52 GARDEN FOES. 



to screw-eyes in the rafters above, so as to hang evenly 

 about IBin. from the ground. It may measure about 3ft. 

 by 18in. A stout string, S, is fixed to the punkah, much 

 in the same way as the string to a kite, only horizontally, 

 instead of vertically, and is led outside through a hole in 

 the door. A cord taken from the back of the first punkah 

 is fixed in the same way to the front of the next, and so 

 on down the whole house, so that on pulling the cord out- 

 side all the punkahs are set swinging at the same time. 

 A glazed earthenware pan is placed under the punkah, 

 and the cyanide is put into it. Then the bottle containing 

 the diluted acid is placed as shown in the sketch, sup- 

 ported by the strip of wood, H, which has a nail driven 

 through it, which is placed under the platform, C, upon 

 which the bottle lies. Now on pulling the string, S, the 

 punkah is drawn forward and knocks away the supporting 

 strip, H. This allows the bottle to drop down and empty 

 its contents into the pan of cyanide. Action immediately 

 takes place between the two chemicals, and the hydro- 

 cyanic acid gas is liberated, and is thoroughly distributed 

 to every part of the house by swinging the punkahs. 



"The Bottle Apparatus. — To give a detailed 

 description of the bottle apparatus: The bottle, which is 

 generally an old champagne bottle fitted with a cork hav- 

 ing two triangular grooves cut in it on opposite sides, one 

 of which allows the acid to run out slowly and the other 

 for the entrance of air to take its place, rests on a piece 

 of board llin. by 3|in. by Hin., marked C. At the front 

 end of this is nailed a small piece of wood, E, having a 

 notch cut in it to fit the neck of the bottle. A small strip 

 of wood is nailed on to C behind the bottle to keep it from 

 slipping backwards, and to keep it pressed up to the 

 notch. Two small upright strips, D, are nailed one on 

 each side to keep the bottle from rolling off. Two screws 

 are put about halfway in, as at G, for the platform, C, to 

 swing on. These must be placed so that when the bottle 

 is in the position shown in the sketch it will drop neck 



