58 PHOTOGRAPHY FOR NATURALISTS. 



similar construction to that employed in fish-photo- 

 graphy, but of somewhat wider dimensions, and, of 

 course, without water. He has also been able to, in 

 some degree, circumvent its activity by building an 

 island for its reception in the middle of a large tank, 

 with six or seven inches depth of water surrounding it. 

 The above method is a very useful one to employ with 

 fairly tame small animals. If, however, the sitter be 

 really frightened, he will promptly take to the water, 

 and this has always been the writer's experience when 

 he has attempted to confine the movements of mice or 

 small rats with such an arrangement. The island has 

 also proved useful in photographing grass-snakes. 

 After making a tour of inspection by water the snake, 

 if reasonably tame, will return to the island, and remain 

 there apparently the better for its bath. The inclusion 

 of water in the actual photograph will in this case be 

 rather an advantage than otherwise, but great care 

 must be taken to avoid sky reflections, which have an 

 exaggerated and disastrous effect on the negative. 



To photograph a sand-lizard is comparatively easy 

 after one has had experience of vivipara. It must not 

 be forgotten that the surroundings should be altered to 

 give any verisimilitude to the resulting picture. 

 Nothing is more effective than heather as a back- 

 ground, and a supply can pretty certainly be obtained 

 from the same locality as the lizard. Of the two 

 species the latter is perhaps the most handsome. His 

 beauty, however, like that ot all reptiles, depends 

 greatly on the freshness of his skin, and as a really 



