The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1909-04-02

The most important item in the out
fit specially necessary for the pho
tographing of living animals is, after
the lens, some device for conceallng
the camera, or operator, or both. l
am almost inclined to rank 1t before
the lens in Importance, inasmuch as 1t
| is obviously useless to possess the
most perfect lens that was ever made
if there is no opportunity to bring IL
within working distance of the de-
sired quarry.
In nine cases out of ten success in
this difficult but fascinating branch
of work depends entirely upon perfect
concealment For if that is once at
tanned the most timid bird, if it sees
nothing to alarm it, will have no hest
tation in approaching its nest, and can
then be photographed without further
loss of time. Many special devices
have been used by different workers,
| and very ingenious, not to say sensa-
| tional, some of them have been; but
most, if not all of them, have lacked
the essential qualities of lightness
and portability.
If a whole season were to be spent
on one farm, or in one district of not
| too great an extent, artificial tree
| trunks and the hollow skins of domes-
| tic animals would no doubt prove of
| excellent service for the shyest and
most timid creatures; but for the trav-
! cling naturalist their weight and lack
of portability would be fatal disqualifi-
cations.
When 1 first started this work in
1893, 16 years ago, my first idea was
to use large bag made of thin, green
fabric, big enough to cover the camera
| and tripod, while / crouched under
| meath; and 1 still find somewhat
similar continuance the best thing to
use for all-round work. My present
bag is of greenish khaki, which is suit
| able for use among bushes and hedges
and also for mud-flats and open spaces,
| or among rocks and stones. 1t is
shaped somewhat like a tent, l. e., it
| tapers towards the top and spreads
out at the bottom just enough to in
| clude the legs of the tripod when well
straddled out There is hole for the
| lens and also a peephole, several, in
| fact, for after a little use among
| thorns and briars you can generally
| find a peephole in any direction.
1t is we'll provided with tapes, by
means of which branches, punches OF
| grass, leaves or bracken can be fas.
tened to the outside as further dis
guise. 1t can thus be quickly adapted
to suit almost any kind of surround
ings while it weighs next to nothing,
and can be packed up like a focusing
cloth and takes up little more room
By using inside this tent sketching-
stool. which can be easily carried with
the camera-case, and just brings the
eye level with the horizontal focusing
eyepiece, or focusing glass, some de-
gree of comfort may be obtained. AT
any rate, it is far less firing than
suuatting on the ground, or kneeling
when a long wait of four or five hours
or more may be necessary.
Hidden in this 1 find that birds OF
the most timid disposition approach
their nest much more quickly than
when | merely use rough screen of
branches or other impromptu hiding
contrivances For instance, last spring
/ paid short visit to Holland, where
I gave this tent good trial. 1t was
| most satisfactory to see how quickly
avocets settled themselves on their
nests and approached my hiding place
N wi m
very strange. In this case was work
ing on a perfectly bare mud-flat desti-
tute of any cover; and, as there was