NATURE STUDY 
27 
man decides to collect birds then let him stick to birds, if 
he prefers insects let him stick to insects and preferably confine 
himself to one or two orders of insects ; he will then learn by 
experience where they are to be found, how* to catch them, &c., 
and will quickly acquire a working knowledge of the different 
genera. As the white population increases and as the Society 
grows, each district will then contain a man who is more or 
less an expert on each particular branch of the zoology of 
that district, and the results will be more complete. 
Special stress must be laid upon the importance of photo- 
graphy. The interest of a paper accompanied by pictures is 
doubled ; as an aid to accurate observations it is of particular 
value. Compare the plates in an old book of birds with the 
modern work in this branch : the old plates were drawn from 
specimens stuffed as the taxidermist thought fit, modern 
work is based on photographs of the live birds taken in a 
state of nature, and it will be readily acknowledged that the 
debt which both the author and the taxidermist owe to photo- 
graphy is incalculable. 
Members are invited to contribute photographs of animals, 
birds and their nests, insects, native types, &c., for the use 
of the Society. A named collection of photos of the forest 
trees of the country, for instance, would be a thing of great 
interest and quite unique. 
Photographs of native ceremonies and ceremonial adorn- 
ments are greatly needed, as many of these functions will, with 
the advent of civilisation, speedily become things of the past. 
Great care should be taken to label all photographs care- 
fully, giving place and date as well as subject, and it would 
also be advisable to state where the negatives are available, 
in case duplicates are required. Great care should also be 
taken thoroughly to wash all prints in order to remove all 
traces of the fixing medium, hyposulphite of soda, to obviate 
fading of the prints. 
With regard to the photographs for reproduction in the 
bulletin clear contrast should be aimed at ; if the prints are 
done by the ordinary silver process a purple tone should be 
obtained. Some bromide prints reproduce well, but carbon 
or platinotype prints produce better results. 
