An examination of the figures on Plates 4 and 5 will roughly illustrate these points. The upper figure of Plate 4 is well designed, and no improvement could be made, bearing in mind the compromise alluded to above. The lower figure is, however, not so good, it was obviously a difficult one to arrange; it would have been improved if Figs. 23, 26 and 28 could have been placed in the top tier, but this would have seriously disturbed the sequence. The first illustration on Plate 5 is well designed; it would, however, have been improved by interchanging 8A and 11B. [Illustration: PLATE 4.] [Illustration: PLATE 5.] We may now pass on to the individual figures; these should shew the essential features, together with some surrounding and comparatively extraneous matter; often there is included too much of unimportance and its retention means a waste of valuable space. The first thing to do, therefore, is to trim, if needs be, the figures; their shape is more or less immaterial, provided that in cases where there are a large number of illustrations on one plate, they are not all alike. The American fashion of circular figures is particularly displeasing, at any rate to the author. Having trimmed the figures, the next point to decide is whether any require reduction; if they do, cut out pieces of paper (referred to as patterns below) of the size which the figures will ultimately appear: on the whole, it is better to avoid reduction of the originals, for without a good deal of experience it is very difficult to judge exactly what the result will be; a good idea, however, may be gained by the use of a diminishing glass. The size of the available surface of the plate should now be ruled on a white sheet of fairly thick cardboard, and the figures, or their patterns, arranged so as to be easy of reference, to compose as well as may be, and spaced in such a way that, in the case of a quarto plate to be folded vertically, no figure is placed so that the fold will pass through its centre. Nothing is more irritating than having an illustration spoilt in this way. All this may be done by arranging in different ways until a satisfactory result is obtained, a process which may take an hour or two. The figures should then be pasted down, covered with several sheets of blotting paper and placed in a press. A press is seldom available; when such is the case, a number of heavy books serve equally well.