38 PHOTOGRAPHY FOR NATURALISTS. 



If no immediate opportunity of photography pre- 

 sents itself, it is as well to leave everything in situ for 

 an hour or so. The chance of one's subject escaping 

 through the slit in the indiarubber is a very small one, 

 though, if one is to leave him overnight, it is as well to 

 put something substantial across the opening. On 

 one's return it will usually be found that matters have 

 calmed down considerably, and the problem resolves 

 itself into one of securing the animal in focus. As a 

 general rule, this can be effected without recourse to the 

 partition pane. When one is driven to employ the 

 latter, it will be found that subsequent labour on the 

 negative will be avoided by the "precaution of .keeping 

 it clean. The thinnest and whitest glass is desirable, 

 as it is in all cases when glass is used as a fence.* The 

 writer has found polished plate (which he invariably 

 employs in fish photography) to be well worth the 

 money paid for it. For a partition pane it can hardly 

 be too thin, but it must be thick enough to stand a 

 rush from the animal a by no means unlikely occur- 

 rence if the glass is really clean. 



The photograph of the rat, on page 30, was secured 

 with considerable difficulty. It was the first attempt 

 with the box apparatus. The rat, a medium size one 

 of the common brown variety, was trapped in the first 

 instance. It was a male and vicious, even for a rat. 

 The transfer from trap to box was accomplished easily 

 enough, but then commenced a chapter of accidents. 

 Ic should be mentioned that, in the original box 



* Hetley and Co., 35, Soho Square, stock some most useful qualities and sizes. 



