ed, and he has an apartment so arranged for preserving whatever is
confided to him, from any injury which might be caused by moths or other
insects.

Amongst those articles for which France used to depend upon England, but
wherein the case is reversed by England taking from France, is that of
pencil-cases, in which small pieces of lead are inserted, and emitted or
withdrawn at pleasure; numbers of these formerly were sent from London
and Birmingham to Paris, but recently M. Riottot has invented and
obtained a patent for a pencil-case which has a little elastic tube of
tempered steel placed at the end which is used, and into which the lead
is inserted, and tightly held within it, so that there is no risk of
breaking, either in the act of fixing in the lead, or from its
afterwards shaking, the steel tube operating as a spring, retains it so
firmly that it remains, even whilst writing with it, perfectly
immoveable; these are arranged in gold or silver cases, more or less
ornamental as may be required, and are found so infinitely more
serviceable than those on the former principle, that as they are
becoming more known in England, the demand for them continues to
increase. The term by which they are designated, is Porte Crayon a Pince
elastique; their advantages are such as tend to economy, as they are
neither liable to fall out nor break, besides the convenience of their
never moving about whilst one is using them, to which the previous
system was constantly liable. M. Riottot has also an assortment of pens
and pen-holders, either plated or of silver or gold, richly chased or
simple, with a variety of seals and other articles; he likewise retains
a stock of lead, properly prepared for inserting into the pencil-cases.
His address is at No. 27, Rue Phelippeaux, Passage de la Marmite,
Escalier A, completely in the quarter of Paris inhabited by the
operatives, surrounded by workshops of different descriptions, not
exactly calculated for very delicate ladies.

For the benefit of a little purer air, we will quit the working
mechanics' rendez-vous, and take a lounge in the Palais-Royal, and as
soon as we breathe a little freely, we will examine the engraved seals
of M. Leteurtre-Maurisset, No. 33, Galerie d'Orleans, which, from the
extreme delicacy of the execution, are objects well worth attention; his
talents in this department have obtained him the distinction of being
engraver to the Chamber of Deputies and to the royal museu