Should any object be enclosed which requires to be kept flat during the drying of the cement, it will be necessary to use some of the contrivances mentioned in Chapter I. When the slide is thus far advanced, there remains the “finishing” only. Should the student, however, have no time to complete his work at once, he may safely leave it at this stage until he has a number of slides which he may finish at the same time. There are different methods of doing this, some of which may be here described. If ornamental papers are preferred, a small circle must be cut out from the centre a little less than the thin glass which covers the object. Another piece of coloured paper is made of the same size, and a similar circle taken from its centre also, or both may be cut at the same time. The slide is then covered round the edges with paper of any plain colour, so that it may extend about one-eighth of an inch over the glass on every side. The ornamental paper is then pasted on the “object” surface of the glass, so that the circle shows the object as nearly in the centre as possible, and covers the edges of the thin glass. The other coloured paper is then affixed underneath with the circle coinciding with that above. And here I may observe, that when this method is used there is no necessity for the edges of the slide to be “ground,” as all danger of scratching, &c., is done away with by the paper cover. Many now use paper covers, about one and a half inches long, on the upper side of the slide only, with the centre cut out as before, with no other purpose than that of hiding the edge of the thin glass where it is united to the slide. The method of “finishing,” however, which is mostly used at the present time, is to lay a coating of varnish upon the edge of the thin glass, and extend it some little way on the slide. When a black circle is required, nothing serves the purpose better than the gold-size and lamp-black, or the asphalt and india-rubber varnish, neither of which is liable to chip; but when used for this, the latter should be rather thinner, as before advised. Some of these varnishes are preferred of different colours, which may be made by using the different kinds of sealing-wax, as described in Chapter I.; but they are always liable to the defects there mentioned. This circle cannot be made in any other way but by one of those contrivances which have now centred in Shadbolt’s turntable. A very little practice will enable the young student to place his slide so that the circle may be uniform with the edge of the thin glass. The slide is now complete, except the addition of the name and any other particulars which may be desirable. For this purpose one of the methods described in Chapter I. must be employed.