134 THE YOUNG 
both journals will have their subscrip- 
tions to the Young Scientist extended by 
the proper amount. 
BOOK NOTICES. 
The Workshop Companion: A Collection of 
Useful and Jieliable Kecipes, Eules, Processes, 
Methods, Wrinkles and Practical Hints for the 
Household and the Shop. Price, 35 cents. New 
York: The Industrial Publication Company. 
There is, probably, not a single reader of this 
notice that has not at some time or other felt the 
want of some item of information contained in 
this book, and would gladly have given the price 
of the volume for one of the recipes. The book 
covers a very wide range of subjects, there being 
no less than ninety main articles, some of which 
contain as many as sixty sub-headings. The 
pages are of good size and closely printed in very 
clear type, so that 164 of them contain an unusual 
amount of matter. The subjects are arranged 
alphabetically, the work thus forming an almost 
complete encyclopeedla of practical, everyday in- 
formation. 
The thoroughness with which the book has been 
prepared is best seen by examining a few special 
subjects. Turning to the article on Cements, we 
find not only a short treatise on the use of 
cements, but a series of nearly sixty recipes, cov- 
ering every possible requirement, from aquaria 
to steam boilers. 
Again, under the head of Inks, we find not only 
a series of recipes for almost every variety of ink, 
but a carefully written article on the selection and 
use of ink, giving information which is of service 
to every one, and which but few people possess. 
The same might be said of Alloys, Lacquers, Steel, 
Brass, Wood Finishing, Polishing Powders, etc., to 
the extent of nearly one hundred distinct sub- 
jects. In every case, so far as we can judge, the 
information given is reliable, and its general 
usefulness is shown by the fact that in almost all 
cases it covers the popular uses of the articles as 
well as their strictly technical relations. Thus, 
under the head of Marble, we find not only direc- 
tions for working and polishing it, but for pre- 
serving and cleaning it, and also hints as regards 
the ways by which marble articles may be injured. 
The publishers undoubtedly anticipate for this 
book a very large sale, or they could not have 
made the price so low in proportion to the amount 
of matter given. 
Devices of Autumn Leaves. 
An exquisite transparency may be made by 
arranging pressed ferns, grasses, and autumn 
leaves, on a pane of window-glass, laying an- 
other pane of the same size over it and binding 
the edge with ribbon, leaving the group im- 
prisoned between. Use gum-tragacanth in put- 
ting on the binding. It is well to secure a nar- 
row sti'ip of paper under the ribbon. The bind- 
SCIENTIST. 
ing should be gummed all around the edge of 
the first pane, and dried before the leaves, ferns, 
etc., are arranged ; then it can be neatly folded 
over the second pane without difificulty. To 
form the loop for hanging the transparency, .. 
paste a binding of galloon along the edge, 
leaving a two-inch loop free in the centre, after- ! 
wards to be pulled through a little slit in the i 
final binding. These transparencies may be 
either hung before a window, or, if preferred, se- 
cured against a pane in the sash. In halls, a 
beautiful elfect is produced in placing them \ 
against the side-lights of the hall door. Where I 
the side-lights are each of only a single pane, it 
is well worth while to place a single trans- ' 
parency against each, filling up the entire space, , 
thus affording ample scope for a free arrage- ■ 
ment of ferns, grasses, and leaves, while the i 
effect of the light passing through the rich 
autumnal colors is very fine. Leaves so ar- j 
ranged will preserve their beauty the entire i 
winter. ■ 
An exceedingly pretty standing for a lamp 
can be formed of eight oblong transparencies 
(made of glass and autumn leaves as described) 
taclied together with strong sewing-silk so as to 
form an eight-sided hollow column. To hide 
the lamp candlestick, the screen should be lined 
throughout with oiled tissue paper, either white 
or of a delicate rose-color. A better plan still is 
to get the effect of ground glass by rubbing each 
strip of glass on a flat paving-stone, plenti- 
fully covered with white sand. This grinding 
process, of course, must be performed before ! 
the leaves are inserted, and then only upon the 
inner side of the glasses. The completed screen 
may have a simple border of heavy chenille at 
the base, or be placed upon an unvarnished 
black-walnut stand decorated with acorns, 
pines, cones, etc. The screen is of course left 
open at the top. It must be set over a lighted 
candle or small lamp to give its best effect, 
though it is also a very ornamental object in the 
daylight. 
Curious Experiment. 
Suppose you were required to take a coin 
from the bottom of a deep jar, or even a pail of 
water without wetting your hand, and suppose 
further that your naked hand was to be thrust 
through the water, how do you suppose it could 
be done ? Simply by shaking a little lycopo- 
dium, (a substance that maybe procured cheaply 
at any drug store), over the surface of the liquid. 
Then plunge your hand boldly but steadily into 
the water and it will not wet you in the least. 
The cause of the water's not wetting the hand 
is the same in principle as that which causes 
the dew to stand in spherical drops on the 
