PHOTOGRAPHING REPTILES 87 



make the picture beautiful and interesting. Curi- 

 ously enough, a photograph of water taken at close 

 range does not give the effect of water. A piece of 

 glass inclined downward toward the camera does 

 much better. It may be placed on gravel or any- 

 thing equally suitable, and a piece of sod placed so 

 as to conceal the edge will give a perfect effect of 

 water, reflections and all. 



In photographing tadpoles during their different 

 stages of development, they should be put in an 

 aquarium. A piece of glass laid horizontally against 

 the front glass will keep them from the bottom and 

 near the front. With full sunlight the reflections 

 from the glass will not cause trouble, provided the 

 background is not dark. When photographs of snakes 

 are wanted, the first thing to do is to learn to handle 

 them without fear. With the harmless varieties 

 there is no reason why we should be afraid of them ; 

 but our instinctive dread of anything snake-like is diffi- 

 cult to overcome. Once we let our common sense 

 assert itself, it will be found by no means difficult to 

 photograph any of the smaller snakes. A snake tak- 

 ing a sun-bath will usually allow us to approach to 

 within a few feet if we move quietly so that it will 

 not be frightened. Of the reptiles there are few 

 more exasperating than the common box-tortoise. 

 He will shut himself up in his house and positively 

 refuse to be seen or photographed. I have spent 



