Bleaching of Prhits.-^Cunous FaSfs refptP.ing the Zebra, 267 



clear. The impurities are fometimes of a refinous nature, and refift the aflion of pure 

 water. When this is the cafe the wafhed print muft be left to dry, and alcohol is then to be 

 poured on and left for a time. After the print is thus cleaned, and al! the moifture drained 

 off, the muriatic acid prepared with minium * is to be poured on in fufficient quantity to 

 cover the print ; immediately after which another plate of glafs is to be laid in contaiEt witfct 

 the rim of wax, in order to prevent the inconvenient exhalation of the oxygenated acid. la 

 this fituation the yelloweft print will be feen to recover its original whitenefs in a very fhorC 

 time. One or two hours are fufficient to produce the defired effc£l ; but the print will re- 

 ceive no injury if it be left in the acid for a whole night. Nothing more is neceflary to com- 

 plete the work, than to decant off the remaining acid, and wafh away every trace of acidity 

 by repeated affufions of pure water. The print being then left to dry (in the fun if p;){nbL') 

 will be found white, clear, firm, and in no refpeil damaged either in the texture of the paper 

 or the tone and appearance of the impreHlon. 



A, 



VI. . 



On the Propagation of the Zebra with the Afs \, 



L.N experiment was made in the year 1773 with a zebra, in the colle£lion of the late 

 Lord Clive, the rcfult of which, though of confiderable intereil to the natural hiftorian, is no 

 where upon record in any public journal or printed work. A fet of queftions were propofed 

 at the time of the event to Mr Parker % by Sir Jofeph Banks ; which, together with the 

 anfwers, he has at my requeft permitted me to make ufe of. 



The zebra was firft covered by an Arabian horfe. For this purpofe it was found neceflary 

 to bind her, and flie {hewed great difgull. As flic did not conceive, an Englifli afs was 

 procured ; to which (he (hewed a degree of averfion, fcarcely if at all lefs than to the horfe, 

 and was fubj"e£led to him by the fame means. The refult of this trial not being more 

 favourable than the other, recourfe was had to the extraordinary expedient of painting 

 another afs fo as to refemb'e the zebra. Complete fuccefs attended this deception. 

 When the animals were put together, the zebra at firft appeared (hy ; but (he received the 

 embraces of the painted aft, and conceived. The offspring was a fine large male foal, 

 which was juft turned of fix months old at the time of enquiry, namely, December 1773. It 

 refembled both parents ; the father as to make, and the mother as to colour ; but the colour 

 was not fo (trong, and the ftripes on the (lioulders were more confpicuous than on any other 

 p-art. In anfwer to a queftion dire£ted to that objeft, the relator ftates it as his opinion, 

 that it would very probably propagate its fpecies, as it did not appear at all like a mule. 



In the courfe of the year after this information was received, his lardftiip died fuddenly, and 



■'* As I have not repeated t^'is procefs, I cannot cftimate how far the prefence of the lead may weaken the 

 corrofive aftion of the acid onthc paper; but I (liould be dilpofcd to recommend a previous dilution of the acid 

 with w.iter. Whoever ufes this procefs will of courfe make himfelf mafter of the proportion of water re- 

 quired to dilute the acid, by making his firft trials with an old print of no v^lue. N. 



■+ Communicated by the Right Hon. Sir Jofeph Banks, Bart. K. B. P. R. S. i:c. &c. 



J He was either Steward or in fome other confidential employ to Lord Clive. 



M m 2 the 



