SEPTEMBER 29 ISSUE ANSWERS (photo to right): Both of the above objects are late 19th Century German ink wells. They would have belonged to two different desk sets. The bird’s head flips up giving the letter writer access to the ink inside. These wells were possibly used for dip pens. Dip pens made of everything from pointed sticks, feathers, and pens with metal nibs were dipped in the well to refresh its ink supply. These dip pens would write in an inconsistently bold and then faint appearance on the paper as the ink ran out. The fountain pen contained a reservoir of ink inside the writing instrument. The Egyptians used a dip pen system and a thousand years ago an Arab individual requested a pen that would not run out quickly and leak on his hands. Leonardo da Vinci apparently designed a fountain pen system and his writings show it in their consistent quality. Inventing types of ink, pens, and preventing leakage has challenged writers for centuries. The above beautiful ink wells could have been used also to recharge the more modern fountain pens. I remember my mechanical drawing teacher making me ink my drawings using a special mechanical drawing pen with India ink. This was not enjoyable. R. Beringer, Romeo Historical Society staff