Page:The Emu volume 18.djvu/415

 Voi.xviii.j Camera Craft Notes. 307 to be found. They are bold, active birds, and seldom let their prey escape them. They can catch the swift-flying Carrier Pigeon. The habits of these birds in Australia are identical with those of America and elsewhere.



Spider and Chicken.—In the accompanying photograph note the dead chicken and the spider. The latter has a spread (not extended) of five inches. These spiders no doubt destroy much bird-life. The chicken (one of a brood) disappeared. The tracks showed something had been dragged. Following up, we found the chicken 50 feet away. When one of my people took hold of it, there was tugging resistance. Investigation revealed the spider with one of the chicken's legs down a hole. The spider tugged and endeavoured to pull the chicken down its hole, which was about 1¼ inches in diameter. To give an idea of the proportions of each, I had them photographed on my hat, with a 12-inch rule beside. Possibly Finches, Larks, and Pardalotes are part of the spider's prey.—. The Plains, Prairie Table-land, North Queensland.

Posing the Sitter.—Photographers of birds have so many difficulties to contend with that any hint, however simple, which tends to overcome them may be acceptable. While photographing adult birds, those sitting on a nest especially, we have often experienced considerable trouble in inducing the subject to take up a suitable position. There appears quite a usual desire on the part of most birds to face the camera directly, in which case the picture will give a very unnatural appearance to the head and bill. A ruse "we have seldom found to fail is for one of the party—if there be more than one—to draw the bird's attention from the camera by moving slowly round the nest, or by the operator, if he be alone, carrying out the same purpose by means of a white handkerchief on the end of a long stick. The bird will almost certainly follow the moving object with its eye, and it soon becomes necessary that the subject itself should move in order that this may be done. Especially is this method effective when it is desired that the position of the head only be altered. The picture reproduced illustrates this point. The Brown Flycatcher photographed persisted in facing the camera, and once it had settled down comfortably nothing would move it. iVfter wards, however, by moving around as described, before the subject had time to settle down on the eggs, we were able to obtain pictures in the position shown.—S. A. Lawrence and R. T. Littlejohxs. Melbourne, 30/1/19.



The Moult of Penguins.—It is interesting to notice how quickly Penguins are able to shed their feathers, but we have to remember that during that time they do not enter the water, and therefore have to do without food; hence the necessity of a quick moult.