Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-23

beasts from one who really knew them
and had studied them at first hand.
~
THE beginning of our work Of nature
photography, however. was delayed until
1892, and then it was due to what may
really be called an accident. My young
est brother. Cherry. had Joined me In
London and we were enjoying holiday
together on a farm near the great city
Cherry had just bought little IS camera
and was in the stage when he wanted to
make snapshots of everything In sight.
noticed the nest of thrush. full of eggs.
in an accessible place, and l suggested
that he try his luck with it. He secured
splendid picture and 1t gave me the
idea of writing book on British birds
photographs We did 1t and that was
really the beginning of nature photog-
raphy in Great Britain.
''Since that first exposure We have trav-
eled between thirty and forty thousand
miles by railroad and steamboat In pur-
exposed more than a thousand photo
graphic plates. We have secured pictures
of most of the wild birds and beasts OF
Great Britain in their natural surround
ings. In some cases single picture mas
cost us a week Of waiting and watching
and more than 500 in actual outlay, and
there are one or two shy old birds that
we have been tracking for years. when
ever we could spare the time, and have
not caught yet
I'VE will get them yet however. and
think it is not Boosting to say that we
have secured more and better results than
any other nature photographers In this
COUNTRY. OF course. we originated nature
photography here. and a man Is made OF
poor stuff if he allows himself to De
h
Some Of the adventures which have be-
fallen the kearton brothers In pursuit OF
wild birds with the camera are as thrill
ing as any that have been recorded OF
big game hunters with the gun. Among
the hardest birds to approach are thos;
that nest in the cliffs by the seaside and
most of the photographs of these birds
which they have secured have been taker
by Cherry Kearton when he was dang
ling in midair at the end of rope. Twice
he has narrowly escaped death from fall
ing pieces of rock, and on another occa
sion the man who was winding the rope
at the top of the cliff forgot all abou
the man dangling at the end Of 1t, ane
became absorbed in something that was
happening out at sea. Only IRON nerV'
and GOODNESS saved him on all these occa
sions.
His narrowest escape was once wher
he was descending cliff in order tina
his brother who was on the ground a
the foot of it might make bioscope rec
ord for use in illustrating lecture or
! their joint work. The cliff was more
than 200 feet high and when Cherry kear
ton had got down about forty feet from
the top a great mass OF rotten roci
became detached from the edge by the
weight of the rope and fell. It came
straight for the man at the end of thu
rope, and the man at the foot of the Cliff
held his breath and stopped working the
bioscope machine Just as the roci
reached him Cherry Kearton braced hi!
foot against the side of the cliff and gave
vigorous push. AS he swung out the
rock grazed his head. When he reached
the bottom his first words were to up
braid his brother for stopping the bio
scope machine. you missed the best SCI