P R I 



firll been warmed on the ftove, is prepared to receive the 

 colour, which, being previoufly mixed with oils of a proper 

 confiftency, is then rubbed into the engraved hnes, and the 

 fuperfluous quantity of colour is carefully cleaned from the 

 furface of the plate. The paper, which is very thin, and 

 manufaftured for the purpofe, is then laid on the plate, and 

 delivered to the preffman, who places it on a plank covered 

 with warm flannels, and being fixed between two iron 

 cylinders, it is drawn through by turning a wheel, exaftly 

 on the plan practifed in taking off copper-plate prints. 

 The paper bearing the clear-coloured irupreffion is now 

 removed from the copper-plate and delivered to the printer, 

 who fixes the piece of porcelain in a vice, to keep it fteady ; 

 and the printed paper is then rubbed with a wooden tool, 

 covered with flannel, till the impreffion is completely tranf- 

 ferred to the furface of the bifcuit, or unglazed porcelain. 

 The operation of rubbing on the impreffion being completed, 

 the porcelain, with the paper left on the furface, is tlirown 

 into a tub of cold water, and in a fhort time the paper 

 delivers itfelf, and leaves the print. The ware is now placed 

 out to dry, and is afterwards carried to the kiln, where 

 the impreflions are burnt in. It is then dipped in the 

 liquid vitreous fubfl;ance called the glaze, is burat a fecond 

 time, and the colour, which is the oxyd of cobalt, (and 

 moft generally ufed,) comes out a neat blue, perfectly 

 fecured under the glaze. 



An improved method of printing, comparatively of very 

 recent invention, was introduced under the direction of 

 the late Martin Barr, efq., and is now carried on in the 

 Porcelain Works at Worcefter, and is much admired for 

 the excellence of the engravings, and the great beauty of the 

 impreflions. On this plan, the printing-prefs and Ifove are 

 not neceffary, as the engraved plate is charged with a 

 prepared oil by the printer, who cleans the furface of the 

 engraving with the hand ; and inftead of paper, a bat of 

 glutinous confjlency is cut out and laid on the copper-plate, 

 and is fo duttile as to adapt itfelf to the form of any veffel 

 intended to be printed ; and by the fimple preflaire of a 

 fluffed leathern ball auith the hand, produces a perfect im- 

 preflion of the fubject in oil on the Imooth fide of the bat. 

 The ware being rubbed dry and clean, the bat is now 

 gently preffed with the leathern ball on the glazed furface 

 of the porcelain, and when removed the impreffion appears 

 complete, but only in oil. The colour, in form of a powder, 

 is then lightly moved over the oil impreffion with a piece of 

 carded cotton, and the print completely cleared of all that 

 is fuperfluous. The porcelain is afterwards carried to the 

 enamellers, who finifh the defign by adding fome deco- 

 rations iu gold ; and it is then paffed through the enamel- 

 ling kiln, where the oil is evaporated by the fire, and the 

 colour, which is always a mineral preparation, unites firmly 

 with the glaze, and becomes perfectly durable as the tints 

 laid on with the camel's-hair pencils by the painters. The 

 great advantage of this plan is, that the engraving can be 

 executed much finer for the fmooth furface of the glazed 

 porcelain, than for the coarfer blue and white prints, 

 (which are laid on the rough unglazed furface,) as the glaze 

 is capable of receiving the finefi touch the artifl can put 

 into his engraved plate. MefTrs. Flight, Barr, and Barr, 

 the proprietors of thefe works, have in confequence intro- 

 duced beautiful engravings of figures from the antique, 

 befides defigns in landfcapes, flowers, fhells, &c. which 

 reflect no fmall degree of credit on this branch of the art of 

 printing. Confiderable quantities have been exported to 

 the Eall and Well Indies ; and where economy is the 

 objeft of the confumer, this flyle of decoration fuits very 



PRO 



well, however deficient m richnefs of effect and elegance, 

 to the more elaborate produftion of enamelled defigns 

 pToFLIWnm f "^/"' highly-refpeaable worL' 



PROMEROPS, in Ornithology, a genus of birds of the 

 order Pics; the characters of which are, habit as in the 

 genus Upupa; feet formed for walking; tail lengthened, 

 and m moft fpec.es cuneated. Dr. Shaw euumerttes and 

 defcnbesthefollownngfpecies; viz. C^ruleus, or blue P. 

 ^vIth black bill and legs ; the Upupa indica, or blue 

 promerops of Latham ; a native of India: Cafer, or brown 

 P. whitilh beneath, with rufefcent breaft, and verv^ lonff 

 tail ; the Upupa P. or Cafer P. of Latham, and the Upup! 

 P. or Merops cafer of Linnsus ; a native of Africa, and 

 common about the Cape of Good Hope: Striatus, or brown 

 i'. beneath white, with black undulations and very long 

 tail ; Upupa papuenfis, or New Guinea brown P. of Latham ; 

 native of New Guinea, inhabiting large woods : Superbus, 

 or black P. with violet and green glofs, foUated golden 

 mining fcapular feathers, and very long tail ; the Upupa 

 fuperba and great P. of Latham ; a magnificent fpecies, 

 exceeding all the reft in the fplendour and elegance of its 

 plumage ; a native of New Guinea : Paradifeus, or chefnut 

 P., the Upupa paradifea of Linnaeus and Latham, and 

 crefted P. of the latter : Mexicanus, or ^rey P. with green 

 and purple glofs, blueifh wings, yellowifh belly, and very 

 long tail ; Upupa mexicana, or Mexican P. of Latham ; a 

 native of Mexico, frequenting mountainous regions, and 

 feeding on various kinds of infefts : Aurantius, or orange- 

 coloured P., with tail of moderate length and even at the 

 top ; the Upupa aurantia, or orange P. of Latham ; native 

 of Guiana, frequenting the fmaU illaiids in the mouth of the 

 river Berbice; Fernandez defcrihes the fuppofed female of 

 this fpecies under the name of Cochitolotl : Erythrorynchos, or 

 black P. with green and purple glofs, red bill and legs, 

 and long tail with the feathers fpotted with white near the 

 tip ; the Upupa erythrorynchos, or red-billed P. of Latham ; 

 an highlv elegant fpecies, an inhabitant of Africa. 



PROPERTY, Literary. (See Literary Property.) 

 The ftate of literary property has been confiderably im- 

 proved fince the article on this fubjeft appeared in the 

 body of this work. By the aft of 54 Geo. III. c. 156. an 

 absolute term of twenty-eight years copyright has Ijeen 

 vefted in the author of every book that Ihall be pubhfhed 

 after the paffing of that act, and in his affigns, and if the 

 author fhall furvive that period, the copyright is alfo 

 fecured to him for his life. On books that were publilhed 

 before this ftatute was made, the fecond contingent term of 

 fourteen years granted by the former acts on this fubjedl, 

 was made abfolute in fuch authors as were then alive, and a 

 life intereft was aifo added if they furvived this extenlion. 

 On this laft fubje£l, the court of King's Bench has decided 

 in a recent cafe, that if the book had b.come the property 

 of the public at the time the aCt paffed, which was on the 

 29th July 1 8 14, the benefit granted by the act to the 

 authors of books publilhed before that time, were not meant 

 by the legiflature to apply in fuch inftances. 



The fame adt continued the obligation of delivering 

 eleven copies of every book, and of its maps, plates. Sec. to 

 the eleven libraries therein mentioned, being the Britilh 

 Mufeum, Sion College, the Bodleian Library at Oxford, the 

 Pubhc Library at Cambridge, the Library of the Faculty of 

 Advocates at Edinburgh, the Libraries of the four univerlities 

 of Scotland, Trinity College Library, and the King's Inns 

 ^ 1 2 Library 



