The next and last of Mr. Defty's productions to be at present described is the so-called "crater burner," shown herewith (Fig. 4). This is an atmospheric burner which is purposely made to "fire back," as well as to burn on the top of the apparatus. The body of the burner, like the pyramid heater just described, is full of fire-clay balls, which become very hot from the lower flame, and thus, after the burner has been for some time in action, a pale, lambent blaze crowns the top, apparently greater in volume than when it is first lighted. Here, again, there is a lamentable absence of reliable data as to economic results, which will, perhaps, be afforded when the apparatus in question is ready to be offered to the public. Whether one inventor or another succeeds in distancing his rivals, it is matter, says _The Journal of Gas Lighting_, for sincere congratulation among the friends of gas lighting that so much attention is being concentrated upon the improvement of gas burners for all purposes. This is an open field which affords scope for more workers than have yet entered upon it, and there is the certainty of substantial reward to whoever can realize a worthy advance upon the established practice. * * * * * NEW BINDING MACHINES. The accompanying cuts represent two new machines for binding together books and pamphlets. They are the invention of Messrs. Brehmer & Co., and are now much used in England and Germany. The material used for binding is galvanized iron wire. _Machine Operated by Hand_ (Fig. 1).--This machine serves for fastening together the pages of pamphlets through the middle of the fold, or for binding together several sheets to form books up to a thickness of about half an inch. It consists of a small cast-iron frame, with which is articulated a lever, _i_, maneuvered by a handle, _h_. This lever is provided at its extremity with a curved slat, in which engages a stud, fixed to the lower part of a movable arm, _c_, whose extremity, _d_, rises and descends when the lever handle, _h_, is acted upon. This maneuver can be likewise performed by the foot, if the handle, _h_, be connected with a pedal, X, placed at the foot of the table that supports the machine, as shown in Fig. 2. The lever, _i_, is always drawn back to its first position, when left to itself, by means of the spring, _z_. [Illustration: IMPROVED BINDING MACHINE.]