THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF REPTILES. 43 



or more interesting as pets than the reptiles. The 

 writer has at different times had every variety in 

 captivity and under observation, and has no hesitation 

 in affirming that an average specimen of any British 

 reptile will get to recognise its keeper within a fort- 

 night, and within a month will become so tame as not 

 to attempt to escape when handled. 



From the foregoing it may be naturally assumed 

 that, with the reptiles, the photographer has a com- 

 paratively easy task. The actual photography of a 

 reptile, when it is tame, is undoubtedly comparatively 

 easy ; but there are certain features, peculiar to the 

 physiology and anatomy of reptiles, which render the 

 taking of a good reptile photograph a matter of greater 

 difficulty than might be supposed. 



First and foremost comes the metallic and shiny 

 surface of most reptiles' bodies. An attempt to photo- 

 graph the common lizard in bright sunshine will fail, 

 because every scale that is touched by the sun's rays, 

 at a particular angle, will appear as a dark spot on the 

 negative and as a white spot, not recognised by nature, 

 in the print. The same phenomenon will be observed 

 in the case of a toad, if we attempt to portray him at 

 the moment when, through fear or excitement, he has 

 burst, literally, into a cold sweat. Similar considera- 

 tions prevent us taking a photograph of a frog who has 

 but recently left the water. 



Secondly, we have the difficulty of the reptile's 

 breathing. It must be mentioned, as was laid down in 

 the chapter on Materials and Apparatus, that to secure 



