INTRODUCTORY. 15 



which should show the stripe on the toad's back and 

 the absence of webbing on his feet. Without moving 

 the subject, it might be effected by moving the camera 

 slightly to one side, and elevating it so that the lens 

 was pointing downward a position which, in natural 

 history work, is, as a rule, the right one. 



The problem of photographing an animal's char- 

 acteristic movement is a harder one to solve, and will 

 subsequently be treated more fully. It naturally leads, 

 however, to our next and most interesting considera- 

 tion how to ensure that our picture shall be not only 

 a complete representation, but also a characteristic re- 

 presentation of the subject. Here, fortunately, Nature 

 herself seems to have come to the assistance of the 

 camera. Living creatures adopt their characteristic 

 attitudes more frequently than any others. The 

 photographer has therefore to learn which attitudes his 

 subjects most frequently adopt, and should endeavour 

 to perpetuate them in his store of negatives. 



There is one point which cannot be too strongly 

 insisted upon. In natural history work it is absolutely 

 necessary to pay the greatest attention to the " acces- 

 sories." Most photographers have heard of the 

 famous photograph of the prize hen. The unhappy 

 bird is struggling to keep her balance on the slippery 

 surface of a solid mahogany table. The background 

 is a ducal drawing-room. The victim is eyeing its 

 silver cup with a mingled expression of pain, indigna- 

 tion, and amazement. Its legs tend to assume the 

 position known as the split, and the exposure is 

 obviously " instantaneous." 



