Abstract
ALTHOUGH the author can scarcely be congratulated on his choice of a title, which in our opinion is too prolix and disconnected, he has succeeded in producing a very readable and interesting little work, based on a stay of six months in the Canaries and a sojourn of about the same duration in South Africa. Much of the contents is devoted to the ordinary incidents of travel, but the special feature of the book is formed by the excellent series of photographs of birds in their native haunts. As every one who has tried bird-photography is aware, but little can be done with the camera in this respect except during the nesting season; but the author's object has been, not to obtain pictures of the birds while actually sitting, but in their natural attitudes when in the neighbourhood of their nesting places. In this way it is possible to show birds in positions which could not be attempted in a drawing; and the value of such pictures for the guidance of the taxidermist who desires to be true to nature cannot be over-estimated. Apart from getting near enough to the bird without disturbing it, there are, however, difficulties connected with this branch of photography which can only be fully realised by those who have had practical experience.
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L., R. Bird Life in the Canaries and South Africa 1 . Nature 64, 603–604 (1901). https://doi.org/10.1038/064603a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/064603a0