Smyrna times., 1936-04-02
FILM WILD BIRD
LIFE IN HAUNTS
Party of Cornell Museum at
Ithaca, N. Y, Obtain Some
Rare Pictures
RECORDS OF SOUND, TOO

lIldcd, N. 1s"IWO l1OlOI lIuChS.
bearing specially devised motion
picture cameras and sound ap-
paratus, were used in a 15,000-mile
exploration of wild bird haunts In
the United States, made by the Cor
nell-American museum and recently
completed. The exploration, which
obtained valuable bird records,
was sponsored by Albert r. Brand,
associate in ornithology at Cornell,
and left Ithaca last February un-
der the direction of Arthur A. Allen.
The story of the unusual quest
is told in Cornell Alumni News,
which characterizes the results as
undoubtedly the most complete
collection of pictures and sound rec
ords of birds ever made"
Such uncommon species as the
ivory-billed woodpecker, the limp
kin, sandhill crane, wild turkey,
bald eagle, golden eagle, prairie fal-
con. trumpeter swan and lesser
prairie chicken were included.
Many of the recordings will be
transferred to phonograph records
to be available to school children
and nature students, the negative
to be permanently preserved at the
university.
Most Difficult.
Besides Doctor Allen, Mr. Brand
and Dr. George Sutton, the party
included Paul Kellogg, instructor In
ornithology, who with Mr.. Brand
and Prof. True Mclean, electrical
engineer, designed and assembled
the sound apparatus and James T.
Hammer.
In their long trek they expe-
rienced many incidents both per-
picking and amusing. Efforts to
catch the voice of the water ouzel,
for example, were discouraging, be-
cause it lives only in dashing noun
tain torrents. By observing care
fully the habits of one bird, Mr.
kellogg was able to put his micro
phone in such position that the
birds bin in singing was less than
two inches from the diaphragm.
and good record was made. above
the sound of the stream.
Similarly, in recording the dance
of lesser prairie chicken the mi
crophone was so placed that the
patter of the birds feet could be
distinctly heard above all other
sounds. In Louisiana the sound
truck became hopelessly begged in
the "gumbo mud" and it was nee
essary to transfer all the delicate
equipment to a farm wagon and
with four mules to haul 1t through
the swamp to the haunts of the
ivory-billed woodpecker and there
to set up the laboratory in a tent.
Here almost perfectly recordings
of the voice OF this nearly extinct
species were obtained.
Eagle Tackles MonopIane.
III tiDTlQd 1dTOilfld wren III
sisted on building a nest in the
sound truck while efforts were be-
ing made to record its voice. In
Colorado young golden eagle
wanted to swallow the microphone,
which had been hung over q 700
foot canyon wall down to the ledge
on which the eagles nest was built.
Fortunately, the microphone had
previously been padded In case 1t
should strike the rocks.
Considerable difficulty was ex-
perienced in recording the voice of
the nearly extinct trumpeter swan,
a few Of which still persist In
northwestern Wyoming and eastern
Montana. After several days of
study. however, blind containing
the motion picture camera and mi
crophone was placed to catch the
activities Of the parent swans and
their young and record the calls
Of this vanishing bird. which at
tains q wing-spread Of nearly ten
feet and 4 weight Of IS pounds. The