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5 216 THE PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS. LAPRIL 3, 1885. shoulder, a group of men on the quay with a sugar truck, and a peddler woman with a tray full of fowls on her head. (This last one, unfortunately, was honeycombed by the ants in my bedroom at 'Trinidad, who seemed to take a fancy to the gelatine film, as it was placed to dry.) There were many picturesque peddler women with sweetmeats or oranges on their heads ; others retailed long sticks of sugar cane, of which the negroes are so fond, at a half penny or a penny a stick ; some had bananas, or pea-nuls. There are no first-class photographers; possibly a good man would make a fair living, though, for the matter of that, a good man can do very well anywhere, without ostracising himself, or submitting to be parboiled. The goods sold in all the shops or stores, which close at five in the afternoon, are all of English, German, or American production ; the only native things in the way of curiosities we were able to purchase being shells, sea porcupines, flying and other curious fish, edible frogs, and carved cocoa-nut shells. Leaving Barbadoes at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 18th, we were soon en route for the Island of Trinidad and the Spanish main. Motes. The camera as a surveying instrument! Comparatively little has been done as yet in the direction of accurate measurements with the aid of the camera, but much re mains to be done ; and the fact that the German govern ment has just set aside a sum of 10,000 marks to be used in making photo-grammetrical investigations, augurs well. It is to be hoped that the tableaux to be presented at the Fancy Dress Ball at the Institute of Painters in Water Colours, on the 19th of May next, will be photographed. They will be illustrative of art in Greece, Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Holland, and England, and will in the matter of costume and historical detail be the most com plete arrangements of the kind ever attempted. The best authorities of the day have the superintendence of the dresses and grouping, and it would be a pity if a record were not preserved. Simply for reference the photograph would be invaluable to art students. A word or two as to H. A. H. Daniel’s charming picture of Woodside, Lynmouth, which was issued with the News of last week. Mr. Daniel says :—“ I took ‘ Woodside, Lynmouth ’ on a bright day with pretty effect of early spring light, and in the morning. The plate was a slow one of my own make, with iodide ; so slow as to be only three times the speed of a wet plate. Development with pyro and ammonia. I back all my plates because I believe greatly in doing so, as one is fully repaid for the extra trouble; had the plates in question not been backed I must have got halation, where, as it is, there is not a trace.” A story contained in the last number of the Photograplac limes looks more theatrical than real. Two foot-pads followed Mrs. Curtis into a studio in Chicago, and when the lady was being posed, one of them rushed at her, seized her satchel, and escaped; but he had been photographed in ction, and was promptly arrested. Experiments by Mr. Brereton Baker show that the com bustion of carbon or of phosphorous takes place with great difficulty in absolutely dry oxygen. Indeed, char coal may be heated to redness in dry oxygen, without burning. It has long been known that absolutely dry chlorine neither bleaches nor acts upon brass or copper. Whom can I get to build my studio 'I This is a question we have often been asked, but we have been obliged to say that we knew of no one who made a special feature of contracting for work of this class. Messrs. Houghton and Son, 89, High Holborn, tell us that they are now prepared to contract for erecting studios in any part of the country. The advantages which actresses derive from advertising by photographs are greater than one would imagine— always supposing the actress has personal attractions. Here is a case in point. The scene is in the Strand ; the place, a photographic print-seller’s shop. A group of young me n are gazing admiringly at the portraits of the latest theatrical star. “By Jove! I must go and see her,” observed one. “ What piece is she playing in 'I" asked a second. “ Oh, what does that matter?” exclaimed a third; “ she’s awfully pretty ; that’s enough to make any piece go. Never saw a more fetching photograph.” There may not be much in the incident, but it is sufficient to show that a new actress who wishes to succeed, must begin by calling in the aid of the photographer. About £14,000 per annum is paid to the present staff of examiners of patents—that is to say, nearly £1 per patent. Under these circumstances one might reasonably expect to have the specifications examined properly, and some stop put to the present system of allowing old in ventions to be re-patented time after time. Mr. John Greaves, the Secretary of the Oldham Photo graphic Society, is endeavouring to obtain special terms from the railway companies for the members of his own and other photographic societies. It seems that the members of the United Anglers Society can travel by some of the principal lines at a reduction of about 33} per cent, on the usual rates, besides enjoying special privileges as regards return tickets. As a matter of abstract justice it is perhaps difficult to see why one class of pleasure takers should have any advantage over any other class; but those persons who desire to assist in the movement had better address Mr. Greaves, at the Lyceum, Oldham. The value of a negative may cause endless disputes, and few values are so ill-defined or variable. Still it is interesting to note that a large firm of photographic publishers has just entered into an arrangement with a practical landscapist to supply a series of 12 by 10 nega tives of English scenery at half a guinea each ; the pur chasers to have the option of refusing any they may not consider up to the standard. Last week we referred to the dark room accommoda-