114 
THE YOUNG SCIENTIST. 
temperature required in the operation, 
and thus to prevent the rapid oxidation, 
which would frustrate the soldering. The 
flux usually employed for such joints as 
this is powdered resin, but tallow is also 
used. 
The funnel and pipe end being scraped 
perfectly bright, and dropped into each 
other in position, sprinkle some powdered 
resin into the channel formed by the 
upper part of the funnel and the pipe that 
fits into it. Then put the melted solder 
into this channel all round. This may be 
done in two ways— melt the solder in a 
small iron ladle and pour it into the 
joint, or heat the copper soldering-bit, 
and holding a stick of solder against it, 
drop the solder as it melts into the joint, 
taking care that there is enough solder 
all round. The soldering-bit is a pointed 
piece of copper, fitted into an iron shank 
with a wooden handle. SonTe prefer the 
copper end at right angles to the handle, 
but the bit is usually made all in the same 
line. The bulkier tlie copper, within rea- 
sonable limits, the more heat it will hold. 
3. Making the JoiJit.—The joint is in 
position, and the solder is run into it, but 
the joint is not yet "made." As the 
solder drops into the channel, it will be 
immediately chilled by the cold lead on 
both sides, and at this stage it is onl j^ like 
being run into a mould. There would be 
no amalgamation between the solder and 
the surfaces it is intended to unite, and it 
would be quite easy to pull the joint 
asunder while in this condition. Enough 
heat must be brought to bear on the joint 
to melt the solder, and to raise the ad- 
joining lead surfaces to such a tempera- 
ture that they shall amalgamate with the 
solder, and form one continuous mass of 
metal. The solder used with any par- 
ticular metal is always such as to melt at 
n, rather lower temperature than the metal 
itself, so that the solder be melted into 
the joint without melting the sides of the 
joint. 
Heat the soldering-bit hot enough to 
melt the solder easily; then put the 
pointed end of it downwards into the 
solder that has been run into the joint, 
and melt it thoroughly. Carry the point 
of the bit in this way slowly all round the 
joint, thoroughly melting the solder at 
every point. When this has been effectu- 
ally done the joint is "made." The 
heated bit has melted the solder, and at 
the same time raised the bright surfaces 
of lead on both sides to such a tempera- 
ture that they have amalgamated with the 
solder, and the joint is one solid piece of 
continuous metal throughout. At the 
same time, the resin melting has kept the 
air from the joint and prevented oxid- 
ation. 
The amateur will now let the water into* 
his pipe, and watch with anxiety whether 
there is any of that exudation which tells, 
him that his work is not perfect. If he 
sees those tiresome water-beads begin to 
stand about his joint, he had better let the 
water off, and when the pipe and joint are 
thoroughly dry, paint the joint well with 
any ordinary wood-paint : this will make 
it water-tight. But with moderate pains, 
and careful attention to the reasons of the 
thing, he will soon find himself able to 
make reliable joints, and will be, so far, 
independent of the plumber. It is an ex- 
cellent plan to get a piece of lead pipe and 
practice making joints, cutting them open 
with the saw to see how the work has been 
done. ^ ^ ^ 
Marvels of Pond Life.— XIII. 
IN the latter part of October I observed 
some fragments of a new creature 
among some bits of Anacharis, from the 
Vale of Heath Pond, and searched for 
complete and intelligible specimens with- 
out effect. Luckily one evening a scien- 
tific neighbor to whom I had given some 
of the plant for the sake of the beautiful 
Stephanocer'i which inhabited it, came in 
with a glass trough containing a little 
branch, to which adhered a dirty parch- 
ment-like ramifying tube, dotted here 
and there with brown oval masses, and 
having sundry open extremities, from 
which some polyp-shaped animals put 
forth long pearly tentacles margined 
with vibrating cilia, and making a lively 
current. The creatures presented an or- 
ganization higher than that of polyps, for 
there was an evident differentiation and 
complication of parts. They belonged 
to the Polyzoa or Bryozoa* a very impor- 
* Polyzoa means " many animals," in allusion 
to their habit of living in association. Bryozoa, 
"moss-animals." from some forming cells hav- 
ing that appearance. 
