SO NATURALISTS CABINET. 



Humphrey Jackson's remarks 



would become brittle in drying, and snap short 

 asunder, which is always the case with glue, but 

 never with isinglass. 



" The latter, indeed, may be resolved into glue 

 with boiling water; but its fibrous recomposition 

 would be found impracticable afterwards, and a 

 fibrous texture is one of the most distinguishing 

 characteristics of genuine isinglass. 



" The sounds, or air bladders, of fresh-water 

 fish in general, are preserved for this purpose, as 

 being the most transparent, flexible, delicate sub- 

 stances. These constitute the finest sorts of 

 isinglass; those called book and ordinary staple, 

 are made of the intestines, and probably of the 

 peritonaeum of the fish. The beluga yields the 

 greatest quantity, as being the largest and most 

 plentiful fish in the Muscovy river; but the 

 sounds of all fresh- water fish yield more or less 

 fine isinglass, particularly the smaller sorts, found 

 in prodigious quantities in the Caspian Sea, and 

 several hundred miles beyond Astracan, in the 

 Wolga, Yoik, Don, and even as far as Siberia, 

 where it is called, He, or kla, by the natives, 

 which implies a glutinous matter; it is the basis 

 of the Russian glue, which is preferred to all 

 other kinds for its strength. 



" Isinglass receives its different shapes in the 

 following manner: 



" The part of which it is composed, particu- 

 larly the sounds, are taken from the fish, while 

 sweet and fresh, slit open, washed from their 



