tin cover and punch hole through cover to run wire through. Now pour an ounce 

 or so of diluted Sulphuric Acid ( 1 part acid, 8 parts water) in the tumbler and 

 add three or four pieces of Iron Sulphuret as large as a pea. Suspend article 

 just above this liquid by running wire through hole in cover and bending over. 

 Leave exposed to these fumes from five to ten minutes, or until they turn to a 

 silvery gray. If they are not evenly covered, remove and dry, then dip again in 

 silver solution and return to fumes. When articles are evenly covered with a 

 silvery gray finish they are ready for bath. 



"Formula 3. Dip article to be plated in thin solution of shellac or mucilage, 

 let dry until tacky; then cover as evenly as possible with finely powdered graphite, 

 when dry polish gently with a soft brush. It is then ready for the bath. 



"Formula 4. Immerse the article in a 1 per cent solution of Silver Nitrate 

 in alcohol and dry, then dip in a 1 per cent solution of Yellow Phosphorus in 

 Carbon-di-Sulphid. This will form a metallic coating which may be plated over. 

 The ingredients of this solution are very inflammable and should be handled out 

 of doors only, and never near a light or any fire. Keep Phosphorus under water. 



"Formula 5. Dissolve Silver Nitrate Crystals in several times their weight 

 of distilled water and add ammonia until the precipitate which forms at first is 

 re-dissolved. A second solution is now made of Formaldehyde in three times its 

 weight of distilled water. Now dip article in ordinary collodion and dry. Now 

 mix the two above solutions in the proportion of one part of the first to two 

 parts of the second (by weight) and apply at once to the collodioned article. In 

 a few minutes the silver will be reduced to a metallic state and may be plated 

 over. 



"I find Formula I the best for ordinary work and would advise a beginner 

 to use it first as the copper plating will spread more rapidly over the bronze powder 

 than on most of the others; this will give a better chance to get resistance and 

 batteries right. Formulas 2 and 4 are especially good for delicate flowers and 

 insects, especially butterflies. Use No. 3 for large solid articles, such as baby 

 shoes and vegetables. After articles have been plated with copper they may be 

 plated with silver by the regular "Electro" process in common use, or the formulas 

 given below which are cheaper and just as satisfactory. To plate with Silver, 

 Silver Chloride 60 grains, Cream of Tartar 300 grains, common salt 1 20 grains. 

 Mix all well and reduce to a fine paste with distilled water; cover articles with 

 this paste and let dry, then rub off with powdered chalk and polish. Insects, 

 millers, etc., make beautiful brooches and hat pins, the latter when mounted on a 

 fine wire coil spring appear more lifelike; a good grade of water colors may be 

 used to an advantage on these. The bath given after Formula No. 1 is suitable 

 for all formulas, but one needs practice to become efficient. The formulas are 

 correct." 



A BUTTERFLY STORY. 



By R. R. Rowley, Superintendent of Schools, Louisiana, Mo. 

 "While wading through the underbrush on a hillside forest last Thursday 

 (June 1 1th), we spied, some distance ahead of us, a flimsy-looking web attached 

 to two small trees, some six or seven feet apart, decorated with black-looking 

 spots, quite regularly arranged, much as spots in a veil. What was our surprise 

 when we reached the objects to find 26 specimens of Thecla calanus fast in a 

 spider's strong, sticky web, every one of them alive and struggling but firmly en- 

 meshed and rendered helpless. No spider was in sight. We had seen an oc- 

 casional calanus, but this was the largest number I ever saw together. What allured 



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