72 SALMON AND TROUT. 



computed from the statistics of the Cooper Institute Labora- 

 tory in America, by Henry P. Wells : 



Distilled water was the standard for determining the specific 

 gravity. The determinations were made with great care, and are 

 believed to be reliable, for the specimens tested, to within at least 

 the third decimal place. Different samples of the same species 

 differ somewhat from one another in weight. The woods which 

 were the subject of this experiment were carefully selected for the 

 express purpose of fly-rod making, and were, as far as was possible, 

 the very best of their kind. It is, therefore, believed that the 

 following determinations more correctly represent the comparative 

 weights of such material as is used for this purpose, than would 

 any samples selected at random in the wood market, or any table 

 computed therefrom. 



The split bamboo was of excellent quality, of my own prepara- 

 tion. The six-strip hexagonal piece was taken from an old and 

 well-tried middle joint. The angles of this were slightly rounded. 

 The four-strip piece was put together with the rind inside for the 

 purpose of comparison. 



The cedar was taken from a very choice piece from Florida. 



The different materials are arranged in the table in the order of 

 their weights, the heaviest first. To facilitate comparison on the 

 part of such as may be unfamiliar with the use of specific gravities, 

 the weight of a cubic foot of each is also given, in pounds and 

 hundredths of a pound. 



Specific Weight of one 

 Material gravity cubic foot 



Snakewood . . . . . . .1*3718 85*74 



Bethabara 1*2140 75 '98 



Greenheart . . ... 1*0908 63'i8 



Lancewood ....... i'O335 64*59 



Split bamboo, 6-strip, hexagonal, rind outside 0*9915 61*96 



Split bamboo, 4-strip, rind inside . . . 0*9678 60*49 



Ironwood (hornbeam) ..... o'8i84 5 I-I 5 



Hickory 0*7963 49*78 



Ash 0*7786 48*66 



Mnhoe ........ 0*6607 41 "29 



Cedar 0*6396 39'98 



Before taking leave, however, of the subject of rods and 

 rod fastenings, I should be omitting a most important item if I 

 failed to call the reader's attention to the various improved 

 methods of uniting and fixing the rod joints. 



