bath again, and let the biting
continue another five minutes. Remove again, stop out as before, and
continue these operations as often as you wish. But it would be useless
to let your accumulated bitings on this experimental plate exceed more
than thirty minutes. Having finished your last biting, clean the plate
with benzine. Then apply the same process to your hands, and follow it
up with a vigorous application of soap and nail-brush. This will leave
your hands as beautiful as they were before.

It is hardly worth while to bother with taking an impression from this
trial plate, unless you happen to have a printer near by. The plate
itself will show you how the acid has enlarged the lines at each
successive biting, and it stands to reason that the broader and deeper
lines should give a darker impression than the finer and shallower ones.
If, however, you have no printer at hand, and still desire to see how
your work looks in black and white, you may consult the chapter on
"Proving and Printing," p. 55 of M. Lalanne's "Treatise."

* * * * *

You have now gained some idea of the theory of etching, have acquainted
yourself with the use of tools and materials, and have mastered the most
elementary technical difficulties of the process. You are therefore in a
position to profit by the teachings of M. Lalanne which follow.

In conclusion, let me assure you that the home-made appliances described
in the foregoing paragraphs are quite sufficient, technically, for the
purposes of the etcher. Plate B, Mr. Walter F. Lansil's first essay in
etching, was executed according to the directions here given, and the
artist has kindly consented to let me use it for the special purpose of
illustrating this point.

[Illustration: Plate B.]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES.

PLATE A. _A Trial Plate._ This plate is given to show the effect of
difference in length of biting. The lines in the eight upper rectangles
were all drawn before the first immersion of the plate, those on the
left with a fine point, those on the right with a somewhat coarser one.
After the plate had been in the bath for three minutes, it was
withdrawn, and the upper rectangle on the left stopped out. The upper
rectangle on the right, however, had hardly been attacked by the acid,
as the lines had been drawn with a blunter point, which had not
scratched the copper, while the fine point had. It was therefore allowed
to bite another t