76 PHOTO-MICROGRAPHY. 



greatest care, and using abundant patience. I would, therefore 

 (before detailing any plan of procedure), strongly urge micro- 

 scopists -who are entirely ignorant of the photographic art, to 

 practise the ordinary wet-collodion process until they have 

 acquired a practical knowledge of it ; when they have advanced 

 so far, and can judge correctly when a wet plate is properly 

 exposed and developed, their next step must be to purchase two 

 or three packets of Swan's dry plates, 4J in. by 3J in., and learn 

 how to develop them. The best and quickest way of doing this 

 would be to go to a photographer and take a few lessons. 



Let us suppose the amateur has gone through these preliminary 

 stages, and feels himself duly qualified to commence operations ; I 

 will next give a description of the various appliances required, 

 and afterwards the mode of working. The illustration opposite 

 shews the apparatus ready for use : it should stand on a strong 

 table, the slightest vibration being an effectual bar to success. 



A is the Camera ; B, the dark slide ; C, the Microscope ; 

 D, the Condenser ; E, a Lantern ; F, a Magnesium-Lamp ; 



G, Gas-burner; H, Diaphragm. 



The Camera, a bellows one, from four to five feet long, rests on a 

 baseboard, which has a lath one inch high nailed on each edge, to 

 prevent the Camera slipping from side to side when moved for 

 focussing. This board should be at least two feet longer than the 

 Camera, so as to hold the Microscope, Lantern, etc. ; and the 

 length of the Camera regulates the size of the picture, for as it is 

 drawn out the picture increases, and vice versa. The microscope 

 is an ordinary monocular one, with a draw-tube lined with black 

 velvet to prevent central flare; and the eye-piece is removed. 

 The coarse and fine adjustments should work well. For the 

 benefit of those who have not penetrated into the mysteries of 

 Photography, it is necessary to say that the visual and actinic foci 

 of a lens generally lie in different planes ; it would, therefore, be 

 better to purchase a one-inch lens specially made for Photography, 

 or a Woodward's amplifier, which would correct all objectives. 

 However, if the amateur does not wish to incur more expense 

 than is absolutely necessary, he must determine by experiment the 

 actinic focus of the power he intends to work with ; how to do 

 this will be described further on. 



The Lantern is made of tin or wood, and should be about 12 

 inches square (an ordinary wooden magic-lantern, or a Sciopticon, 

 can be utilised) : the condenser is fitted in the front, and a hole 

 is made at the back for the nozzle of the lamp : the door must be 

 kept closed when exposing. I have tried several means of 

 illumination, and have been most successful with Solomon's 



