New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-10-31

substance is introduced INTO conuonSou "'
phere.
JNnysrRucrIBIE INK.-An ink closely resembling
that forming the characters upon the Egyptian pap'
rus may it is said be made by dissolying gum lac IN
nm aoueous solution of borax, and adding ampbac
in suitable quantity. This ink is claimed TO De al
most indestructible resisting both time ana chem
ical agents, and becoming a beautifully lusuous
black.
COMPOSITION OF SUINT.-Besdes free cholesterin
oresent in STUNT Schulze has also detected III II
compound ether containing choleSterin ana $50
meric with it, which he has named lsocholeSter1h'
tcrvstalizes out of ether and acetone in fine trans
nare1t needles and out of alcohol in gelatinous
masses melts at 27So TO 2S0o and volatillzes at
high temperature without decomposition
Rms OF Sulphur IN ICEIAND.-The discovery of
Immense beds of sulphur in Iceland bids fair to
make material change in the trade in that sub
stance the Italian Mines according to recent ac-
counts having become TO considerable degree ex-
bausted. An Englishman, Mr.. Locke, has purchased
square miles in the region adjoining Lake My v
in which mountains OF almost soma sulphuI'
the yellow color of which is visible at great dis-
tance.
DETECTING FUCHsINE IN WINE.-The extent to
which fuchsine has lately been used in colorlng
wines candies &c. renders ii matter OF some I'M
portance to detect the existence of this poisonous
principle. According TO a recent French writer, the
simplest method of doing this Is 10 place portion
of the suspected liquid in test tube. and to add
first $50 grains of subacetae of lead, and then 2Oo
grams of amylic alcohol. If, after agitation OF
the mixture the amylic alcohol, separating. APP
pears eolorless it shows that tuchsne has not Deen
ed it, on the contrary 1t exhibits req uni, III
indicates that this poisonous substance mas peeh
added.
PREPARATION OF STARCH PAsTE.-It is best TO
prepare paste by triturating the starch with cold
linn
too thick mass is formed. and pouring into this
boiling water very slowly, with rapid stirring, until
the paste begins to form, as indicated by the in
crease of TRANSPARENCY and then rapidly adding the
rest of the boiling water necessary for the paste
Boiling the paste is very injurious. rendering 1t less
adhesive. and liable to peel off. Rye flour affords
more adhesive paste than starch, but of gray color
The addition of little alum to the water with
which paste is prepared renders it more permanent
and the of boiling lime water instead OIL pure
water adds It's adhesiveness. An aqueous extract
of decOmposed gluten, however, affords the DeSt
paste with starch By incorporating with the paste
quantity of turpentne, equal in weight to half OF
the starch employed, and stirring well While the
paste still hot it will be rendered more impervlous
TO moisture, and at the same time more adhesive
AN ARMY WoRM"-A correspondent of paper
recently called attention to phenomenon which
has greatly excited his curiosity and which he refers
80 as something entirely unheard of. This, which
he calls combination snake or army worm," he
describes at first sight resembling snake ten feet
in length tapering regularly from the middle to-
ward the head and the tail, and moving along
slOwly. Supposng it to be serpent, he was as
tonished to see the creature, reaching stone,
divide sometimes into two or three heads, which
subsequently were reunited into the original snake
On examining this peculiar body more closely to ms
astonishment he found that it was composed OF
small worms about three-eighths OF an inch IN
length and about the thickness or PIN. One OF
these constituted the entire extremity of the
figure; then two or three Tapped to it for two
thirds of length, and them tapped Others
increasing the thickness OF the snake" until IT be-
came about the size of mans thumb in the middle
and tapeTing off toward the other end in q similar
manner.
This object although rare, is by no means I'M
quently recorded in Europe than in the United
States It consists in reality Of the laEy% n Of an in
to cGh the genus snS Sesra % of the
Cope has paper on the SaDsct adenv 'nf
Natural S Sciences for 1865, and it is fire.
guently referred TO in European works, especially
one by Max Nowicky, Per 6opatner !, HeerrIrm
Hamburger Naturforschender Verein at Brunn. This
phenomenon belongs to the series of mimetlc resem
blances so common in the animal kingdom and has
doubtless au important function in preventing
attacks upon the defenseless Larvae In their move
ments from place TO place, birds or other enemies
being deferred by the apparent presence Oh large
and dangerous serpent.
REMOVAL OF BURs, &C, FROM Wool BY CHEMI-
CAL AGENTs-The sOcaled chemical method OF
cleansing wool, either raw OF manufactured, from
foreign vegetable matter. such as burs straw &C..
is founded upon the well-known fact that strong
acids especially sulphurc, when diluted and aided
DIV heat destroy vegetable matter much more
readily than they do wool. The importance of the
process is indicated in measure by the numerous
patents which have followed its introduction. The
wool is first placed in bath of suphuric acid Of 80
20 a Baume, removed from it to centrifugal APP
paratus and finally placed for suitable length of
time in q chamber heated to 1922, where the vege-
table matter is carbOnized while the wool remains
uninlured. The adherng acid is removed by
thorough washing Careful Investigations have
been made by Duclaux Lecharter and Raulin, as to
the conditions most favorable to the operation, and
least liable to injure the wool Ii was found that
treatment of the wool with certain salts as chic
rides suphates. &C., before the operation, with
view 10 protect it from the action of the sulphuric
acid is not only worthless but may be injurl
ous in some in the subsequent operations of
dyeing. Among the large number of chemical |
agents patented for the destruction of the vegetable
matter suphuro acid alone found to answer in |
practice. Experiments made by allowing certain |
portions of wool simply TO drain after the sleeping
in the acid wriDglng out other portions and treat
ing others In the centrifugal machine before placing
them in the heated chamber for carbOnizing the |
vegetable matter. showed that the employment of |
the centrifugal machine Is necessary, not only for
the most perfect preservation OF the WOOL but also
for the best results III the subsequent operations Of
dye;ng. A study of the relations existing between
the degree of concentration of the acid the temper
allure Of the carbonizing chamber, and the time of
exposure in the latter with different kinds of cloth,
indicated that within proper limits no difference
whatever in treatment is rendered necessary by