Miscellaneous. 309 
mon albumenised paper. The photograph obtained is 
reddish, and would assume a disagreeable chocolate colour 
if it were merely fixed with hyposulphite of soda ; but this 
drawback may be avoided by toning ina gold bath. If 
the print be first dipped into a bath of sulphocyanide of 
ammonium, and then definitively fixed ina bath of hypo- 
sulphite of soda, it will first become yellow in the former 
substance, and then change to bistre in the latter. The lac 
may also be dissolved in a watery solution of phosphate of 
soda. The paper thus prepared and sensitised in the usual 
Way prints exceedingly well; its colour is black or sepia, and 
does not change materially when fixed with hyposulphite. If 
the white lac be dissolved in a mixture of phosphate and 
borate of soda, the paper coated with it will assume very 
agreeable tints varying between red and black; and these 
tints may be graduated at pleasure by varying the pro- 
portions of the two salts, . The paper prepared with 
phosphate of soda is best adapted for hard and powerful 
prints; that with borate, on the contrary, should be pre- 
ferred for delicate and light photographs. If the sheets 
prepared as stated be sensitised with nitrate, then dried, 
and afterwards once more dipped into the white lac solu- 
tion, their sensitiveness will not only not be diminished, 
but materially increased. 
DALMATIAN WiNES.—The best wine of Dalmatia is the renowned 
Malmsey. It is said to be from the same grape as Madeira, and 
resembles that wine, but is not equal to fine old Madeira. It has 
suffered more than any other grape from the disease, and is the 
only species of vine that has not recovered as the other have 
done during the last three years, after the previous ten years 
malady. New Malmsey has not been in the market since 1853. 
The Plarka is from a Burgundian grape, and produces an alcoho- 
lic wine resembling port. An English traveller, a good judge, last 
year told me that he considered this wine equal to a higher quality 
of port. The other wines noted in this province are the Tartaro 
of Lebenico, a strong red wine. There are also sweet wines, such 
as the Vugara of Bruzza, but with the saccharine quality much too 
prominent for English tastes ; and without the pulpy fruit-conserve 
flavour of Malaga, Menee, and Cyprus. The preliminary culture 
of the vine in Dalmatia evidences both labour and skill, but, with 
regard to the ordinary vines, not included in the above specifica- 
tion, the subsequent manipulation of the juice of the grape in all © 
the stages of wine making, is very rude and unscientific, and out 
- of all proportion to the labour, and even skill bestowed on the 
cuiture of the vine. ‘The red wines are generally made too soon, 
rom fear of the peasants stealing the grapes ; hence the necessity 
NEW SERIES.—VOL. I. eq 
