This is a beautiful, useful, and inexpensive art, easily acquired, and producing imitations of the richest and rarest stained glass; and also of making blinds, screens, skylights, Chinese lanterns, etc, in every variety of colour and de sign.

1852. In decorating his house, an American spends as much money as he can conveniently spare; the elegances and refinements of modern taste demand something more than mere comfort; yet though his walls are hung with pictures, his drawing-room filled with bijouterie, how is it that the win dows of his hall, his library, his staircase arc neglected ? The reason is obvious. The magnificent historical old stained glass might be envied, but could not be brought within the compass of ordinary means. Recent improvements in printing in colours led the way to this beautiful invention, by which economy is combined with the most perfect results.

1853. A peculiar kind of paper is rendered perfectly transparent, upon which designs are printed in glass colours (vitro de couleurs), which will not change with the light. The paper is applied to the glass with a clear white varnish, and when dry, a preparation is finally applied, which increases the transparency, and adds tenfold brilliancy fro the effect.

1854. There is another design, printed in imitation of the half-light (abat-iour), this is used principally for a ground, covering the whole surface of the glass, within which (the necessary spaces having been previously cut out before it is stuck on the glass), are placed medallion centres of Watteau figures, perfectly transparent, which derive increased brilliancy from the semi-transparency of the surrounding ground.

1855. To ascertain the quantity of designs required, measure your glass carefully, and then calculate how many sheets it will take. The sheets are arranged so that they can be joined together continuously, or cut to any size or shape.

1856. Practical Instructions

Choose a fine day for the operation, as the glass should be perfectly dry and unaffected by the humidity of the atmosphere. Of course if you have a choice, it is more convenient to work on your glass before it is fixed in the frame. If you are working on a piece of unattached glass, lay it on a flat table (a marble slab is preferable), over which you must previously lay a piece of baize or cloth to keep the glass steady. The glass being thus fixed, clean and polish the side on which you intend to operate (in windows this is the inner side), then with your brush lay on it very equably a good coat of the prepared varnish; let this dry for an hour, more or less, according to the dryness of the atmosphere and the thickness of the coat of varnish; meantime cut and trim your designs carefully to fit the glass (if it is one entire transparent sheet you will find little trouble); then lay them on a piece of paper, face downwards, and damp the back of them with a sponge, applied several times, to equalize the moisture. In this operation, arrange your time, so that your designs may now be finally left to dry for fifteen minutes before application to the glass, the varnish on which has now become tacky or sticky, and in a proper state to receive them. Apply the printed side next to the glass without pressure; endeavor to let your sheet fall perfectly level and smooth on your glass so that you may avoid leaving creases, which would be fatal. Tako now vour palette, lay it flat on the design, and press out all the air bubbles, commencing in the centre, and working them out from the sides; an ivory stick will be found useful in removing creases; you now leave this to dry, and after twenty four hours apply a slight coat of the liqueur diaphane, leaving it another day, when if dry, apply a second coat of the same kind which must be left several days: final ly, apply a coat of varnish over all.

1857. If these directions are care fully followed, your glass will never be affected by time or by any variation in the weather; it will defy hail, rain, frost and dust, and can be washed the same as any ordinary stained glass, to which, in some respects, it is even superior.

1858. It is impossible to enumerate the variety of articles to the manufac ture of which Dinphanie may be successfully applied, is it is not confined to glass, but can be done on silk, parchment, paper, linen, etc, after they have been made transparent, which may be accomplished in the following manner: -

1859. Stretch your paper, or whatever it may be, on a frame or drawing board, then apply two successive coats a day between each), of diaphanous liquor, and after leaving it to dry for several days, cover it with a thin layer of very clear size, and when dry it will be in a fit state to receive the coat of varnish and the designs.

1860. Silk, linen, or other stuffs, should be more carefully stretched, and receive a thicker coat of size than paper or parchment; the latter may be strained on a drawing or any other smooth board, by damping the sheet, and after pasting the edges, stretching it down while damp (silk, linen, and other stuffs require to be carefully stretched on a knitting or other suitable frame). Take great care to allow, whatever you use, time to dry before applying the liqueur diaphane.

1861. All kinds of screens, lamp shades, and glasses, lanterns, etc. etc, may be made in this way, as heat will produce no effect upon them. The transparent pictures are successful, because they may be hung on a window frame or removed at will, and the window blinds are far superior to anything of that kind that have yet been seen.

1862. Instead of steeping the designs in the transparent liquor at the time of printing them, which was previously done in order to show their transparency to the purchaser, but which was practically objectionable, as the paper in that state was brittle, and devoid of pliancy, necessitating also the use of a peculiarly difficult vehicle to manage (varnish) in applying it to the glass, the manufacturer now prepares his paper differently, in order to allow the use of parchment-size in sticking them on the glass. The liqueur diaphane, which is finally applied, renders them perfectly transparent. In this mode of operation, no delay is requisite, the designs being auolied to the glass immediately after' laying on the size, taking:are to press out all the air bubbles, for which purpose a roller will be found indispensable. The designs should be damped before the size is applied to them.

1863. We are of opinion that this art may be applied to the production of magic lantern slides, dissolving views, and dioramic effects; though we are not aware whether such experi ments have been tried.