108 MOVEMENT 



track, and electric wires were stretched across the path 

 at intervals. These latter communicated with electro- 

 magnets, each of which held the shutter of one of the 

 cameras tightly closed. The horse, in following the 

 track, broke these wires one after the other, and 

 brought about the instantaneous opening of the cor- 

 responding shutter, each exposure allowed a photograph 

 of the animal, in one or other of its positions, to appear 

 on the plate. 



These valuable experiments settled certain points 

 with regard to the paces of a horse in motion, about 

 which there had been, even among specialists, great 

 divergence of opinion. Muybridge's figures demonstrate 

 the successive movements of the horse's limbs, as well 

 as the corresponding position of its body. The extent 

 of the movement can be measured by means of the 

 divisions marked on the screen (Fig. 73). 



In an album kindly presented to us by Mr. Muy- 

 bridge, one can see how all kinds of equine paces are 

 represented, as well as those of the bull, the stag, the 

 dog, and the pig. Instantaneous silhouettes of men 

 running, jumping, and wrestling, present certain 

 attitudes which are very interesting from the point 

 of view of artistic reproduction of such movements.* 



The Photographic Gun. — After the introduction of 

 instantaneous photography, it seemed to us that the 

 movements of a flying bird could be analyzed by this 

 method. We therefore asked Mr. Muybridge to make 

 use of his apparatus to study the flight of birds. He 

 hastened to accede to this request, and when he came 



* In Mr. Muybridge's first work he only used the old-fashioned wet- 

 plate system. Th« discovery of the dry gelatine plate, sensitized 

 with bromide of silver, allowed him latterly to pursue his studies 

 under more favourable conditions, and to publish magnificent plates 

 of animals in motion. 



During late years, M. Ottomar Ansehiitz (of Lissa) has obtained, 

 by Muybridge's method, a very b autiful series of photographs showing 

 men and animals in motion. 



