In conclusion, the writer would ask his readers to regard the book to some extent as tentative, and as a means to the procuring and organising of information bearing upon laboratory arts. Any information which can be given will be always thankfully received, and the author hereby requests any reader who may happen to learn something of value from the book to communicate any special information he may possess, so that it may be of use to others should another edition ever be called for. CHAPTER I HINTS ON THE MANIPULATION OF GLASS AND ON GLASS-BLOWING FOR LABORATORY PURPOSES Sec. 1. THE art of glass-blowing has the conspicuous advantage, from the point of view of literary presentation, of being to a great extent incommunicable. As in the case of other delightful arts--such as those treated of in the Badminton Library, for instance--the most that can be done by writing is to indicate suitable methods and to point out precautions which experience has shown to be necessary, and which are not always obvious when the art is first approached. It is not the object of this work to deal with the art of glass-blowing or any other art after the manner befitting a complete treatise, in which every form of practice is rightly included. On the contrary, it is my wish to avoid the presentation of alternative methods. I consider that the presentation of alternative methods would, for my present purpose, be a positive disadvantage, for it would swell this book to an outrageous size; and to beginners--I speak from experience--too lavish a treatment acts rather by way of obscuring the points to be aimed at than as a means of enlightenment. The student often does not know which particular bit of advice to follow, and obtains the erroneous idea that great art has to be brought to bear to enable him to accomplish what is, after all, most likely a perfectly simple and straightforward operation. This being understood, it might perhaps be expected that I should describe nothing but the very best methods for obtaining any proposed result. Such, of course, has been my aim, but it is not likely that I have succeeded in every case, or even in the majority of cases, for I have confined myself to giving such directions as I know from my own personal experience will, if properly carried out, lead to the result claimed. In the few cases in which I have to refer to methods of which I have no personal experience, I have endeavoured to give references (usually taking the form of an acknowledgment), so that an idea of their value may be formed. All methods not particularised may be assumed by the reader to have come within my personal experience.