Miscellaneous. 155 
may be used as negatives ; but, when placed over the prepared 
surface, the light requires more time to do its work, owing to the 
increased thickness of the medium it has to pass through. 
Where scientific diagrams and drawings are required in small 
numbers, this process will be specially advantageous. Messrs. 
Southwell Brothers have introduced a lithographic process for 
tinting the backgrounds of photographs so as to give the effect of 
a portrait on a neutral ground with white high lights. The pro- 
cess is thus described in the specification. A good portrait nega- 
tive has its background carefully blocked out or rendered opaque. 
In the finished print it is therefore perfectly white, and this is 
then laid upon a flat board, and covered with a piece of tracing- 
paper. On this the portrait is carefully outlined with a lead 
pencil, and the image thus formed is then cut out. Over that 
portion of the photograph on which the proposed tint is not re- 
quired, the tracing.paper is fastened with a little gum; and then 
the tint is printed over the whole, and the removal of the tracing- 
paper with a damp sponge completes the first part of the process 
so far as regards the background; if a general tone is required . 
over the whole, a second printing is used. The photograph is 
next damped between sheets of wet blotting-paper, and a properly 
prepared embossing block is used in a lever or other press, to give 
a texture to the whole resembling in effect and appearance that 
of drawing-paper.—J. W. W. in ‘Science-Gossip.’ 
Winet.—The quantity of wine imported in the first six months 
of this year was 8,493,240 gallons, as compared with 7,025,828 
gallons in the corresponding period of 1865, and 8,264,211 
gallons in the corresponding period of 1864. Of the total im- 
ports this year 3,995,451 gallons were red wine, as compared with 
3,263,987 gallons and 3,070,108 gallons in the corresponding 
periods of 1865 and 1864. The imports of French wine appear 
to be steadily increasing, having amounted to 1,286,256 gallons 
of red wine and 528,987 gallons of white wine to June 3oth this 
year, as compared with 943,811 gallons of red and 487,397 gal- 
lons of white wine to the corresponding date of 1865, and 
907,320 gallons of red and 464,957 gallons of white wine to the 
corresponding date of 1864. The imports of wine have con- 
siderably increased this year from Portugal and Spain. The 
arrivals from British Colonies, which were never very large, have, 
however, been further curtailed. Spain sent us to June 3oth this 
year 669,244 gallons of red wine, and 3,190,710 gallons of white 
wine, the totals in the first half of 1865 being 492,888 gallons, 
and 2,475,773 gallons, and in the first half of 1864, 446,099 
gallons and 4,073,545 gallons. 
ConsuMPTION OF TEA.—The Board of Trade Returns (says 
Messrs. Travers) show a remarkable increase in the quantity of 
tea entered for home consumption, during the five months ending 
May 31st, as contrasted with the corresponding period of the year 
