io PHOTOGRAPHY FOR NATURALISTS. 



ridiculous. In the well-known book by the late Rev. 

 J. G. Wood, entitled " Common Objects of the 

 Country," there will be found on page 75 the figure of 

 a stickleback. It reclines on the bank in the orthodox 

 fish fashion of the natural history books, with the fins 

 well spread out in defiance of gravitation. This, how- 

 ever, might be forgiven it if it were not for the position 

 of its mouth, which starts somewhere in the middle of 

 the underjaw and extends in a happy smile well into 

 the gills. The mouth, as originally designed by the 

 artist, is just traceable in its proper position. 



The above example illustrates an accidental 

 blunder. If, however, such a blunder can occur in the 

 case of a large organ like the mouth, what can we 

 suppose the risk to be in dealing with minute external 

 differences of markings and so forth ? 



A broad distinction is generally held to exist 

 between the biologist of the museum and the naturalist 

 of the fields. It is to the latter of these that the writer 

 addresses the following chapters ; to all those, indeed, 

 who love the teeming life of the country and desire to 

 make some record of that life. The power to do so is 

 in their hands already if they are photographers. If 

 they are not photographers, let them straightway 

 become so, in order to acquire this power. 



Photography for naturalists falls into two obvious 

 divisions. The first of these, of which the brothers 

 Kearton are the most widely recognised exponents, may 

 be termed u stalking" photography. In "stalking" 

 photography the camera is approached as nearly as 



