THE NIDOLOGIST 
127 
matically stopped between the exposures 
need not waste over two inches ina twenty- 
five exposure-roll, or three inches, if prop- 
erly set to the reel, in one of twice that 
length; and certainly, the gain in avoid- 
ance of frequent loading vanishes before 
the annoyance and expense of being com- 
pelled to buy, out of season, a fifty roll; 
when you only wish to take a dozen or 
twenty pictures before the film would 
grow stale. But we are now in ‘he dark 
room, confronted by many problems. As 
we cut the films apart, we fall to wonder- 
ing what is the ‘‘front end of an exposure, 
and where the place,’’—one fourth inch in 
front of ‘‘a pertoration, at which we are to 
cut. We wish, ardently, that the perfora- 
tions had not an uncomfortable way of 
closing up so that they cannot be seen 
when the film strip is held up to the light. 
But we have learned to have beside usa 
slip of brown paper just the size that the 
automatically measured exposure ought to 
be, and so, even if there be a skip of two 
or even three perforations we can, by un- 
reeling film and measuring forward from 
the first that can be discovered, beyond, be 
measurably sure of avoiding the ‘‘foxing’’ 
of exposures. But much anxiety and delay, 
in this matter may beavoided by depending 
upon the sense of touch rather than that of 
sight. The thumb and forefinger of the 
right hand are closed upou the film edge, 
and passed along it rapidly. The dent of 
the perforation is thus quickly found, with- 
out the necessity of holding to the light. 
Just on the evening of the writing of this 
article comes a notice of the camera for 
which many of us have been waiting—a 
magazine camera using cut-films. Has it 
I wonder, been proven a success? 
As we immerse the exposures in the 
water bath, we fall to wishing that the 
mannuals would lay more stress or the use 
of ice, telling, that it should be chopped, 
and have the sharp edges melted away by 
the pouring of water over it. We are also 
wondering why we have not been warned 
against the splashing of anything, even 
pure water. on the undeveloped film—, 
warned against the mere touching of the 
sensitized surface with the hands,cautioned 
against forgetting to have plenty of clean 
absorbent cloths ready for wiping the hands 
after the developing of each negative. But 
we have learned, by sad experience, the 
lesson of unremitting neatuess. Our good 
angel has taught us to use a small cake of 
mooth ice in holding down the immersed 
and undeveloped films that will get their 
backs up; and to use a tin basin in 
covering the tray of undeveloped films. 
And we have been glad to find how easy it 
is acquire the dexterity requisite to the devel- 
oping of two negatives, or even three at once 
(best only two, however, for fear of over- 
developing) thus saving half thé time. 
Here, quickness and deftness mean every- 
thing. 
We are now ready for develop-using, 
we will say, ‘‘Eikonogen,’’ taking one 
“dose” in the ‘'Seidlitz Powder form’’, 
for twenty, or even twenty-five, exposures 
(that is, if we develop two negatives at a 
time.) For the amateur, at least, Eikono- 
gen is probably the very best developer on 
the market. It works quickly, very quickly 
indeed, with the first half-dozen negatives, 
and will develop up to twenty-four expos- 
ures, provided we have patience to work 
up the last half-dozen more slowly than the 
rest. 
Now comes the delightful and liesurely 
‘“‘Hypo’’ stage, wherein we can begin to 
enjoy the fruit of our labors. Lovingly we 
watch every negative as the milkiness dis- 
appears, testing it both for total blackness 
as it lies in the bath and for perfect clear- 
ness when held to the light; for a cloud on 
the negative is a permanent blot. We have 
now come to that part of the manipulation 
on which the manuals dwell the least, 
while yet we almost teel they should here 
say the most. The tempering bath of glyc- 
erine, to which is sometimes added at !east 
ten percent of alcohol to make the mixture 
less glairy should be strained when re-used, 
through close-fibred cloth. In all the dry- 
ing process as in the printing of the photo- 
graph) avoidance of lint is the requisite of 
clearness. When the negatives are re-taken 
from the tempering bath a camel’s hair 
pencil should remove even the least speck 
tbat adheres to the sensitized surface; and 
the whole face of the forty-eight by twelve 
inches soft and smooth pine board on which 
the negatives are to be pinned should be 
carefully wiped. Weset the negatives on 
edge to drain. This done, the lower edge 
ofeach is slowly drawn across the back of 
the hand to remove the free moisture, and 
each is pinned down separately. Pins are 
cheap; and we don’t want even the 
waste margins sticking together. ‘Frayed 
edges?’’ Yes, they’re there, sometimes, in 
the best of film. But they’ll be less, by 
ninety percent, if we have kept adding bits 
ot ice to the developer as fast as we dared, 
