7 
in darkness, and from the other with the use of the submerged 
lamps, the result being immensely in favour of the electric fishing, 
as the nets that side brought in large quantities of fish. The idea 
is really only a development of the old Norwegian plan of salmon 
spearing at night with a pine wood fire hung in a cage over the 
bows of a boat. 
Last March an Electric Club was opened in New York, and is 
fitted up with the latest novelties. ‘‘ You ring the bell by standing 
on a metal plate, the door is then unlocked by electricity ; chops 
and steaks are cooked on electric gridiron; boots are cleaned and 
polished by an electro-motor ; the clocks are wound by electricity, 
and even the «lub piano can be made to play by this most versatile 
agent.”’ It has been proposed to let out electric power from central 
stations to craftsmen at their own homes, and in America, and at 
Geneva, artizans are already availing themselves of the new energy 
in carpentering, watchmaking, &c. In St. Petersburgh electricity 
has been successfully used for slaughtering cattle, death being 
instantaneous. 
Long distance telephoning is rapidly progressing in France, a 
connection having recently been opened between Paris and Mar- 
seilles, a distance of 500 miles. The highest telephone connection 
in Europe has been opened by the Monks of St. Bernard, between 
their Hospice and the towns of Proz and S. Pierre, in Switzerland, 
and Fontine and 8. Remy, Italy. In many places on the Continent 
the ‘‘ Automatic Machine ’’ has been pressed into the service of 
the telephone, and by dropping the coin into the slit you can talk 
with your friends for three minutes. A story is told of an American 
gentleman, who, by whistling through the telephone, which con- 
nects his private residence with his town office, can at any moment 
summon his dog, who immediately recognizes his master’s voice. 
The greatest advance in telegraphy is also in America, where mes- 
sages are sent to and from trains in motion. 
A new method of photography by artificial light, has been devised 
by the simple plan of sprinkling some magnesium dust on a little 
gun cotton, which is placed on the top of the camera on a plate, 
and then fired at the proper moment by a match; excellent results 
have been obtained by this process under otherwise hopeless condi- 
tions ; the flame being large the shadows are not hard as when 
electric light or magnesium wire is used. Another advantage for 
portraits is that the eye is shown at its best, the pupil being at its 
largest in the subdued light previous to the flash, and the photo- 
’ graph being taken instantaneously, the pupil has not had time to 
contract. So instantaneous indeed is the photograph, that it is 
taken before the sitter has time to show the startling surprise of 
the flash in his face; nerve impulse only moving at the rate 
