The distinction of Flax from Manilla. 259 



quate idea of the beauty of the experiments can be gleaned from 

 mounted specimens, or sketches ; they must be seen in the act of 

 growth. 



The formation of metals in then- ores is strikingly similar, and 

 there is every reason to believe their existence in the metalhc state 

 is due to the action of electricity, but whether thermal or mag- 

 netic is an investigation that could be profitably pursued ; it would 

 be of value if the direction of metallic veins could be determined as 

 to their poles, and their position with respect to the surrounding 

 minerals. 



VII. — On the means of distinguishing the Fibres of Neiv Zealand 

 Flax from those of Manilla or Sizal, hy the Microscope. 



By Captain Hutton. 



To an experienced eye, the difference between Manilla fibre and 

 New Zealand flax, when in any quantity, is so great that I do not 

 suppose that any mistake would occur in distinguishing between 

 them ; but when a small portion only is available for examination, 

 as when Manilla rope is sparingly adulterated with Phormium, 

 the case is difterent, and unless the easily-recognized marginal or 

 mid-rib's of Phormium are present, the microscope will have to be 

 resorted to before a satisfactory determination of the nature of the 

 fibre can be made. Sizal, again, is still more difficult to distinguish 

 by the unassisted eye from Phormium, than the latter is from 

 Manilla, and I therefore propose to give the characteristics of each 

 fibre, when examined with a microscope : — 



In Manilla, the fibrous bundles are oval, nearly opaque, and 

 surrounded by a considerable quantity of dried-up cellular tissue, 

 composed of rectangular cells. The bundles are smooth, very few 

 partly-detached ultimate fibres are seen, and no spiral tissue. 



In Sizal, the fibrous bundles are also oval, and surrounded with 

 cellular tissue. They are also smooth, and very few ultimate fibres 

 project from the bundles. They are, however, more translucent 

 than Manilla, and can always be recognized by the large quantity 

 of spiral fibres mixed up in the bundles. 



In Machine-dressed Phormium the bundles are translucent, 

 and irregularly covered with tissue, being in places quite free from 

 it. Spiral fibres can also be detected among the bundles, but not 

 in the same quantity that is seen in Sizal. Many more ultimate 

 fibres stick out from the bundles, which are flat instead of oval. 

 In those places where the bundles are entirely freed from tissue, 

 they are generally divided longitudinally into two or more smaller 

 bundles, or fasciculi, and in these places the number of half- 



