282 A New Table- St and for Astronomical Telescopes. 



men is chosen it is laid between the blotting",, and being- 

 fresh requires no laying out. Generally, the specimens when 

 taken out are already nearly dried and well pressed, and only 

 need a shift to fresh paper, and a few days' further pressure, to 

 render them fit for mounting. For convenience of carriage a 

 strap is passed round the case, and by this means it can be 

 slung over the shoulder, or be carried in the fashion of a wallet. 

 When closed the case measures seventeen inches by eleven 

 inches, and when opened to its full extent it has a capacity of 

 nine inches ; when closed and empty it is exactly one inch thick. 

 To make this description more intelligible, a diagram is sub- 

 joined. 



A NEW TABLE-STAND FOE ASTRONOMICAL 

 TELESCOPES. 



BY THE KEV. E. L. BEKTHON, M.A., 

 Yicar of Komsey, Hants. 



The want of a cheap and effective stand is much felt by the 

 daily increasing numbers of amateur astronomers, and since 

 the diminution in the prices of achromatic object-lenses has 

 induced many to increase the size of their instruments, the fol- 

 lowing description of a stand recently invented and constructed 

 will probably be well received. 



The contrivance now made public is applicable for teles- 

 copes of any size up to eight feet or more, and possesses the 

 advantages of great steadiness and ease in working, combined 

 with lightness and considerable portability. It may be used 

 on any very steady table, but a thick slab of very smooth slate, 

 well supported on stone or brickwork, or if in a garden on 

 three stumps of trees arranged in a rustic manner, is by far 

 the best. These slabs are now very cheap, and are not injured 

 by the weather. 



The construction of the stand is simple and inexpensive, 

 and secures great accuracy in operation without any parti- 

 cular nicety of workmanship. Its leading feature is that the 

 tube, instead of resting on one joint, or point cVappui, has 

 two distinct bearings. In fact it has two pairs of trunnions, 

 one of which rests on the top of the main support, the other 

 on the upper ends of two stiff rods, which are moved by 

 a long screw, and perform the part of both steadying rods 

 and elevators. 



The tube is divided by the trunnions into three equal 



