226 THE FARMER AT HOME. 



The parrs of which it is composed, particularly the sounds, are taken 

 from the fish while sweet and fresh, slit open, washed from their slimy 

 Bordes, divested of a very thin membrane which envelopes the sound, 

 and then exposed to stiffen a little in the air. Tn this state they are 

 formed into rolls about the thickness of a finger, and in length accord- 

 ing to the intended size of the staple ; a thin membrane is generally 

 selected for the centre of the roll, round which the rest are folded alter- 

 nately, and about half an inch of each extremity of the roll is turned 

 inwards. Isinglass is best made in the summer, as frost gives it a 

 disagreeable color, deprives it of weight, and impairs its geJatinous 

 principles. Isinglass boiled in milk, forms a mild nutritious jelly, and 

 is thus sometimes employed medicinally. This, when flavored by the 

 art of the cook, is the blanc-mange of our tables. A solution of isin- 

 glass in water, with a very small proportion of some balsam, spread 

 on black silk, is the court-plaster of the shops. 



IVORY. The tusk, or tooth of defence of the male elephant. It 

 is an intermediate substance between bone and horn, not capable of 

 being softened by fire, nor altogether so hard and brittle as bone. 

 Sometimes it grows to an enormous size, so as to weigh nearly two 

 hundred pounds. The entire tooth is of a yellowish, brownish, and 

 sometimes a dark brown color on the outside ; internally white, hollow 

 towards the root, and, so far as it is inserted into the jaw, of a blackish 

 brown color. The finest, whitest, smoothest, and most compact ivory 

 comes from the island of Ceylon. The grand consumption of this 

 commodity is for making ornamental utensils, mathematical instru- 

 ments, cases, boxes, balls, combs, dice, and an infinity of toys. The 

 coal of ivory is used in the arts under the denomination of ivory-black. 

 Particular vessels are used in the manufacture of this pigment, for the 

 purpose of rendering it perfectly black. Some travellers speak of the 

 tooth of the sea-horse as an excellent ivory ; but it is too hard to be 

 sawed or wrought like ivory. It is used for making artificial teeth. 



JACKAL. There is no essential difference between the dog and 

 th<5 jackal, as they will breed together, producing prolific offspring. 

 This species of quadrupeds is very widely extended throughout the 

 warmer regions of the old \wJd. It is found in Africa, from Barbary 

 to the Cape of Good Hope ; in Syria, in Persia, and throughout all south- 

 ern Asia. It is about two feet and a half in length, and about fourteen 

 inches in height ; the length of the tail, about eight inches ; the eyes 

 are small ; the tail bushy ; the head, neck, sides of the belly, thighs, 

 and outer parts of the limbs and ears, of a dirty yellow ; underneath, 

 and on the sides of the lower jaw, the end of the upper lip, under the 

 neck and belly, and the inner surface of the limbs, somewhat white ; 

 the back and sides of the body, to the tail, of a gray yellow, which is 

 abruptly divided from the surrounding lighter colors ; the tail a mix- 

 ture of yellow and black hair, the black prevailing at the extremity 

 the muzzle and nails, black. 



