VARIETIES OF LAC. 135 



so numerous as to be crowded over one another. 

 The cells themselves were very much like amber ; 

 the outer portion was strong and resisting, but the 

 partitions of the interior were thinner, and formed 

 irregular squares, pentagons, and hexagons, having 

 no communication with each other. 



There are four sorts of lac known in commerce, 

 but these are only so many different preparations 

 of the same substance. Stick lac is the lac in its 

 natural state, with much of the woody parts of the 

 branches adhering to it : this is collected in the 

 East twice a year, the only trouble being to break 

 off the twigs and branches, and take them to the 

 nearest market, with the lac upon them ; or, if des- 

 tined for exportation, the lac is separated from the 

 larger branches for convenience of freight. 



Seed lac is the second description known in com- 

 merce. This is a collection of granules, obtained 

 from the former after the colouring matter has 

 been extracted by water, but this is seldom im- 

 ported, being manufactured into shell lac in India. 

 Lump lac is the third form, being merely the 

 granules further purified and made into lumps. 



