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size of the box mentioned is quite large enough. This camera and eight or twelve doable slides can be packed in the two boxes together with lens and focussing cloth; or a couple of grooved boxes and a changing-box, such as that produced by Shew and Co., Newman Street, can be carried in place of the double dark slides, and thus entail less ex pense, though necessitating more labour in changing ; but by this means about two dozen plates might be carried. The greatest drawback to the photographing bicyclist is the carrying of the camera stand. It has been suggested by some enterprising amateur to place a stick cut from the hedge (if available) below the fork of the machine, and fit the camera on the top of the handle, and thus do away with the conveyance of an ordinary tripod. This sugges tion may do very well for amateurs choosing their own subjects, but the difficulties that a professional would Jen- counter would be numerous ; for instance, the taking of the interiors of churches, or any object in these sacred edifices, leaving out the great objections that might be raised to the introduction of such a machine into a sacred building. Or, again, in grouping, the difficulties to be overcome at once present themselves, and need no detail. My plan is to take a light folding tripod, as small as can possibly be done with, and fix it along the handle-bar. Granting the length of the handle-bar to be about two feet in length, a five-feet folding-stand would then pro trude only four inches each end of the handle. Should this be in the way of the proper use of the handle, Messrs. Goy have brought out a front wheel “ luggage rest,” which can easily be fixed to the front of the handle-bar. If this mode of conveyance is objectionable, it might be fixed to the backbone of the machine behind the seat by having two pieces of metal in the shape of a Y attached to the backbone, on which to rest the stand, of course fixing it with straps. One great advantage which might be mentioned in having the “Cassie luggage carrier” attached to the treadles is, that the weight being below the treadle it is scarcely felt, and that in ascending hills it is a great assist ance rather than a drawback. Tricycles.—Again, many articles have appeared under this heading, and all, or most of them, seem to fail in practice. The machine I usually employ in my excursions is the “Excelsior” manufacture, by Baliss and Thomas, Coventry, and the one approved of for adoption by the employes of the General Post Office. I have found it thoroughly suitable for my requirements in every way. It has a 54-inch driving wheel, which naturally gives it a much greater power in locomotion than one with a smaller wheel. The apparatus which I generally use, and which 1 find in every way suitable to the occasion, is the half-plate camera. As I am often away for a week at a time, I have to endeavour to carry as large a number of plates as possible, and be able to expose, if required, two dozen daily. The mode which I have adopted is very easily applied, and is very convenient. A box measuring 13 by 12 inches is attached to the back of the seat by strong leather bands, instead of being fixed to the back bone of the machine, and I find that it has this great advantage: by so doing, there is less liability to the breakage of the box’s contents through the motion of the machine. The box contains half-plate camera, lens, tripod top, and focussing cloth, besides boxes necessary for the carrying and changing of the two dozen half-plates and two dozen quarter-plates. The total weight incurred, without plates, butincluding the box they are carried in, is only 174 pounds; if more plates are necessarily required to be carried, they can be packed in a smaller box, and suspended below the seat. Again, when away from home the plates that have already been exposed in the camera may be taken out at night, packed up, and replaced by fresh ones. This can very easily be done in the bedroom of one’s hotel by using the tricycle lamp, and simply wrapping a piece of orange coloured paper round it, as a means of illumination. It will thus be seen that four dozen plates, at least, could, if required, be exposed every day, and a fresh start made again next morning. If going away from home for a small undertaking, of course a less number of plates can be carried, and then less weight will be incurred. The idea which I wish to convey is the practicability of my plan for a more extended tour. 1 can also carry, in lieu of the half plate camera, packed in the same box, a whole plate camera and four double slides. By the mode I have adopted in my half-plate camera, I am enabled with very little extra weight—i. e., ten ounces per dozen plates—to change an almost unlimited number of plates, and this much more quickly than by the use of an ordinary chang ing box. The camera stand, which is an ordinary folding tripod, is then strapped upon the backbone of the machine quite out of the way, and I am ready for the road. A QUICK METHOD OF MASKING OUT THE SKY IN LANDSCAPE NEGATIVES WITH A CANDLE. BY A. HARRISON HILL. Having at times had a deal of trouble with thin and bad corners in the negatives, I adopted the following plan, which I find answers remarkably well. Take a tallow candle with rather a long snuff that smokes well, in the right hand, hold the negative in a sloping position, and move the candle about till you have smoked the parts of the negative dense enough, of course taking care not to crack it by making too hot. After placing in the printing frame, stretch a piece of white tissue paper on the outside of the printing-frame to protect the smoke from being rubbed off during printing. In the print you will find a clean white sky ready to have the clouds printed in from a wax cloudjnegative, which is a great improvement. With care, clouds can be smoked on the negative in the same way, which print very well indeed. Not having seen anything of this kind described before, I thought it might be of benefit to some of my brother photographers. I ask those interested to give it a trial. Uorxespondence. IODIDE IN GELATINE EMULSION. Sir,—Permit me, in reply to Captain Abney’s letter, to say that in my former communication I claimed only to have proved (and published) the value of iodide in gelatine emulsion in the stage in which the process was at that date. Had I professed to have done in 1877 what others have done in later years, there might have been some excuse for Captain Abney’s complaint. Let each one have due credit for his share in the work of bringing any process to perfection. I willingly recog nise and appreciate the labour of all who have had a hand in perfecting the process in question. “ The value of iodide being now recognised,” is, in my opinion, a valid reason for desiring the record of progress to be a correct one. Mr. Farmer has honourably acknowleged the error, and I beg to thank him for his candour. To take up Captain Abney’s metaphor, I may say the valiant defence of " the child,” asserted by Captain Abney, I am not going to dispute, for however “ welcome my help would have been,” I have never recognised any special responsibility in its “ bringing up.” If he has, of his own free will, taken to it, I make no complaint; but logically, that gives him no title beyond that of foster- father. It does not invalidate my claim to be its parent, nor does it justify a charge of neglect against me. Yet I find myself indicted upon a novel charge of child desertion, and by it, I am told, I have forfeited the privilege of paternity. That the father should relinquish his rights in “ the child ” in favour of another who claims