THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF REPTILES. 57 



that when sunlight is not absolutely necessary to avoid 

 under-exposure it had better be avoided. Confusion is 

 bound to arise in the print between violent contrasts of 

 lighting and actual markings. The common viviparous 

 lizard, for instance, may, through injudicious lighting, be 

 made to appear with light spots (reflections of sunlight), 

 not unlike the real markings of the sand-lizard. Apart 

 from this question of coloration, it will be found that 

 of the three recognised species of British lizards the 

 common viviparous lizard, the sand-lizard, and the 

 blindworm the common variety presents the most 

 difficulty. " Agilis " is curiously enough applied to the 

 sand-lizard as a distinguishing epithet. It is far more 

 appropriate to the viviparous. No reptile is more 

 difficult to secure, and none more difficult to photo- 

 graph satisfactorily, even when comparatively tame. 

 The best results which the writer has obtained with 

 this small reptile have been in a glass-sided tank of 



Female Common Lizard. 



