98 UTILIZATION OF MINUTE LIFE. 



with a small quantity of some bitter principle, and 

 mineral salts. In the East this substance is as much 

 used as salep or tapioca. It was first noticed in 

 Syria. When placed in water it swells considerably, 

 becomes soft, and finally transforms the liquid into 

 a sweet mucilaginous decoction. M. Berthelot has 

 just extracted a new kind of sugar from this cocoon. 

 It resembles cane-sugar to a certain extent, and 

 has been called trehalose. 



The wing-cases or elytra of that beautiful Indian 

 beetle, Buprestis vittata, are occasionally imported 

 from Calcutta to Liverpool, They have a bright 

 metallic green lustre, and are employed to ornament 

 KJius-hhus baskets, fans, etc., and on muslins to 

 enrich the embroidery. Khus-khus or vitiver is the 

 dried root or rhizome of a grass, Andropogon muri- 

 catus (Hetzius). This sweet-scented root arrives 

 here now and then from India. It is made into 

 baskets, fans, mats, sachets for the wardrobe, etc. ; 

 which are often most sumptuously decorated with 

 the wings of Buprestis vittata. 



Ants (Formica) are useful insects in a variety of 

 ways. By distilling them a peculiar substance called 

 formic acid passes over but it can be obtained with 

 greater ease and economy from starch* in the 

 residue that remains is found a certain proportion 



* By distilling starch with dilute sulphuric acid and peroxide of 

 manganese. 



