DYES. 325 



all pronounced shades needful in hackle and streamer 

 staining for salmon-fly making may be got from the 

 new Aniline Dyes. These are prepared from coal 

 tar, and may be obtained either in crystalline form 

 or dissolved. The former is more generally to be 

 preferred, owing to greater strength. 



Stains useful for the materials for small fly making 

 are of another and totally different order. They 

 must be of sterling value, be permanent, sombre, and 

 harmless in their effects upon the delicate feather 

 fibres to be operated upon. In preparing a batch of 

 feathers for staining, the uniform size required should 

 be selected, these should be first soaked in warm water 

 in which has been placed a scrap of common soap or 

 soda, this removes the oil natural to the feather, and 

 enables the dye to strike evenly throughout ; when 

 drained they are ready for the dye. In the case of 

 large feathers it may be as well, in order to strike a 

 delicate hue, to first steep in a solution of sulphuric 

 acid ; but generally speaking this is uncalled for. We 

 now append a few useful receipts for natural dyes : 



FIERY BROWN. Camwood, logwood, or partridge 

 wood chips in equal parts, boiled in pure water. 



OLIVE. Fustic and camwood, or logwood in 

 equal parts, with a very small portion of copperas 

 added when at the boiling point, the last-named 

 determines the shade. The outside of large onions 

 boiled also are good. 



GREEN. An infusion of fustic chips, to which 

 must be added oil of vitriol, in a quantity sufficient to 

 gain the shade required. 



