The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1909-04-02

The most important item in the out
fit specially necessary for the pno-
tographing of living animals is, after
the lens, some device for conceailng
the camera, or operator, or both. l
am almost inclined to rank it before
the lens in importance, inasmuch as II
is obviously useless to possess the
most perfect lens that was ever made
if there is no opportunity to bring 1t
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 I 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 l still find a somewhat
similar continuance the best thing to
use for all-round work. My present
bag is of greenish khaki, which is suit
abe for use among bushes and hedges
and also for mudhats and open spaces,
or among rocks and stones. 1t is
shaped somewhat like tent, /. e., it
tapers towards the top and spreads
out at the bottom just enough to in
clude the legs of the tripod when we'll
straddled out. There Is hole for the
lens and also peephole, several, in
fact, for after little use among
thorns and briars you can generally
find peephole in any direction.
It is well 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 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
eve 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
squatting on the ground, or kneeling,
when long wait of four or five hours
or more may be necessary.
Hidden in this find that birds OF
the most timid disposition approach
their nest much more quickly than
when l merely use rough screen of
branches or other impromptu hiding
contriyances. For instance, last spring
! / paid a 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
without appearing to notice anything
very strange. In this case l was work
| ing on a perfectly bare mud-fat desti
tute of any cover; and, as there was
no vegetation of any sort available, il
was not possible to add anything to
| disguise IHe appeal oiSS VI lhe tent IL
must therefore have been a most con
| spicuous object, and yet, as there was
no indication of any human being, the
birds appeared to take very little no
tice of it.
! Afterwards | camped out at the edge
of a creek, about the margins of which
they were feeding. They had no hest
| tation in passing me on the further
| side of the creek at distance Of
about ten yards. Besides avocets
both oyster-catchers and red-shanks