THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF INSECTS. 79 



sufficiently long for the photographer's purpose. In 

 any case he will rarely attempt to fly by daylight, and, 

 if he attempt to change his position, need only be per- 

 sistently replaced. The unexpected disappearance of 

 his sitter into mid-air occurred to the writer while 

 engaged with the stag-beetle figured on page 87. After 

 securing various more or less successful pictures, the 

 last plate was expended on the picture reproduced. 

 No sooner was the dark slide closed than the model 

 slowly raised his wing-cases and unfolded his wings 

 with absurd deliberation ; then, with wings outstretched, 

 he poised for a couple of seconds and was gone taking 

 with him one of the chances of a photographic lifetime. 

 The bitterest thought of all was that there had been 

 ample time between the first preliminary movements 

 and the outstretched wing stage to change the dark 

 slide, if only another plate had been forthcoming. 



The following species of British beetles, from 

 among the odd 3,000, are recommended as affording 

 good photographic exercise, alive or dead : tiger 

 beetles, carabi, large water beetles, chafers, and stag- 

 beetles. The printing in every case, for the best 

 decorative effect, should be carbon-metallic, and will 

 be treated of in the chapter dealing with decorative 

 photography. The two best methods of capturing such 

 beetles as would otherwise be passed over unseen 

 are the use of the sweepnet and the practice of turning 

 over likely looking stones or corpses. It is well nigh 

 impossible to employ these two methods on a country 

 walk without a find of some sort. 



