INSECT PHOTOGRAPHY.

By J. M. BANDTEL.

N order to comply with your request for an article on some of my experiences with a camera, I will select one on the photography of insects, for illustrative purposes in magazines and for the use of schools.

A friend, who occasionally writes for the magazines, on subjects relating to horticulture, was preparing an article on the destructive insects that infest trees, and it was desirable to illustrate his text with photographs showing the different stages of development of some of these pests.

As these insects were very small, it was necessary to make some of these photographs considerably larger than the original specimens.

Having had no calls for this kind of photography in the usual course of business, and therefore having no special instruments for this kind of work, I was obliged to resort to the use of such instruments as were at hand, which happened to be a very short-focus lens and a large portrait camera with very long bellows.

I had made some experiments in this kind of work, using the fly and spider as subjects.

I submit herewith, a few photographs of some of the specimens.

Figure one shows the common fly, enlarged about sixtyfour times. Figure two is a good "portrait" of the little brown spider who generally does business in the corner of the same room in which the subject of figure one is to be found (being a great lover of the owner of the "bright eyes and gauzy wing"). This "portrait" is about sixty-four times as large as the subject who "posed" for it.

The spider and fly had been killed with ether (in order to avoid mutilating the specimens), and were fastened to a sheet of paper with a few touches of liquid glue.

In photographing specimens of this kind it is important

to get as perfect ones as possible, and if it is necessary to kill them, this should be done as quickly as possible and in such a manner that they will not be damaged.

For making these enlargements isochromatic plates are almost indispensable.

For this work a very short-focus lens is required; one, covering plates about three by four, or four by five inches, and having a focus of about five inches. A lens of the rectilinear type, and having a considerable depth of focus is preferable. Small diaphragms are required. The length of camera bellows required depends upon the amount of enlargement desired.

In making the accompanying enlargements, the distance from lens to plate was about six feet for those requiring the greater magnification.

A specially long-focus camera, but otherwise of small size, might be desirable, although the one used for the accompanying enlargements was an ordinary portrait box admitting of an extension of about six feet.

It is desirable to have the support for the specimens to be photographed, so fastened to the camera bed or stand that the object can be moved toward, or from the lens, according to the amount of enlargement desired, and preferably while cbserving the image on the ground glass. This can be accomplished by several mechanical arrangements that are in use by most photographers (especially by those who have some experience in the ordinary methods of enlarging). It is very important that the whole outfit be free from vibration, as the exposures may be anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes, and where great enlargement is required, especially in working with very delicate specimens, a very slight movement means failure.

These enlarged photographs of very small insects and other specimens, are valuable for school work as well as for illustrative purposes in magazines and books, and where it is desirable to exhibit to classes it is best to make the enlarged negatives only up to about two, or two and a half inches in diameter, and then make lantern-slides from them, by contact printing.