526 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 240. 



volume of alcohol. The ether was then still very 

 strong. The cotton dissolved freely. On mixing the 

 iodizing medium, the colour of the collodion turns im- 

 mediately to nearly a port-wine colour, but still re- 

 mains very clear. I obtain a very good film of iodide 

 of silver from the bath, but cannot produce a picture 

 under five or seven minutes, whereas with the same 

 lens, and the same iodizing medium, viz. 



Alcohol ------ 8 drms. 



Iodide of potassium - 8 grs. 



Iodide of ammonium - - - - 4 grs. 



Iodide of silver - - - - - £ gr. 



I have obtained beautiful pictures in less than one 

 second with collodion prepared by the same (Archer's) 

 process. As I have made a quantity of it, and am un- 

 willing it should be wasted, I have taken the liberty 

 of asking your opinion on the subject. Do you think 

 the collodion is too new, or the ether not good ? On 

 pouring the developing solution on the plate (proto- 

 sulphate of iron), the plate has the appearance of having 

 ink poured on it ; but this appearance is removed on 

 the application of the hyposulphite of soda, and the 

 plate remains as clear as when it was taken from the 

 nitrate of silver bath. J. Cook. 



The Ceroleine Process. — Have any of your photo- 

 graphic correspondents made such experiments on the 

 ceVoleine process as to enable them to communicate 

 the results to " N. & Q,"? 



Is Mr. Crooke's process for preserving the sensitive- 

 ness of collodion applicable to all collodions? If not, 

 what collodion is best suited for it ? Silex. 



Mr. Fox Talbot's Patents. — The injunction moved 

 for by Mr. Fox Talbot, as reported in The Times of 

 Saturday last, reminds us of a Query which we have 

 been sometimes asked, and which may just now be 

 brought forward with advantage, namely : If Mr. 

 Talbot's patents extend to the collodion process, how 

 comes it that the earliest practisers of the collodion art 

 had to make their own researches? We know one 

 skilful photographer whose experiments were so ex- 

 tensive before he made any tolerable pictures, that his 

 spoiled glass and cuttings were more than a man could 

 lift. 



ISLzplizg to junior dtatriffc 



The Olympic Plain (Vol. ix., p. 270.). — I have 

 lust seen, in examining the contents of a German 

 periodical, that in May, 1853, a proposal was sub- 

 mitted to the public by Professor Ross, of the 

 University of Halle, for setting on foot a subscrip- 

 tion to defray the expense of making excavations 

 in Olympia, thus anticipating, by nearly a year, a 

 recent suggestion to the same effect in " N. & Q." 

 Professor Ross expatiates at considerable length 

 (see Jahrbiicher fur Philologie und Pddagogik, vol. 

 Ixviii. p. 203.) on the advantages to be derived, 

 as regards the arts, the literature, and the history 

 of Greece, from the exploration of so celebrated a 

 spot; but, notwithstanding all his arguments and 



eloquence, the amount of the subscriptions, after 

 the lapse of nine months, only amounted, in 

 February, 1854, to about 381. As this sum was 

 so utterly inadequate for the object intended, it 

 was resolved to devote it to excavations in Mykenae. 

 Professor Ross takes occasion to pay a high tribute 

 of praise to Lord Aberdeen, for the service ren- 

 dered by his Lordship in discovering the treasury 

 at Mykena;. The facilities at Olympia for carrying 

 on excavations are stated by Professor Ross to be 

 very great. It is but a few miles distant from the 

 sea, on the banks of a navigable river, and opposite 

 to the very populous island of Zante; so that 

 workmen, and means, and helps of all kinds can 

 easily be procured. It was intended to give the 

 superintendence of the excavations to Professor 

 Alexander Rizo Rangabe, of the University of 

 Athens, who was to be supplied with an adequate 

 staff of artists, &c. Whatever discoveries might 

 be made, were to become the property of the Greek 

 nation. Travellers were to be permitted to visit 

 the excavations during their progress, and to see 

 all that was going on ; and it was thought that a 

 considerable number might be attracted to the 

 spot, as the Austrian steamers convey passengers 

 weekly in three or four days from Trieste to the 

 western coast of the Morea. J. Macrat. 



Encyclopaedia of Indexes, or Table of Contents 

 (Vol. ix., p. 371.). — Your correspondent Thinks 

 I to Myself inquires respecting the desirableness 

 and practicability of forming an " Encyclopaedia 

 of Indexes, or Tables of Contents." It was to 

 meet this want (which is very commonly felt) 

 that the publication of the Cyclopaedia Biblio- 

 graphica was undertaken. The work has met 

 your approval, and I have the pleasure of an- 

 nouncing that the volume will be completed on 

 June 1. I think it will meet the desire of your 

 correspondent and many others, who, " in reading 

 up on any subject, wish to know whether any 

 author treats upon it, without being obliged to 

 examine his works, at a great expense of time 

 and labour." James Dareing. 



"One New Year's Day" (Vol. ix., p. 467.).— - 

 The lines quoted by Mr. Skyring are the open- 

 ing lines of an old ballad, entitled " Richard of 

 Taunton Dean, or Dumble Dum Deary." It may 

 be found in Ancient Poems, Ballads, and Songs of 

 the Peasantry of England, edited (for the Percy 

 Society) by J. H. Dixon, Esq., who says : 



" This song is very popular with the country people 

 in every part of England, but more particularly so with 

 the inhabitants of Somerset, Devon, and Cornwall. 

 There are many different versions." 



In the notes to his volume, Mr. Dixon mentions 

 two Irish versions of this ballad, communicated to 

 him by T. C. Croker, Esq., one of which, entitled 

 " Last New Year's Day," is almost verbatim with 



