122 PHOTOGRAPHY FOR NATURALISTS. 



It may be advisable to reiterate one or two 

 principles which in the writer's judgment appear of 

 supreme importance. 



It is impossible to lay too great stress on the 

 necessity of securing series of pictures of various species. 

 Let the naturalist select a single living form, which is 

 common in his particular locality, and determine to 

 record satisfactorily every stage of its development 

 which is photographically possible. Let him then turn 

 his attention to its habits, to its characteristic positions 

 of rest or movement, to its similarity or dissimilarity 

 with closely allied species. Let him supply photo- 

 graphic deficiencies by a written record of coloration, 

 measurements and so forth, and the result can hardly 

 fail to be valuable. 



It is not to be supposed that such a result can be 

 obtained without much hard work and many dis- 

 appointments. Dozens of plates will often be expended 

 over a single picture. All the ills which the photo- 

 grapher is heir to will be experienced fogged plates 

 (pictures which might have been), windy weather, 

 accidents in the dark room, accidents to the camera 

 (the writer's well-worn friend is at present held 

 together with string, seccotine, and screws which 

 formed no part of the original) but all will be taken 

 as part of the day's work. To one possessed of a 

 definite ambition and of a definite subject to handle, 

 photography, like art, is a stern mistress. As each 

 fresh difficulty arises, and is overcome, the fascination 

 becomes stronger, and with it arises the conviction 



