ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



2o7 



STDTTED MiiK.W, 

 Fniin a l1asli-li>{lit photograph by \\ . L. Heasley. 



the publications of the Soiiety, were all instan- 

 taneous pictures made out of doors. The method 

 of procedure has been to place each species in a 

 small narrow tank, so narrow that the fish would 

 be retained close to the glass and prevented from 

 getting out of focus. The tank, was then carried 

 out onto the roof and quick work was necessary, as 

 specimens soon became distressed and were en- 

 dangered if the circulation of water was long cut 

 off. After the fish has quieted down it is usually 

 possible to make a sharp focus and get a good pic- 

 ture. Retaining several specimens in these e.v- 

 tremely narrow tanks is risky, and the picture 

 ordinarily secured has been merel\- a portrait of a 

 single individual. The photographing of groups 

 of fishes in the tanks at the New York .\quarium 

 has been practicable only by flash-light. A few 

 years ago Mr. N. Lazarnick made flash-light photo- 

 graphs of some fishes in the New York Aquarium, 

 getting fairly good results. In the Aquarium of 

 the Fish Commission at Washington, which is 

 better lighted, Dr. R. W. Shufcldt made successful 

 instantaneous exposures by daylight. 



15\- the method of outdoor work with small 

 aquaria, good fish portraits have been made by 

 Mr. A. R. Dugmore, for Doubleday, Page & Co., 



and by Dr. Shufeldt and a few other photographers. 

 Some naturalistic effects are secured by placing 

 rocks, fresh-water plants and bits of sea-weed in 

 the tanks. In most cases the fishes are shown 

 resting on the bottom, with most of the fins de- 

 pressed. The flash-light work done by Mr. E. R. 

 Sanborn without any disturbing or frightening of 

 the fishes, and with the groups displayed in many 

 interesting positions, represents a distinct advance 

 in fish photography. There is more natural his- 

 tory in the picture, and the suggestion of fake 

 would never present itself. *The accompanying 

 picture of the striped moray {Channomumna) by 

 Mr. Letkemann, in one of the large tanks, is a day- 

 light picture which required, of course, a time ex- 

 posure, with the animal lying very still. The 

 picture of the spotted moray (Lycodonlis), by Mr. 

 Beasley, was made by flash-light. 



The portraits of sunfish and sea-bass, by Mr. 

 Spencer, are very satisfactory types of the fish 

 portraits made out of doors in a small tank, with 

 instantaneous exposures. Observe the detail in the 



* It is a fact that many photographs of dead 6shcs, with 

 open mouths and shriveled fins, have been given natural- 

 istic backgrounds bv unscrupulous publishers, and are now 

 doing duty as live-fish photographs. 



