ,islands1 preserving influences of1 #ajh1 #abh4 ,jay1 ,blue1 #db4 ,junco1 #db1 #acg4 ,kearton brothers1 #g1 #bc1 #be4 ,kerguelen ,island1 #abi4 ,kittiwake1 on ,perc ,rock1 #acc2 calling1 #agb2 on ,bird ,rock1 #agg2 nests and young of1 #agg2 number of1 on ,bird ,rock1 #ahc4 ,lantern slides1 #g4 ,laysan ,island1 #abi4 ,lens1 the1 #aj4 ,tests1 #ad-ai4 ,little ,bird ,rock1 #aec4 ,loon1 #gj4 ,lucas1 ,f4 ,a41 #aed4 ,mackay1 ,george ,,ii1 #abc1 #aib4 ,magdalen ,islands1 #acj1 #adf4 ,marsh ,birds1 notes of1 #gj4 ,mallow1 #ib1 #ic4 ,mystery of1 #gj4 ,maryland ,yellow-throat1 #bi1 #ch4 ,massachusetts3 ,boston1 #db2 ,cambridge1 #fc2 ,martha's ,vineyard1 #aji2 ,muskeget1 #aji2 ,penikese1 #ajh1 #abb-abg2 ,weepeckets1 #aji2 ,wood's ,holl1 #aji4 ,maynard1 ,c4 ,j41 #afj4 ,mc,kinlay1 ,james1 #adf4 ,migration1 #bg2 speculations on origin of1 #aia-aie4 ,mirror1 #bd4 ,mount ,st4 ,anne1 #acg4 ,murre1 ,brnnich's1 #afi2 number of1 on ,bird ,rock1 #ahc4 ,common1 #afi2 number of1 on ,bird ,rock1 #ahc4 ,ringed1 #agd4 ,eggs and young of1 destroyed1 #afj1 #afa2 on ,bryon1 #afb2 on ,bird ,rock1 #afg2 tameness of1 #agj2 eggs of1 #agd1 #age2 young of1 #age2 number of1 on ,bird ,rock1 #ahb4 ,nests and ,eggs1 photographing1 #bh4 ,new ,jersey3 ,englewood1 #eb2 ,hackensack ,marshes1 #hi4 ,new ,york3 ,central ,park1 #dh2 ,cayuga ,county1 #fe1 #fi1 #hf2 ,great ,gull ,island1 #ajh2 ,long ,island1 #ajg4 ,nuthatch1 #db4 ,ologists1 #fe4 ,owl1 use of1 in photographing birds1 #cg4 ,barred1 #df4 ,screech1 photographing1 #dd2 calls of1 #dd1 #de2 food of1 #de2 manner of feeding of1 #de2 young of1 #de4 ,short-eared1 #di4 ,pelican1 ,brown1 #adf2 returning to ,pelican ,island1 #aib1 #aie2 persecution of1 #aie1 #aif2 daily habits of1 #aig-aii1 #bjb2 pugnacity and calls of young of1 #aih1 #aij2 flight of1 #bjj2 manner of fishing of1 #bja2 pouch of1 #bja2 number of1 on ,pelican ,island1 #bjd1 #bje2 nesting of1 #bje-bjg2 development and habits of young of1 #bjg-bac2 feeding of1 #baj2 voicelessness of adult of1 #bac4 ,island1 #aia-bad4 ,pennsylvania3 ,presque ,isle1 #fd4 ,perc1 isolation of1 #acj2 charm of1 #ace4 ,rock1 #acj2 size of1 #acb2 birds of1 #acb1 #acc1 #ace4 ,petrel1 ,leach's1 on ,bird ,rock1 #agi2 nesting of1 #ahj2 young of1 #aha2 call of1 #ahe2 habits of1 at night1 #ahe4 ,pictou1 #adf4 ,plates1 photographic1 #bb4 ,puffins1 on ,bryon1 #afb2 on ,bird ,rock1 #afi1 #agj2 nesting1 #agg2 ferocity of1 #agh2 appearance of1 #agi2 number of1 on ,bird ,rock1 #ahb4 ,raven1 #acg4 ,rail1 ,clapper1 #gj4 ,sora1 #ie1 #ajj4 ,razorbills1 on ,bird ,rock1 #afg1 #afi2 tameness of1 #agj2 nesting of1 #agf2 young of1 #agf2 number of1 on ,bird ,rock1 #ahc4 ,red ,cedar1 #bf4 ,reedbird1 #bf1 #ie4 ,robin1 #bb1 #aia4 ,rowley1 ,john1 #i4 ,sable ,island1 #aia4 ,screen for nest photography1 #ca4 ,seasons1 photographing1 #bg4 ,shelbourne1 ,w4 ,e41 #adi1 #agc4 ,shiras1 ,g4 ,a41 #be4 ,shutter1 curtain1 #i2 focal-plane1 #i1 #bj2 iris1 #ai2 unicum1 #ae1 #bj4 ,snow1 photographing after1 #da4 ,sparrow1 ,fox1 #adi4 ,house1 photographing1 #dj1 #dc2 notes of1 #da2 intelligence of1 #dj1 #dc4 ,ipswich1 #aia4 ,savanna1 #acg4 ,swamp1 #ie1 #ajj4 ,white-throated1 #acg1 #adb4 ,swallow1 ,bank1 #if4 ,barn1 #if4 ,eave1 #if4 ,rough-winged1 #if4 ,tree1 nesting site of1 #bi2 range of1 #if2 in ,hackensack marshes1 #if2 roosting habits of1 #if2 evening and morning flights of1 #ig-aja2 bathing in trees1 #aja2 exhibiting procreative and nesting habits prematurely1 #ajc2 migration of1 #ajd4 ,tabor1 ,e4 ,g41 #fe4 ,taker1 ,captain ,hubbard1 #aea1 #afc1 #ahf1 #ahi4 ,telephoto1 #ab1 #ag4 ,tern1 ,arctic1 #aaa4 ,common1 #aji2 nesting of1 #aaj1 #aab2 action of colony of1 #aaa2 notes of1 #aaa1 #aag2 bravery of1 #aaa2 young of1 #aab-aad1 #aah1 #abb1 #abe2 returning to nest1 #aae2 photographing1 #aaf1 #aag2 hearing of1 #abj2 on sheep1 #abc4 ,roseate1 on ,weepeckets1 #aji1 #aaj2 note of1 #aaa2 on ,penikese1 #abc4 ,terns1 uses of1 #ajf2 grace and beauty of1 #ajf2 destruction of1 #ajg2 on islands1 #ajh2 protection of1 #ajh1 #abg4 ,thrush1 ,wood1 #ci4 ,towhee1 #ch4 ,tree trunk1 artificial1 #bc1 #cf4 ,tripod1 #bb1 #bh4 ,tubing1 #bb4 ,twin-flower1 #adb4 ,vireo1 ,red-eyed1 #ci4 ,white-eyed1 #ci4 ,yellow-throated1 #ci4 ,virginia3 ,cobb's ,island1 #ajg4 ,warbler1 ,blue-winged1 #ch4 ,chestnut-sided1 #ch4 ,wild cherry1 #bf4 ,wild rice1 #ib1 #id4 ,winter1 feeding birds in1 #db4 ,woodcock1 #bf4 ,woodpecker1 ,downy1 #db4 ,wren1 ,long-billed ,marsh1 #fi1 #gb1 #id4 ,,the ,,end ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,by ,,frank ,m4 ,,chapman4 ,bird ,studies with a ,camera4 ,with ,introductory ,chapters on the ,outfit and ,methods of the ,bird ,photographer4 ,by ,,frank ,m4 ,,chapman1 ,assistant ,curator of ,vertebrate ,zology in the ,american ,museum of ,natural ,history2 ,author of 8,handbook of ,birds of ,eastern ,north ,america0 and 8,bird-,life40 ,illustrated with over #ajj ,photographs from ,nature by the ,author4 #abmo4 ,cloth1 #a4ge4 ,bird students and photographers will find that this book possesses for them a unique interest and value4 ,it contains fascinating accounts of the habits of some of our common birds and descriptions of the largest bird colonies existing in eastern ,north ,america2 while its author's phenomenal success in photographing birds in ,nature not only lends to the illustrations the charm of realism1 but makes the book a record of surprising achievements with the camera4 ,the book is practical as well as descriptive1 and in the opening chapters the questions of camera1 lens1 plates1 blinds1 decoys1 and other pertinent matters are fully discussed1 making the work an admirable guide for the camera hunter4 ,bird-,life4 ,a ,guide to the ,study of our ,common ,birds4 ,with #ge full-page ,plates and numerous ,text ,drawings by ,ernest ,seton-,thompson4 ,,library ,,edition1 #abmo1 cloth1 #a4ge2 ,,teachers' ,,edition1 same as ,library ,edition1 but containing an ,appendix1 with new matter designed for the use of teachers1 and including lists of birds for each month of the year1 #abmo1 cloth1 #b4jj4 ,edition with #ge ,colored ,lithographic ,plates1 #hvo1 cloth1 #e4jj4 ,,teachers' ,,manual4 ,to accompany ,portfolios of ,,colored ,,plates of 8,bird-,life40 ,contains the same text as the ,teachers' ,edition of 8,bird-,life10 but is without the #ge uncolored plates4 ,sold only with the ,portfolios1 as follows3 ,portfolio ,no4 ,i4 ,permanent ,residents and ,winter ,visitants4 #cb plates4 ,portfolio ,no4 ,,ii4 ,march and ,april ,migrants4 #bd plates4 ,portfolio ,no4 ,,iii4 ,may ,migrants1 ,types of ,birds' ,eggs1 and #i half-tone plates showing ,types of ,birds' ,nests4 #cd ,plates4 ,price of ,portfolios1 each1 #a4be2 with the ,,manual1 #b4jj2 the three ,portfolios1 with the ,,manual1 #d4jj4 ,handbook of ,birds of ,eastern ,north ,america4 ,with ,keys to the ,species1 ,descriptions of their ,plumages1 ,nests1 etc41 and their ,distribution and ,migrations4 ,with over #bjj ,illustrations4 #abmo4 ,,library ,,edition1 #c4jj2 ,,pocket ,,edition1 flexible covers1 #c4ej4 ,d4 ,,appleton ,,and ,,company',s ,,publications4 ,,familiar ,,life ,,in ,,field ,,and ,,forest4 ,by ,f4 ,,schuyler ,,mathews4 ,uniform with 8,familiar ,flowers10 8,familiar ,trees10 and 8,familiar ,features of the ,roadside40 ,with many ,illustrations4 #abmo4 ,cloth1 #a4ge4 ,the great popularity of ,mr4 ,f4 ,schuyler ,mathews's charmingly illustrated books upon flowers1 trees1 and roadside life insures a cordial reception for his forthcoming book1 which describes the animals1 reptiles1 insects1 and birds commonly met with in the country4 ,his book will be found a most convenient and interesting guide to an acquaintance with common wild creatures4 ,,familiar ,,features ,,of ,,the ,,roadside4 ,by ,f4 ,,schuyler ,,mathews1 author of 8,familiar ,flowers of ,field and ,garden10 8,familiar ,trees and their ,leaves10 etc4 ,with #acj ,illustrations by the ,author4 #abmo4 ,cloth1 #a4ge4 8,which one of us1 whether afoot1 awheel1 on horseback1 or in comfortable carriage1 has not whiled away the time by glancing about8 ,how many of us1 however1 have taken in the details of what charms us8 ,we see the flowering fields and budding woods1 listen to the notes of birds and frogs1 the hum of some big bumblebee1 but how much do we know of what we sense8 ,these questions1 these doubts have occurred to all of us1 and it is to answer them that ,mr4 ,mathews sets forth4 ,it is to his credit that he succeeds so well4 ,he puts before us in chronological order the flowers1 birds1 and beasts we meet on our highway and byway travels1 tells us how to recognize them1 what they are really like1 and gives us at once charming drawings in words and lines1 for ,mr4 ,mathews is his own illustrator40--,boston ,journal4 ,,familiar ,,trees ,,and ,,their ,,leaves4 ,by ,f4 ,,schuyler ,,mathews1 author of 8,familiar ,flowers of ,field and ,garden10 8,the ,beautiful ,flower ,garden10 etc4 ,illustrated with over #bjj ,drawings from ,nature by the ,author1 and giving the botanical names and habitat of each tree and recording the precise character and coloring of its leafage4 #abmo4 ,cloth1 #a4ge4 8,it is not often that we find a book which deserves such unreserved commendation4 ,it is commendable for several reasons3 it is a book that has been needed for a long time1 it is written in a popular and attractive style1 it is accurately and profusely illustrated1 and it is by an authority on the subject of which it treats40--,public ,opinion4 ,,familiar ,,flowers ,,of ,,field ,,and ,,garden4 ,by ,f4 ,,schuyler ,,mathews4 ,illustrated with #bjj ,drawings by the ,author4 #abmo4 ,library ,edition1 cloth1 #a4ge2 ,pocket ,edition1 flexible morocco1 #b4be4 8,a book of much value and interest1 admirably arranged for the student and the lover of flowers4444 ,the text is full of compact information1 well selected and interestingly presented4444 ,it seems to us to be a most attractive handbook of its kind40--,new ,york ,sun4 ,,the ,,art ,,of ,,taxidermy4 ,by ,,john ,,rowley1 ,chief of the ,department of ,taxidermy in the ,american ,museum of ,natural ,history4 ,illustrated4 #abmo4 ,cloth1 #b4jj4 ,mr4 ,rowley has introduced new features into the art which have not been described in print before1 and his book represents the latest advances in taxidermy as an art and as a science4 ,he takes a hunting party to the ,canadian woods in his opening chapter1 and gives a series of vivid pictures of actual field work4 ,this is followed by a series of careful explanations of the proper treatment of animals1 large and small1 of birds1 and heads4 ,the many lovers of outdoor sport who are interested as amateurs in the various phases of taxidermy will find their requirements fully met1 while to professional taxidermists this important and comprehensive work will be indispensable4 ,it is elaborately illustrated4 ,,insect ,,life4 ,by ,,john ,,henry ,,comstock1 ,professor of ,entomology in ,cornell ,university4 ,with ,illustrations by ,anna ,botsford ,comstock1 member of the ,society of ,american ,wood ,engravers4 #abmo4 ,library ,edition1 cloth1 #b4ej2 ,teachers' and ,students' ,edition1 #a4ej4 8,any one who will go through the work with fidelity will be rewarded by a knowledge of insect life which will be of pleasure and benefit to him at all seasons1 and will give an increased charm to the days or weeks spent each summer outside of the great cities4 ,it is the best book of its class which has yet appeared40--,new ,york ,mail and ,express4 8,the arrangement of the lessons and experiments and the advice on collection and manipulation are only some of the very admirable features of a work that must take first place in the class to which it belongs40--,philadelphia ,press4 8,the volume is admirably written1 and the simple and lucid style is a constant delight4444 ,it is sure to serve an excellent purpose in the direction of popular culture1 and the love of natural science which it will develop in youthful minds can hardly fail to bear rich fruit40--,boston ,beacon4 ,,outlines ,,of ,,the ,,earth',s ,,history4 ,by ,prof4 ,n4 ,s4 ,,shaler1 of ,harvard ,university4 ,illustrated4 #abmo4 ,cloth1 #a4ge4 8,any one who reads the preliminary chapters will not stop until he has read the entire book4 ,the subject is certainly one of supreme interest1 and it would be hard to find any one more competent to write about it than ,professor ,shaler40--,new ,york ,herald4 8,professor ,shaler fortunately possesses a popular style1 and what he writes on a scientific topic is entertaining as well as instructive4 ,this book is illustrated with a number of splendid full-page cuts1 which admirably illuminate the work40--,boston ,globe4 8,professor ,shaler1 of ,harvard1 in the well-worded text and the handsome illustrations1 presents an interesting and instructive volume to the students of physiography4 ,it is a simple study of the earth's history1 revealing ,nature's processes and its continuous and increasing1 unceasing energies4 ,it is well calculated to arouse an interest in geological study1 as it furnishes the key to unlock some of the great mysteries the student meets in this broad field of science4444 ,he explains many curious phenomena4 ,the work is very free from technicalities1 and is so plainly told as to be easily understood by every intellectual reader40--,chicago ,inter-,ocean4 ,,appletons' ,,home-,,reading ,,books4 ,edited by ,w4 ,t4 ,,harris1 ,a4 ,m41 ,,ll4 ,d41 ,u4 ,s4 ,commissioner of ,education4 ,,classed ,,in ,,four ,,divisions1 ,,as ,,follows3 ,,the ,,first comprises natural history1 including popular treatises on plants and animals1 and also descriptions of geographical localities1 all of which pertain to the study of geography in the common schools4 ,descriptive astronomy1 and anything that relates to organic ,nature1 comes under this head4 ,,the ,,second includes whatever relates to natural philosophy1 statics1 dynamics1 properties of matter1 and chemistry1 organic and inorganic4 ,,the ,,third covers history1 biography1 ethnology1 ethics1 civics1 and all that relates to the lives of individuals or of nations4 ,,the ,,fourth1 works of general literature that portray human nature in the form of feelings1 emotions1 and the various expressions of art and music4 ,net4 ,the ,story of the ,birds4 ,j4 ,n4 ,,baskett #j4fe ,the ,story of the ,fishes4 ,j4 ,n4 ,,baskett 4#ge ,the ,plant ,world4 ,,frank ,,vincent 4#fj ,the ,animal ,world4 ,,frank ,,vincent 4#fj ,the ,insect ,world4 ,c4 ,m4 ,,weed 4#fj ,the ,story of ,oliver ,twist4 ,,ella ,b4 ,,kirk 4#fj ,the ,story of ,rob ,roy4 ,,edith ,t4 ,,harris 4#fj ,in ,brook and ,bayou4 ,,clara ,,kern ,,bayliss 4#fj ,curious ,homes and their ,tenants4 ,,james ,,carter ,,beard 4#fe ,crusoe's ,island4 ,f4 ,a4 ,,ober 4#fe ,uncle ,sam's ,secrets4 ,o4 ,p4 ,,austin 4#ge ,the ,hall of ,shells4 ,mrs4 ,a4 ,s4 ,,hardy 4#fj ,nature ,study ,readers4 ,j4 ,w4 ,,troeger4 ,harold's ,first ,discoveries4 ,book ,i 4#be ,harold's ,rambles4 ,book ,,ii 4#dj ,harold's ,quests4 ,book ,,iii 4#ej ,harold's ,explorations4 ,book ,,iv ,harold's ,discussions4 ,book ,v ,uncle ,robert's ,geography4 ,,francis ,w4 ,,parker and ,,nellie ,l4 ,,helm4 ,playtime and ,seedtime4 ,book ,i 4#cb ,on the ,farm4 ,book ,,ii 4#db ,uncle ,robert's ,visit4 ,book ,,iii 4#ej ,rivers and ,winds4 ,book ,,iv ,mountain1 ,plain1 and ,desert4 ,book ,v ,our ,own ,continent4 ,book ,,vi ,news from the ,birds4 ,,leander ,s4 ,,keyser 4#fj ,historic ,boston and its ,neighborhood4 ,,edward ,,everett ,,hale 4#ej ,the ,earth and ,sky4 ,,edward ,s4 ,,holden 4#bh ,the ,family of the ,sun4 ,,edward ,s4 ,,holden 4#ej ,stories of the ,great ,astronomers4 ,,edward ,s4 ,,holden 4#ge ,about the ,weather4 ,,mark ,w4 ,,harrington 4#fe ,stories from the ,arabian ,nights4 ,,adam ,,singleton 4#fe ,our ,country's ,flag and the ,flags of ,foreign ,countries4 ,,edward ,s4 ,,holden 4#hj ,our ,navy in ,time of ,war4 ,,franklin ,,matthews 4#ge ,the ,chronicles of ,sir ,john ,froissart4 ,,adam ,,singleton 4#fe ,the ,storied ,west ,indies4 ,f4 ,a4 ,,ober 4#ge ,uncle ,sam's ,soldiers4 ,o4 ,p4 ,,austin 4#ge ,others in preparation4 ,,the ,,library ,,of ,,useful ,,stories4 ,illustrated4 #afmo4 ,cloth1 #dj cents per volume4 ,,now ,,ready4 ,the ,story of the ,alphabet4 ,by ,,edward ,,clodd4 ,the ,story of ,eclipses4 ,by ,g4 ,f4 ,,chambers4 ,the ,story of the ,living ,machine4 ,by ,h4 ,w4 ,,conn4 ,the ,story of the ,british ,race4 ,by ,,john ,,munro1 ,c4 ,e4 ,the ,story of ,geographical ,discovery4 ,by ,,joseph ,,jacobs4 ,the ,story of the ,cotton ,plant4 ,by ,f4 ,,wilkinson1 ,f4,g4,s4 ,the ,story of the ,mind4 ,by ,prof4 ,j4 ,,mark ,,baldwin4 ,the ,story of ,photography4 ,by ,,alfred ,t4 ,,story4 ,the ,story of ,life in the ,seas4 ,by ,,sidney ,j4 ,,hickson4 ,the ,story of ,germ ,life4 ,by ,prof4 ,h4 ,w4 ,,conn4 ,the ,story of the ,earth's ,atmosphere4 ,by ,,douglas ,,archibald4 ,the ,story of ,extinct ,civilizations of the ,east4 ,by ,,robert ,,anderson1 ,m4 ,a41 ,f4 ,a4 ,s4 ,the ,story of ,electricity4 ,by ,,john ,,munro1 ,c4 ,e4 ,the ,story of a ,piece of ,coal4 ,by ,e4 ,a4 ,,martin1 ,f4,g4,s4 ,the ,story of the ,solar ,system4 ,by ,c4 ,f4 ,,chambers1 ,f4 ,r4 ,a4 ,s4 ,the ,story of the ,earth4 ,by ,h4 ,g4 ,,seeley1 ,f4,r4,s4 ,the ,story of the ,plants4 ,by ,,grant ,,allen4 ,the ,story of 8,primitive0 ,man4 ,by ,,edward ,,clodd4 ,the ,story of the ,stars4 ,by ,g4 ,f4 ,,chambers1 ,f4 ,r4 ,a4 ,s4 ,,others ,,in ,,preparation4 ,,the ,,concise ,,knowledge ,,library ,each1 small #hvo1 half leather1 #b4jj4 ,the ,history of the ,world1 ,from the ,earliest ,historical ,time to the ,year #ahih4 ,by ,,edgar ,,sanderson1 ,m4 ,a41 author of 8,a ,history of the ,british ,empire10 etc4 ,the ,historical ,reference-,book4 ,comprising a ,chronological ,table of ,universal ,history1 a ,chronological ,dictionary of ,universal ,history1 and a ,biographical ,dictionary4 ,with ,geographical ,notes4 ,for the use of ,students1 ,teachers1 and ,readers4 ,by ,,louis ,,heilprin4 ,fifth edition1 revised to #ahih4 ,natural ,history4 ,by ,r4 ,,lydekker1 ,b4 ,a42 ,w4 ,f4 ,,kirby1 ,f4 ,l4 ,s42 ,b4 ,b4 ,,woodward1 ,f4 ,l4 ,s42 ,r4 ,,kirkpatrick2 ,r4 ,i4 ,,pocock2 ,r4 ,,bowdler ,,sharpe1 ,,ll4 ,d42 ,w4 ,,garstang1 ,m4 ,a42 ,f4 ,a4 ,,bather1 ,m4 ,a41 and ,h4 ,m4 ,,bernard1 ,m4 ,a4 ,nearly #hjj pages1 and #ejj ,illustrations drawn especially for this work4 ,astronomy4 ,fully illustrated4 ,by ,,agnes ,m4 ,,clerke1 ,a4 ,,fowler1 ,f4 ,r4 ,a4 ,s41 ,demonstrator of ,astronomical ,physics of the ,royal ,college of ,science1 and ,j4 ,,ellard ,,gore1 ,f4 ,r4 ,a4 ,s4 ,,alaska ,,and ,,the ,,klondike4 ,,by ,,angelo ,,heilprin4 ,a ,journey to the ,new ,eldorado4 ,with ,hints to the ,traveler and ,observations on the ,physical ,history and ,geology of the ,gold ,regions1 the ,condition of and ,methods of ,working the ,klondike ,placers1 and the ,laws ,governing and ,regulating ,mining in the ,northwest ,territory of ,canada4 ,by ,,angelo ,,heilprin1 ,professor of ,geology at the ,academy of ,natural ,sciences of ,philadelphia1 ,fellow of the ,royal ,geographical ,society of ,london1 ,past-,president of the ,geographical ,society of ,philadelphia1 etc4 ,fully illustrated from ,photographs and with a new ,map of the ,gold ,regions4 #abmo4 ,cloth1 #a4ge4 8,will take and retain immediate rank as a contribution of essential value not only to the literature of travel1 but to that of ,american commercial and political development4444 ,should be in the hands of every person interested either in fact or in prospect in ,alaska and the ,klondike40--,brooklyn ,standard-,union4 8,for the first time the new gold fields of the ,north have been dealt with by a scientific man capable of weighing evidence40--,chicago ,evening ,post4 8,presents for the first time a plain1 straightforward story of what he saw1 how he saw it1 the men and things he met1 what the hardships were and how he overcame them4 ,the book is fully illustrated4 ,it is replete with valuable hints and instruction1 and students of the gold problem in ,alaska ought to appreciate it4 ,the entire subject has been developed with extreme care and great thoroughness40--,boston ,globe4 8,it is among the practical books1 everywhere bearing evidence of its reliability4 ,the story of the journey is told with enough of personal incidents and accidents of travel to make every page interesting to the general reader1 and it will be found of practical value to those intending to make the hard journey40--,chicago ,inter-,ocean4 8,mr4 ,heilprin observed ,dawson with the eyes of a student of great scientific attainments1 who had little in common with the crowd of elemental and uncouth men gathered there1 or with their life2 and he noted many things which they themselves probably accepted as matters of course1 besides writing an important scientific treatise40--,boston ,herald4 8,it is noticeably fair-minded in its presentation of facts--the work of a clear-minded and well-trained observer40--,new ,york ,outlook4 8,the first adequate presentation of the ,klondike gold problem made by a geologist40--,new ,york ,mail and ,express4 ,d4 ,,appleton ,,and ,,company1 ,,new ,,york4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,transcriber',s ,,notes ,typos fixed2 non-standard spelling and dialect retained4 ,enclosed italics font in underscores4 ,enclosed bold or blackletter font in equals4 ,the caret 77 serves as a superscript indicator1 applicable to individual characters 7like #b;d7 and even entire phrases 7like #ast74