THE CAMERA 



5ii 



. 



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THE COMMON SUNFISH (EUPOMOTIS GIBBOSUS). 



ago, since which time, so far as my 

 observations carry me, but very few 

 photographs of living fishes have ap- 

 peared anywhere in our literature 

 This is very much to be regretted, foi 

 as compared with the usual hand-draw- 

 ings of such forms, photography, when 

 properly done, offers a means for cor- 

 rectly portraying the topographical 

 characters of a living fish, far superior 

 to the process just named or any other 

 class of illustration. Not a few things 

 stand in the way or deter us from using 

 the camera, however, in this important 

 branch of photographic art, for the 

 suitable kind of aquarium is not always 

 at hand or obtainable ; it is not always 

 possible to secure the fish we desire to 

 photograph alive ; the photographer 

 may not possess the requisite skill ; 

 and, finally, the fish may be altogether 

 too large to be taken in the manner 

 suggested. Still in the case of medium- 



sized fishes, and the other obstacles be- 

 ing overcome, we should always en- 

 deavor to make good photographs of 

 living specimens of fishes when it is 

 possible to do so. Of big fishes, of 

 course, we are usually compelled to 

 make hand-drawings. 



In the present article are presented 

 some five half-tone reproductions of 

 photographs of living fishes made by 

 me. 



My chief object in the present brief 

 contribution, however, is to enter a 

 plea that more of this work be done and 

 there must be not a few of the readers 

 of The Guide to Nature who are ca- 

 pable of undertaking it. It is not so 

 very difficult, the results are interest- 

 ing, and if successful are of no little 

 value to science. Usually a suitable 

 aquarium has to be made for the pur- 

 pose, but the affair is not a very expen- 

 sive one. It needs to be about fourteen 



