Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-09-01
RARE AND CURIOUS.
A QUEER COLLECTION OF oIEAc,N.
Gus SAMPLES
Manner in Which Ihsy Are Obtainsd-
from . Central Americas Inseet-
Young Birds Grease-Dugong
cu-The ManAtee.
New York Tinles.I

New York Tin,esl
A resident of tais city who has nan
, chant for collecting rare and curious com
mercial products has among his collection
many specimens Of oils Of peculiar produc-
ton which are in use in various countries.
, and which, while entering largely into the
domestic economy ami business imp ,rtauce
OF those countries are but little known. il
at all in the Unitel States Ths collector
exhibited and described some OF these cur
ious oils to the writer few days ago.
Here is an oil, said be, holding IN TO
the light small vial containing q rich.
bright yellow liquid, switch can not
help but becoms q valuable article
OF general commerce as soon a, IL,
qualities are better known. It is extracted
from an Insect which abounis in Central
America, the native nam, OF which is min.
Naturalists have given it thu nams of
Coceus Adipofera. 1t feeds on the sap O: a
resinous plant of the spondias family, and its
numbers in any locality are only limited to
the extent to which this plant il found
"Niin oil has a high value as q varuish
producer. Melted in porcelain vessel and
the fluid kept at a high and even sempera-
ture for an hour or so, during which time
certain volatile properties disappear, a
tough flexible varnish-like residue is the
result 1t is but slightly affected bv
a high degree OF heat Or a low
| degree Of cold 1t IL not soluble In
turpentine. but ignite1 with turpsntine il
yields thick, yellow gum-an olso-resin in
fact-which closely resembles solution of
India rubber. 1t will retain a semi-nuid
condition for days, and its adhesive proper
ties are remarkable. The turpentine solu.
finu Of min oil 80,
depth Of the sixteenth OF an inch, is changed
into a resinous varnish which is almost
equal to shellac. and becomes very hard and
elastic by exposure for q day or two TO the
air. The most porous filter paper is rendered
absolutely impervious to water when dipped
in the turpentine solution Of min oil and
then subjected to heat to volatilizs the
grease Garments treated in the Same man
ner are most effectively vater-proofed the |
coating defying most powerful solvents Of |
oils
Here is an oil which is something Of q |
curiosity" said the collector, showing the /
reporter q liquid OF remarkable trans
parency and almost colorless. 1T Is qua.
charo oil from Ecuador And what do you
think it was made FRONT That bottle con-
tains all that was left OF two Of the young
of the oil bird, or Trinidad goat sucker
or might better say that the fluid is two
OF the goat suckers young. for what was
left of them after this oil was tried out Of
them isn't worth speaking about. The goat
sucker is a nocturnal bird, something like
our whippoorwill, except that it lives in the
deep dark caverns that abound in Ecuador,
Venezuela, New Granada, Trinidad and other
South American regions, and that its diet con-
sists entirely Of the abundant oleaginous
fruits of those countries. A few days after
the young are Matched they become literally :
balls OF fat, and are described as being the
most curious looking creatures imaginable.
W hen the fat is removed from ths young
birds there is scarcely anything left but
their tiny skeletons The fat is boiled down
at once, fires being made at the mouth Of
the caverns as soon as the raids ON the nests
are over. The oil is run into earthen lars.
1t requires no further publication or refin-
ing. as its natural state is purity itself. 1t I.
is limpid as you see it here. 1t is used both
for cooking and illuminating purposes and
has been pronounced superior to olive oil. Il
burns in wick with white flame, which :
emits no smoke. Even with the careless
methods OF the natives the oil will keep
sweet a year.
This" a bottle Of thick, muddy grease,
lis crude penguin oil. Vessels and crews
are sent to Patagonia from England for tho
express purpose OF taking species Of
penguin, or manchot, which swarms on
that far-away coast. The capture OF
the unwie!dly birds is easy, and from
their exclusive fish diet they are described
as 'reeking with OIL The oil is extracted
On the hunting grounds, and cargo Of
S0, 900 gallons is frequently taken back on q
single vessel. Penguin oil is used as dress
ng for fine leather
"Here is an oil that is So susceptible to
'old that it solidifes in u temperature that
quickly meits Ice. 1t is genuine grease
rom the crocodile of the Indus river. and
am, from the Punjab, its preparation be.
ng the chief industry OF the Sarif tribe of
Indians. There is no other oil that contains ,
% large proportion Of solidifable fat 1t
S superior leather dressing. ond is in
,reat demand in the Orient | believe il
ias been inquired for in this country by =
Gather dressers, but it has never been OBJ J
ainable.
1.-The delicate looking oil in this vial Is
inown to the trade as melon oil, but it is
are, and so is worth keeping as a curiosity
t Is taken from the nose OF the pilot whale,
md has, probably, the lowest conyealiny
'oint OF all animal or fish oils 1: has posi-
lively no corrosive effect on metallic sur I
aces, and is therefore used as a lubricant
or the most delicate mechanism.
"Here are two specimens Of dugong oil "
ne from the animal by that name found in .
he Indian ocean, and the other from the
ugong OF Australian waters. The dugouy
} known to sailors as the sea hog. and is
ound in great droves in shallow places.
7here it feeds exclusively on bottom sea /
RAISES and weeds. The Australian dugong
of an average length of fifteen feet and
nil weigh ! 200 pounds About eighteen
allons of oil, found in a cellular substance -
etween the skin and the flesh, are Welded III
y each animal The oil has no odor, is
pleasant flavor to the taste. and is,
5 you see, almost as limpid as water
r. 1t has a low congealing point. Al
Tough it contains no iodine it is valued
lore highly as medicine in Australia than
ID liver oil Is 1t is used in placs Of, and
in preference TO, butter As z
1oking oil it Is said to be unrivaIed
In this bottle is the only oil or fat that
now OF that does not become rancid or pu.
Id from exposure to the sun, but which. on
10 contrary. acquires not only fine flavor
ut most agreeable odor through such ex.
,sure. 1t is oil taken from the manatee Of
outh African rivers This animal has a 70
yer Of solid fat an inch thick next to its l
in, and from that the oil is extracted BY
,iling. An average-size1 manatee will | =
ED fifteen gallons Of oil There ara two
Ialities taken from the animal, the fat OF
e tail yielding Q more delicate oil than the
'dy fat The oil is used as table oil, -
lubricator. aud as an illuminant, and ii
cooking.
Another YII1 Closed.