104 A NATURALIST IN WESTERN CHINA 



and insects too, since to obtain the former it is necessary to 

 kill the latter by immersion in boiling water. I am convinced 

 that the co-operation or mutual dependency is simply one of 

 self-interest on the part of both districts. 



Insect white-wax bears a close resemblance to spermaceti, 

 but is much harder. It is colourless and inodorous, or nearly 

 so, tasteless, brittle, and readily pulverisable at 60° F. It is 

 slightly soluble in alcohol, and dissolves with great facility 

 in naphtha, out of which fluid it may be crystalhzed. It melts 

 at about 180° F., floats in water, and is said to harden by 

 long immersion in cold water. 



The wax is largely used in the manufacture of Chinese 

 candles, a little being mixed with the fats and oils employed in 

 their manufacture ; a thin coating is also applied to the outside 

 of the candles. The best candles contain 2| ounces to the lb., 

 inferior ones not more than i ounce. Since the ordinary 

 fats and oils melt at about 100° F., the advantage of an outer 

 coating of white-wax with its high melting-point is obvious. 

 In paper-shops insect white-wax is largely employed to impart 

 a gloss to the higher grades of paper. In medicine-shops it 

 is universally used as a coating for pills, and is itself supposed 

 to possess medicinal properties. It is also employed as a 

 polish on jade and soap-stone ware and on the more delicate 

 articles of furniture, to give lustre to cloth, and is made into 

 ornaments of Buddha ; but its primary uses are in the manu- 

 facture of candles and in paper-glazing. 



The annual output varies considerably, the industry being 

 almost entirely dependent upon suitable climatic conditions. 

 In poor seasons 50,000 piculs is an average crop, whereas in 

 very favourable years it is more than double this quantity. 

 Formerly the prefecture of Paoning produced a fair amount 

 of white-wax, but the industry has there become neglected 

 of recent years. To-day practically the whole supply of 

 Western China is produced in the Kiating prefecture. 



In spite of the increased consumption of foreign candles 

 and kerosene oil, the demand for insect white-wax remains 

 steady, and the industry concerned with its production shows 

 very little sign of decline. In Western China, owing chiefly 

 to difficulties and dangers of navigation on the Yangtsze, 



