SCIOPTICON MANUAL. 109 



The preceding article on drawing and painting magic 

 lantern slides has been contributed by an expert pre- 

 eminently qualified to assist us in overcoming its ap- 

 parently insuperable difficulties. 



It may be proper here to state that we now furnish a 

 varnish to take the place of No. 1 and No. 2, which 

 answers equally well with but once flowing. Like No. 

 2 it must be dried by heat to prevent what is called 

 " chilling." The operation can be best performed in a 

 dry atmosphere which is free from dust. 



A COPYING CAMERA. A private letter from Prof. W. 

 A. Boles, of Shelby ville, Ind., Superintendent of Schools, 

 contains further valuable information in this direction, 

 and a description of a new instrument of his own inven- 

 tion. By permission the following extracts are given 

 in the interest of home production. 



"With this mail I send you a specimen of my drawing 

 on gelatine-coated glass, for use in the Sciopticon. After 

 the coating of gelatine is perfectly dry, I sand-paper it 

 with the finest article I can get, and after the picture 

 is drawn, float it with your No. 1 varnish. . . . 



"I made an upright camera-obscura, using the lens 

 from the Sciopticon. The picture to be copied is placed 

 beneath, in the sunlight if possible, and the image is 

 thrown upward so that I can trace the outlines quite at 

 my ease. On the roughened gelatine a fine steel pen 

 and the ordinary black ink I am now using mark beauti- 

 fully, and the shading is done with a lead pencil. By 

 tracing the image of the picture, in the little darkened 

 chamber, I avoid the trouble from the slipping of the 

 glass and the different angles of observation consequent 

 upon superposition. This plan has also the additional 

 advantage of enabling me to reduce or enlarge a draw- 

 ing to any desirable size. 



