374 



NOTES AND QUEKIES. 



[No. 207. 



the operator will not be troubled with the streaks 

 so often complained of. 



3. No time can possibly be fixed for the expo- 

 sure of the positive to the action of the hypo. ; and 

 to produce the best effects, the positive must be 

 continually watched, both while printing and 

 while in the hypo. 



4. No hot iron should be applied to the positive 

 after being printed, but the picture should be al- 

 lowed to dry spontaneously. 



5. The developing agent with the pyrogallic 

 and formic acids will keep good a very long time, 

 longer, I think, than that in which acetic acid is 

 used, but cannot be used as a dipping bath. 



6. I find the formic acid which I obtain from 

 different chemists rather vai'Iable In its strength. 

 What I use Is rather below the average strength, 

 so that In general about six drachms of the com- 

 mercial acid win suffice where I use one ounce ; 

 but the excess seems to produce no bad result. 



7. A great advantage of the pyrogallic deve- 

 loper which I recommend, is that of its being able 

 to be diluted to almost any extent, with no other 

 result than simply making the development slower. 

 Another point is also worthy of notice, viz. a 

 method by which even a very weak positive on 

 glass may be converted into a very strong negative. 



I take a saturated solution of bichloride of 

 mercury in hydrochloric acid, and add of this one 

 to six parts of water. This I pour over the col- 

 lodion plate, and watch it till the whitening pro- 

 cess Is quite complete. Having well washed the 

 surface with water, I pour over It a solution of 

 iodide of potassium, very weak, not more than 

 two or throe grains to the ounce of water. The 

 effect of this Is to turn the white parts to a bril- 

 liant yellow, quite impervious to actinic rays. 

 This process is only applicable to weak negative 

 or Instantaneous pictures, as, if used on a picture 

 of much intensity, the opacity produced is too 

 great. By using, however, instead of the iodide 

 of potassium, a weak solution of ammonia, as re- 

 commended by Mr. Hunt, a less degree of intensity 

 may be produced ; again a less intensity by hypo- 

 sulphate of soda ; and a less degree again, but still 

 a slight darkening, by pouring on the bichloride, 

 and pouring It off at once, before the whitening 

 commences. I thus can tell the exact degree of 

 negative effect in any picture of whatever intensity. 

 The terchlorlde of gold is most uncertain in its 

 results, at any rate I find it so. 



I must again beg you to excuse the great length 

 of my communication, and hope it will be of ser- 

 vice to my fellow photographers. 



F. Maxwell Ltte. 



Florian, Torquay. 



Derivation of the Word "Island" (Vol. viii., 

 p. 49.). — I have received through the kindness of 

 Hensleigh Wedgwood, Esq., a copy of the Philo- 

 logical Journal for Feb. 21, 1851, in which my late 

 observations on the etymology of the word island 

 are shown to be almost Identical with his own, 

 published more than two years ago, even the 

 minutest particulars. His own surprise on seeing 

 my remarks must have been at least as great as 

 my own, on learning how singularly I had been 

 anticipated ; and those of your readers who will 

 refer to the number of the journal In question, will 

 be doubtless as much surprised as either of us. 



This coincidence suggests two things : first, the 

 truth of the etymology in question ; secondly, the 

 excellency of that spirit which (as In this Instance) 

 " thinketh no evil ; " and, in so close a resemblance 

 of ideas as that before us, rather than at once start 

 a charge of plagiarism, will believe that it is pos- 

 sible for two persons, with similar habits of thought, 

 to arrive at the same end, and that, too, by singu- 

 larly identical means, when engaged on one and 

 the same subject. H. C. K. 



Rectory, Hereford. 



" Pcetus and Arria " (Vol. viii., p. 219.). — As I 

 have not observed a reply to the Query respect- 

 ing the author of Pcetus and Arria, a tragedy, I 

 beg to state that the work was not written by a 

 gentleman of the University of Cambridge, but 

 by Mr. Nicholson, son of Mr. Nicholson, a well- 

 known and highly respectable bookseller In Cam- 

 bridge, in the early part of the present century. 

 The young man, who, besides being unfailing In 

 his attention to business, had a literary turn, and 

 was attached to the fine arts, died In the prime of 

 life. After his death, the poor father, with tears 

 in his eyes, presented me with a copy of the 

 tragedy. I am glad to record this testimony to 

 the character of persons well known to me during 

 several years. Vldprvs Ultards. 



''That SwinncT/" (Vol. viii., p. 2 1 3.). — I am 

 well pleased with the manner in which T. S. J. 

 has unearthed " that Swinney," if indeed, as is 

 very probable, Sidney Swinney really was the 

 man who interfered with the gi-eat unknown. It 

 may not be Impertinent to state that Sidney 

 Swinney, who was of Clare Hall, Cambridge, be- 

 came B.A. in 1744, M.A. in 1749, and D.D. 

 {per saltum) in 1763. It may also be worth noting 

 that a George Swinney, of the same college, be- 

 came B.A. In 1767, and M.A. in 1770. This 

 Oeorge Swinney nunj have been Sidney Swinney's 

 son, or his near relation ; and may have been the 

 man who went to Lord G. Sackville in July, 1769 ; 

 but I think this not likely. I will only observe 

 farther that, In the "GraduatI Cantabriglenses," 



