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The force of the wind and the density of cloud is also noted. “ The latter,” said Mr. Whyte, in reply to a question, « is done by imagining a scale from 0 to 10, zero meaning blue sky, and 10 dense cloud ; there is no diffi culty in the matter, for it is always 10.” Not once in twenty, that is to say, is there a clear view. The bridle path up the mountain will be finished in a month, and a stout little building to house three observers ispromised by the contractors before the end of the year. Then the labours of the observers will be materially lightened, for photography will be called in, as at Kew and other ob servatories, to watch and record the changes that take place. Photography never tires and never makes a mistake, let it watch unceasingly the mercury column of the baro meter, or the action of the swinging bar magnet. In writing last week with reference to the photographing of the Shapira leather manuscripts, it was inadvertently stated that they were photographed at the British Museum. This is not the fact. The photographs were taken at Leipsic. him out of the vice, might be very much improved upon, Why should not “ drunks ” be photographed, and copies hung outside the police stations, to serve as " awful examples?” Publicity of this kind would have a much more deterrent effect than fines or imprisonment. Indeed, we do not see why this plan should not be extended to other offenders—wife-beaters especially. They might be made to pay for the pictures. Mr. Wragge, as our readers are aware, is the institutor of the Ben Nevis Observatory, and many are the wrongs laid to his charge by the good people at the foot of the mountain, who declare matters have recently changed for the worse. “ The weather was very well as it was; why couldn’t he leave it alone ? ” is the plaint of the conventional oldest inhabitant, who was sure Mr. Wragge would make a mess of it from the first. Still, it is pleasant to record that Ben Nevis observatory is now an accomplished fact; funds are at hand for its construction, Government has promised electrical communication, while the hardy observers are indefatigable in their labours. Many a photographer has had complaint about the dark ness of his sitter’s face. The features turn out degraded, the white collar and cuffs not unfrequently adding further to the duskiness of a skin which, may be, rivals the lily in whiteness. Oliver Wendell Holmes, in his “Poet at the Breakfast Table,” complains of this tendency of photo graphy in no uncertain terms ; he trusts that his portrait, at any rate, will not come out “ quite so badly as one I saw the other day, which I took for the end man of the Ethiopian Serenaders, or some traveller who had been ex ploring the sources of the Niger, until I read the name at the bottom, and found it was a face 1 knew as well as my own.” Touching the Copyright question and the Stereoscopic Company, Truth compares the position of a person employed for the purpose of taking portraits with that of an author instructed by a publisher to write a book. In the latter case, the copyright would naturally belong to the employer, or publisher ; and so, Truth argues, the photograph should also belong, not to the person taking it, but to his employers. This is begging the question, which is rather, whether any one but the producer has a right to register himself as “author” of an object, and thus substitute his lifetime for the lifetime of the producer, and so alter for better or worse the term of copyright. 7 he plan adopted by Mr. Hannay, the police magistrate, of showing a drunken man his reflection in a mirror to shame Those who use the carbon process largely will be interested in learning that a process has been patented in England on behalf of 1’. Riimer, of Elberfeld, whereby the cost of the manufacture of bichromate of potash will be much reduced. Hitherto only potassium salts have been used, and the principle of the patent is the substitution in part of sodium salts for potassium, the latter being more costly. Photographers, especially those who do their own printing, are large consumers of water, but it does not appear on what principle companies are guided as to their charges. In some cases no extra demand is made, while in others the Company knows something of photographers and their ways, and raises the price ; but even when this is so, the basis is difficult to ascertain. It may be said that to charge by meter would be the fairest way. So it would, but then there would be the temptation to underwash silver prints, the photographer knowing that for every extra gallon he used he would have to pay. Perhaps, on the whole, it were best to let things remain as they are. Of course the result of Mr. Dobbs’ appeal to the House of Lords, which has now decided that the companies must base their charges on the rateable value, and noton the gross rental, will affect photographers favourably. It is laid down by several authorities on pigeon-flying— by Mr. Tegitmeir in particular—that these useful winged messengers cannot fly in fog or cloud. Tnis question will now speedily be set at rest, for pigeons are being trained to carry down from Ben Nevis to Fort William the eight o’clock meteorological records. As the summit of the Ben is more frequently clouded than not, there will be unusual opportunities for settling this moot point. latent Jnttlligence. Application for Letters Patent. 3837. William Robert Lake, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an invention of " Improvements in adjustable chairs, chiefly- designed for photographic purposes.”—A communication to him from abroad by William Shields Liscomb, of Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America, Gentleman.— (Complete Specification.)—Dated 7th Angust, 1883.— Also