ve had plates in the bath for several hours, and
some of my artist acquaintances whom I have consulted on the point, have
confirmed my experience. Possibly the phenomenon described by M. Lalanne
may be caused by impurities in the acid.

[10] (p. 27.) If the reader will make use of the device for lifting the
plate into and out of the bath, which I have described on p. xvii, there
will be no necessity of burning his fingers. With a little precaution,
and a plentiful use of benzine for washing and cleaning, the daintiest
lady's hand need not suffer from etching.

[11] (p. 29.) For directions for making this ground see Note 3.

[12] (p. 38.) To make the varnish, or rather etching-paste, recommended
in the text, a warm-water bath is not absolutely necessary.

Take any small porcelain or earthenware vessel (a small gallipot is very
convenient, because the etching-paste can be kept in it for use), and
set it upon a metal frame, easily made of wire, so that you can
introduce a spirit lamp under it. Break up a ball, or part of a ball, of
ordinary etching-ground, and throw it into the pot. Heat the pot
carefully, so as just to allow the ground to melt. When it has melted,
add oil of lavender (worth thirty-five cents an ounce at the
druggist's), drop by drop, and keep stirring the mixture with a clean
glass rod. From time to time allow a drop of the mixture to fall on a
cold glass or metal plate. If, on cooling, it assumes the consistency of
pomatum, the paste is finished.

As I have said before, this paste cannot be used with the India-rubber
rollers recommended in Note 5. With these rollers the regrounding must
be done with the ordinary etching-ground with the aid of heat. Warm your
plate so that you can just bear to touch it with the hand, and allow
some of the ground to melt on a second, unused copper plate. Also warm
the roller slightly. Then proceed as M. Lalanne directs in his
fifty-seventh paragraph. The slight changes in the proceeding, which
grow out of the differences between cold and warm ground, are
self-evident.

It is hardly necessary to say that the roller can also be used for
laying the first ground. _But it is of no use on any but perfectly
smooth, straight plates, as it cannot penetrate into hollows._ When it
is not available the dabber must be employed in the old manner.

[13] (p. 39.) Some engravers prefer the dabber to the roller even for
regrounding entire plates. In that case the ground is spread on