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with which a photographer, conveniently mounted on a scaffold, set himself to the task of photographing the Royal and aristocratic party in its devotional attitude. One would like to know in what way this unfortunate photographer, who so engrossed the attention of the reporter, manifested his “ very obtrusive energy.” Did he flourish the focussing cloth, after the manner of a bull fighter when waving his red cloak, or did he cause his legs —his camera legs, we mean—to perform eccentric and irreverent antics during the prayer of his grace the Arch bishop? If the truth be told, all that this much libelled operator did, was, in all probability, to hasten his operations, well knowing that if the assemblage kept still for any time, it would be when they were supposed to be saying their prayers. In the bad light of Saturday, time was of considerable importance. When the sunshine records of London are compared with those of New York, it would almost seem as if photography had but a poor chance in the former city, compared with the latter. Dr. Daniel Draper, director of the New York Meteorological Society, in his report for 1882, says that during the last six years, out of a possible 4,450 hours of sunshine, New York has received an aver age of 2,917. The average of sunshine hours at Greenwich during the same period is not given ; but when, in 1879, out of a possible 4,447, it only got 977, while at New York in the same year there were 3,101 out of a possible 4,449, some little notion may be formed of the limited materials with which London photographers have to work. In a recent number we drew attention to the fact that the daphnia, or water-flea, had, according to Sir John Lub bock, the power of perceiving the ultra violet rays in the spectrum. It now appears, from some experiments of M. de Chardonnet, that under certain conditions the human eye has the same power. Two persons from whose eyes the crystalline lens had been extracted were placed behind a glass coated with silver, before which an electric arc burned. The observers had no previous knowledge of the form and constitution of the arc, but from the descrip tions they gave it was evident that the retina was affected by the ultra violet rays. M. de Chardonnet gathers from this that while these rays can penetrate the cornea and vitreous humour, they are intercepted by the crystalline lens. It is needless to add that the persons who determined this point were not victims of vivisection, but, from some disease in the eye, had been compelled to undergo the operation of having the crystalline lens removed. Will Sir Edward Watkin, or some other railway magnate, kindly introduce a bill into Parliament for the benefit of the photographic profession ? All that is necessary to do is to take a leaf from the book of our Continental neighbours, and insist that all railway season ticket-holders shall have their photographs taken, and a copy pasted inside their passes. This condition is required from all who have been furnished by the Committee of the Amsterdam Exhibition with free passes over the Dutch railways; while the Baltic Railway Company have gone still further, and issue season tickets for the summer months to and from St. Petersburg only on the condition that, in addition to the photograph on the pass, each applicant shall furnish the Company with two carte-de- visite portraits. Chardonnet’s experiments on the nature of such light as is reflected from solid bodies should be considered by those who wish to draw conclusions from Mr. J. R. Sawyer’s recent paper on “Photography in Relation to Colour.” Chardonnet finds, as we have already pointed out to our readers (see p. 98 of present vol.), that green leaves, Prussian blue, charcoal, gold, hocmatite, mercury, and many other bodies, reflect precisely the same rays; but the relative proportion of these differs, their ratio determining what Chardonnet terms the actinic colour of the reflecting surface. Until the publication of Chardonnet’s investigations, it was difficult to understand the facility with which the camera can depict the minutest detail of deep red or orange drapery. There are always two ways of looking at a thing. The other day a photographer told us that the reason why there is so little anxiety manifest on the subject of protecting photographic copyright is, because, in several instances, photographers gain moreby non-protection. In other words, the fines they recover from piracies are too good to lose. It is a pity scientific men are not always chosen for scientific Government appointments. Instead of this, we get people having interest and ornament securing the best appointments, who turn then for their scientific know ledge to professional gentlemen acting as subordinates. And yet the whole raison d'etre of the appointment may depend upon possession of chemical or other scientific knowledge. Why should not Government, then, go direct to the source, and let those who supply the information enjoy both the honour and emoluments that attach to it? Even those who have but a smattering knowledge of chemistry know that the analysis of water is one of the most abstruse and delicate of laboratory operations, only to be undertaken by the most experienced ; and yet the Water Examiner, under the Metropolis Water Act, is Colonel Bolton, a very capable officer, no doubt, but not a trained chemist. Again, the Inspector of Explosives at the Home Office is Colonel Majendie, R.A., a most efficient artillerist, we dare swear, but quite dependent for all his chemical knowledge upon professional chemists. Beyond the unfairness towards scientific men in making appoint ments of this kind, there is, moreover, the occasional risk of such officials publicly betraying ignorance upon matters on which they should be conversant, as evidenced last week at Bow Street, when the prisoner Whitehead drew from the Government Inspector of Explosives that he knew nothing “ personally ” of the practical preparation of nitro glycerine, an explosive which, of all others, he should surely know something about just now.