[October, 
Scientific Notes . 
allowing the slide to dry slowly for a day or two. When the gum is quite 
hard, place the slide in a saucer of water, and brush the specimens gently and 
quickly with a nail- or tooth-brush. The gum will hold the fragments of 
Polyzoa firmly and safely in position, quite long enough before dissolving, so 
as to allow the specimens to be well cleaned : when this is done allow the 
slide to lie in the water until all the specimens are dissolved off from the sur- 
face ; they can afterwards be collected with a soft hair-pencil, and dried upon 
blotting-paper, when they are quite ready for mounting. 
A new form of seCtion-cutting machine for general microscopical purposes, 
by Mr. H. F. Hailes, is described in the u Transactions of the Quekett 
Microscopical Club ” (July, p. 243), to which those interested are referred, as 
an abstract of the paper would be useless without the drawings of the in- 
strument. 
Technology. — The Clothworkers’ Company of London having, with a wise 
and truly patriotic munificence, founded and endowed a Department of Textile 
Industry in connection with the Yorkshire College of Science at Leeds, Mr. J. 
Beaumont, the “ instructor ” to the Department, along with Mr. McLaren, — 
of the firm of Smith and McLaren, of Keighley, — were commissioned to visit 
the weaving and other technical schools of France, Belgium, and Germany. 
The result of their observations has been embodied in a Report, which is pub- 
lished by Rivingtons, and which we commend to the heedful attention of all 
interested in the manufactures of this country. The following passage, which, 
mutatis mutandis , applies to all branches of manufactures, is an excellent 
answer to a common objection. It is said by many that if a young man wants 
to learn weaving, let him go to a first-rate mill. “ The answer is that the 
weaving school is not meant to supplant the training received in the mill, but 
to supplement it in that particular where the latter fails. The apprentice in a 
mill will see other men designing and arranging new patterns ; but will he 
learn to design and arrange them himself, to calculate the warp and weft re- 
quired to weave them, or to cut the cards or arrange the healds ? In a well- 
managed factory, where everything goes as if by clockwork, no one has time 
to teach a learner these things. Even if there were the time , there might not 
be the desire to teach. The jealousy of overlookers is often so great that, in- 
stead of helping a person who comes to learn, they not unfrequently do much 
to hinder him.” We can confirm this statement from our own observation in 
such branches of industry as have come under our notice. The very object of 
apprenticeship is, in these days, to create and uphold a monopoly of practical 
knowledge. The fee is received, and as little as possible is given in return. 
Full testimony is borne to the striking success of the Polytechnic School of 
Aix-la-Chapelle. “ Though very large and complete, another building of 
equal size is being ereCted by its side, which is to form the chemical depart- 
ment.” There are now five hundred students, with twenty-four professors and 
eighteen assistants. The following passage may supply food for reflection : — 
“ We noticed a number of packing-cases which we were told contained models 
of English patent machines, sent as a present by the British Government at 
the request of the Prince Imperial of Germany. We would suggest that the 
Government should be invited to extend its liberality to the (Leeds) College 
of Science, and to similar institutions in their own country.” We might ask 
whether such international courtesies should not be made dependent on reci- 
procity and on international patent-right ? At present it seems rather hard 
upon the English inventor whose application for a patent in Germany has 
been in due course refused to have his models sent abroad, and therefore the 
more conveniently pirated. 
