NATURE \, 
TERI RSDAY , JUNE aye tora: 
; _ MEDIEVAL TECHNOLOGY. 
The Art of Dying. 
(Stratford-on-Avon: The 
ood.) Sce gs 200. net, 
HIS is not a medical or theological dis- 
quisition on.the most desirable route to 
Valhalla, but a reprint, in the original spelling, 
of a book first published in 1705, on.the methods 
then in vogue for colouring textile materials. 
It was written for the instruction. “of the lovers 
of the Noble Art of Dying,’’ and the “Ingenious 
Reader” is informed that the anonymous author 
was a “Jealous Votary to Physical. and Experi- 
mental Knowledge” who “ purchased the Receipts 
at a very dear Rate.” By means. of the book 
fe. F350: 
Tapestry Studio, 
In two parts. 
“the Candid Peruser is cheaply obliged with the | 
Select Practical Secrets of several Nations.” 
In all probability the receipts here collected 
really represent the best practice of the times, 
but they now appear very quaint, and a large 
number of the ingredients were obviously useless. 
For example, a black on silk was dyed in a vat 
containing no fewer than twenty-one ingredients, 
including senna, gentian, marjoram, hocxey, 
brandy, antimony, silver, gold, verdigris, copperas, 
and locksmith’s filings. . On the other hand (p. 
93), ‘“The manner of making a Fatt and_pre- 
paring hot Suds to dye Woolen blew”. gives a 
description of setting. an indigo vat, which would 
almost stand good for a fermentation vat of the 
present day. 
The second part of the book gives “A Perfect 
Description of Pot and Weed Ashes,” with in- 
structions “how to chuse the best sorts.” In 
this portion there is some very quaint information 
for the “lovers of Mathematicks” and others: 
e.g. “Take two Fatts, take them to Pieces and of 
the Planks make one Fatt and it will be found 
to make four of the other Fatts” (in capacity). 
Shipwreck of the vessels in which barrels of 
ashes were imported was evidently a common 
experience, as the art of fishing up the barrels 
with poles made for the purpose is fully described. 
Possibly, however, the poles were to be borrowed 
from the smugglers who had frequent occasion | 
to use them for the purpose of recovering the 
casks of brandy sunk on the approach of the 
preventive men. 
The recrudescence of handcrafts is due to a 
healthy revolt from present-day industrial con- 
ditions and results, but nothing would really be 
gained, either from the artistic or the economic 
point of view, by reverting to the old natural 
NO. 2327, VOL. 93| 
| . . 
medicines. 
( §JUN13 1914 
—Stonat Muse 
colouring matters. “As~well might we go back 
to burnt swallows or desiccated snakes for our 
The old-world charm of the’ stage- 
coach should not prevent us from making use of 
the convenience of the motor car, and a refusal 
to make use of modern scientific products would 
be an unnecessary limitation of the artistic possi- 
bilities of hand-made fabrics or other materials. 
The book is, however, an interesting historical 
record. WALTER M. Garpner. 
TAXONOMIC ZOOLOGY. 
(1) Catalogue of the British Species of Pisidium 
(Recent and Fossil) in the Collections of the 
British Museum (Natural History). With Notes 
on those of Western Europe. By B. B. Wood- 
ward. Pp. ix+144+xxx plates. (London: 
British Museum (Natural History); Longmans, 
Green, and’ Go., 1914.) Price- tos2 bas >” 
(2) The Coleoptera of the British Islands. By Dr. 
W. Warde Fowler and H. St. J. Donisthorpe. 
Pp. xiii+351+plates. Vol. vi. (Supplement). 
(London: Lovell Reeve and Co., Ltd., 1913.) 
Price 18s. net. 
(3) A Revision of the Ichneumonidae. Based on 
the Collection in the British Museum (Natural 
History). Part ai., Tribes Rhyssides, Fckthr-: 
morphides, Anomalides and Paniscides.. By 
Claude Morley... Pp: x+140. (London: 
British Museum (Natural History); Longmans, 
Greem and €o., Ltd), 1923.) Price 5s..6d=" ¢— 
(4) Catalogue of the Heads and Horns of Indian 
Big Game. Bequeathed by A. O. Hume, C.B., 
to the British Museum (Natural History). By 
R. Lydekker. Pp. xvi+45. (London: British 
Museum (Natural History); Longmans, Green 
and, CO: tata. 1GL3.))) tice. 25. 
(5) The Fauna of British India. Including Ceylon 
and Burma. Hymenoptera’ Vol. ii., Ichneu- 
monide: 1. Ichneumones Deltoidei. By 
Claude Morley. Pp. xxxvi+531. (London: 
Taylor and Francis, 1913.) Price 20s. 
(6) Catalogue of the Lepidoptera Phalaenae in the 
British Museum. Vol. xiii. By Sir George F. 
Hampson, Bart. Pp. xiv+60g9+xviil plates. 
(London: British Museum (Natural History) ; 
Longmans, Green and Co., Ltd., 1913.) Price 
16s. 
(1) HIS excellent monograph deserves a niche 
to itself; not, indeed, because of the 
inherent splendour of its raw material, for it em- 
bodies only the exuvie of a few species of small 
fresh-water Mollusca, but by reason of its form, 
its style, and its finished technique. Its quality 
and dignity are enhanced by the fact that it takes 
in not only the present condition and past history 
1g 
