. The home life of wild birds; a new method of the study and photography of birds. Birds; Photography of birds. aniicipatcd; ten visits were recorded, and tlie old birds were photographed in tlie act of both entering and leaving their tunnel. They brought a single fish each time, usually what appeared to be a small chub or dace, and I once recognized a good-sized sunfish. When the tent and camera were ready at nine o'clock on the morning of July 23d, the parent birds were away on a fishing excursion, and did not return for half an hour. At last a series of warning rattles, at first faint, but
. The home life of wild birds; a new method of the study and photography of birds. Birds; Photography of birds. aniicipatcd; ten visits were recorded, and tlie old birds were photographed in tlie act of both entering and leaving their tunnel. They brought a single fish each time, usually what appeared to be a small chub or dace, and I once recognized a good-sized sunfish. When the tent and camera were ready at nine o'clock on the morning of July 23d, the parent birds were away on a fishing excursion, and did not return for half an hour. At last a series of warning rattles, at first faint, but momentarily becoming more shrill, announced the approaching bird, A\'ho came at full tilt with fish in bill. Hesitat- ing at sight of the tent she perched on the dead limb of a pine, flew to and fro from one side of the road to the other, and made the woods resound as never be- fore. Even the depths of the earth seemed to respond, as the muffled rattles of the fi\-e young Kingfishers issued from their subter- ranean abode. From what- ever point of view we regard this singular note, it cer- tainly carries well and is ad- mirably adapted to arouse the fish under water and the young bird under ground. When the wriggling fish nearh' slipped from her grasp, the bird would shift it about until her forceps had a firmer grip at a point just back of its head. At every reel of the rattle, each of which seemed more shrill and more impatient than the last, she would start as if t(T g<) to her nest a few \-ards a«ay. Occasionalh' a peculiar creaking sound es- caped her, suggesting the grating of dead limbs when swayed by the wind. Suddenly with rattle in shrillest crescendo she bolted straight into the hole, delivered the fish, remained for half a minute, then came out backwards, turning in the air as she dropped from the entrance, and with a parting rattle was off to the river. During these visits the Kingfishers usually remained but a quarter or half a minute in the tunnel, and always
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1901
