88 WILD NATURE'S KAYS. 



sulkinesSj or was the result of pain caused through 

 my hand pressing too heavily on some old and 

 invisible injury, it is difficult to say. 



The closing days of the nineteenth century 

 were so mild that primroses were in bloom in 

 many woods tliroughout the south of England. 



.;. 'j^i ^ '^ 



PRIMROSES PHOTOGRAPHED IN FIRST 

 MOMENTS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY. 



Wishing to celebrate the commencement of the 

 new century by some photographic exploit, we 

 got a root of these flowers under focus during the 

 last evening of the old one, put a plate into the 

 camera, charged our magnesium flash-lamp with 

 powder, and waited for the last stroke of midnight 

 to boom from a neighbouring church steeple. 

 Directly that happened, we fired, and secured 



