30 



tuft nearer the end of the tail. Professor Owen finds no evidence any- 

 where of an aboriginal wild horse resembling that of the |)resent day, 

 no remains of the kind existing in any museum ; and it is probable that 

 the delineations of the cave horse of Bruniquel represent all that we 

 are likely to know of the form of the primitive stock from which the 

 l)resent horse is descended. 



TIN FOIL FOR PRESERVING LEMONS. 



Tin foil has long been used, with excellent effect, as a preservative 

 from the air, of various substances that require such exclusion, f-specially 

 such as chocolate, tobacco, cocoa-butter, efflorescent and deliquescent 

 salts, &c. Quite recently a new application has been made of it in the 

 preservation of lemons, which, as is well known, soon become dry and 

 hard when exposed to the air, and ultimately parchment-like and covered 

 with mold. The foil, however, has the effect of preventing such drying up, 

 and of keeping the lemons fresh for an iiideflnite period of time In one 

 experiment, after an interval of tw^o months, the lemons had only lost 

 1^ per cent, of their weight, and in three months little over 3 per cent., 

 and in some cases even less than this. Oranges, similarly treated, lost 

 only about 5 per cent, in two mouths, and on the removal of the metal 

 covering, both kinds of fruit were found to be as fresh and fragrant as 

 when the experiment commenced. 



PRESERVING MEAT IN CANS. 



A new method of preserving meat in tin cans, which is favorably com- 

 mented upon, is that of Mr. li.. Jones, of London. In this process the 

 meat is first packed in its ri*s^ state into tins of any desired size. The 

 lids are then soldered down, the top of each lid having a small tin tube 

 in it, which communicates with the interior of the tin. These tubes are 

 next inserted into the exhauster, which is a receptacle connected with a 

 machine designated a "Torricellian vacuum," au apparatus in which the 

 air is exhausted by the action of water. The tins are then placed in the 

 cooking-bath, and at the proper juncture the vacuum is created and the 

 meat thoroughly cooked, at a temperature varying from 180 to 238 

 degrees. At this stage another feature of the invention comes into play. 

 The vacuum having been created, a supply of gravy is turuftl on from a 

 receptacle, and the tins filled with nutritious tiuid. The feed-pipes of the 

 tins are then nipped and the cases hermetically sealed. By thus filling 

 the tins with the gravy the difficulty of collapse, which has always [)re- 

 vented large tins being hitherto used, is obviated, while the whole space 

 of the package is utilized. Testimonials from cai)tains of sliips and 

 others who have used it are furnished by the inventor, certifying to the 

 excellent quality of the meat. By this improved process the great objec- 

 tion of overcooking the meat has been obviated, and as now prepared 

 it would seem to merit general approval. 



IMITATION OF HUMAN HATR. 



In a recent article upon the trade in human hair it is stated that a 

 patent has recently been taken out for converting goat's hair into hair 

 for ladies' use; and that the experiment is so successful as to render it 

 almost impossible to distinguish the real article from the imitation. 

 This will be good news not only to the dealers in hair, who miglit ai)pre- 

 hend the exhaustion of their source of supply, but also to the ladies 

 who depend upon art to compensate tiie deficiencies of nature. The 

 same article states that in 1868 over 22,000 pounds of hair were im- 



