Mr. Lyte's New Instantaneous Process.—I beg to communicate to you a new process in photography, which is by far the most rapid I believe yet discovered, and combines at the same time great stability. It has been the result of a great many experiments on my part, and even now I am hardly prepared to say that it is brought to its fullest perfection; but it suffices to say that it is sufficiently rapid to give pictures of the waves of the sea in motion with perfect sharpness, and ships sailing at ten knots an hour, and puttling up and down at the same time, and all with a landscape lens. By it also, and by the same lens, we may take instantaneous portraits. The process is as follows:—After the plate, prepared with the collodion and sensitised with the nitrate bath, as I have described in one of your former Numbers, is taken from the bath, I pour over it a solution composed as follows:

1. Take—
Nitrate of silver 200 grains.
Distilled water 6 ounces.
Iodide of silver, as much as will dissolve.
Mix and filter.
2. Take—
Grape sugar or honey 8 ounces.
Water 6 ounces.
Alcohol 1 ounce.
Mix, dissolve, and filter.

And when required for use, mix equal parts of these solutions, and pour them over the plate. The plate is to be allowed to drain; and then, when placed in the frame, is ready for the camera, and is easily impressed as a deep negative by a Ross's landscape lens instantaneously. To develop, I use always the same agents as I have before specified. One or two cautions are to be observed in this process. First, the grape-sugar or honey must be quite pure, and free from any strong acid re-action; and, secondly, these substances are much improved by a long exposure to the air, by which the oxidation of them is commenced, and the result made much more certain and effective. However, I find that the addition of the least possible quantity of nitric acid has the same effect; but nothing is so good as long exposure of the sugar or honey, so as to become completely candied before mixing. The sugar may as conveniently of course be mixed in the collodion as in the bath, but in that case the keeping properties are lost, as the plate is not thus kept longer moist than usual. If, however, the former process be used and well conducted, the plate when sensitised may be kept for four hours at least without injury.

The grape sugar should be made with oxalic, and the acid removed by lime as usual, and not with sulphuric acid, as is often done; as in the latter case sulpho-saccharic acid is formed, which much injures the result.

I have been trying numerous experiments in this line, and I think I have almost hit upon another and quite new and instantaneous process; but as it is only in embryo, I will not give it to you till perfect. There are of course many other substances to be yet mixed in the bath or the collodion, e. g. all the alkaloids, or indeed any of the deoxidating agents known, and probably with good results. I am still continuing my experiments on this head, and if I make any farther improvements I will lose no time in communicating them to you. Some negatives taken by this means were exhibited on Friday evening at the Royal Institution, and were much admired.

F. Maxwell Lyte.

[By Mr. Lyte's kindness, who has shown us a number of the pictures taken by this new process, we

are enabled to hear our testimony to its beautiful results. We are glad to learn also, that there is a probability that the admirers of photography may soon be enabled to purchase specimens of the productions of this accomplished amateur, who is about to return to the Pyrenees for the purpose of securing photographic views of the splendid scenery and various objects of interest which are to be found there.—Ed. "N. & Q.">[

Photographs, &c. of the Crystal Palace.—All who have visited the Photographic Institution, in New Bond Street, must have admired the large photographic views of the Crystal Palace, from collodion negatives taken by Mr. Delamotte, who, combining the taste of the artist with the skill of the photographer, has succeeded in producing some most effective views of this new Temple of Education. At Lord Rosse's soirée on Saturday last, the closing one unfortunately of those most agreeable reunions, Mr. Williams exhibited three daguerreotypes, taken that morning, of the ceremony of opening the Crystal Palace, which, although only about three inches by five, contained some hundreds of figures. The portraits of the Queen and the brilliant cortege which surrounded her at the moment were strikingly effective.

Soluble Cotton.—In answer to the observations of H. U. (Vol. ix., p. 548.), I should imagine that the nitrate of potash used was not thoroughly dried; and consequently, the amount of water used was in excess of that directed. The temperature should be from 120° to 130° Fahr. And thermometers of a proper construction (with the lower part of the scale to bend up from the bulb) can be obtained in abundance at from 1s. to 2s. 6d. at several of the makers in Hatton Garden or elsewhere.