D. J. Macgowan on Chinese and Aztec Plumagery. 57 
When silver and copper are used the bands are the same as 
with the silver alone, with the addition of two bands in the 
green, and so with any two metals, the bands are the same that 
both the metals exhibit when used separately, and the number of 
bands in the two metals will be equal to the number in both, ex- 
cept where they have bands that correspond in situation, in which 
case the bands of the two metals are blended together, producing 
bands of greater brilliancy. A spark between charcoal points does 
not show any peculiarity. The orange band appears to be com- 
mon to all the metals tried—but I have not determined whether 
it occupies the same situation in the spectrum in all cases. ‘The 
light of the spectrum not collected into the several bands, differs 
in intensity with the different metals—that with tin, iron and an- 
timony being strong, while that of silver, copper and zinc, is faint. 

Art. VIL—Chinese and Aztec Plumagery; by D. J. Mac- 
cowan, M 
Tose natives of Northeastern Asia who in modern times have 
been drifted to the opposite shores of the Pacific were generally 
fishermen, mariners, or persons unacquainted with mechanical 
Operations, and it is altogether probable that from the period of 
the first disaster by which they were driven to America, to that 
of the last shipwreck on that coast, very few artizans, and no 
scholars have in this manner changed continents; nor, judging 
from the low state of civilization of the more northern peoples, 
could it be expected that adventurers by the way of Behring’s 
Straits or the Aleutian islands would carry with them a knowl- 
edge of any arts but the most simple and rudimentary. Hence, 
Wwe shall look in vain for many resemblances in the industrial op- 
erations of the dwellers on the eastern and western coasts of the 
great ocean. Nevertheless, there is reason to believe that were 
we better acquainted with the state of arts amongst those farthest 
advanced in civilization in Polynesia and America, we should re- 
Cognize modes of operation identical with those of China too nu- 
merous to be accounted for either as coincidences, or as indepen- 
dent inventions. A striking illustration is furnished by Capt. 
Wilkes,* who gives a drawing and description of an instrument 
x Tp paative of the U. 8. Exploring Expedition, by Capt. Wilkes, U.S.N., vol. y, 
Stcoyn Serres, Vol. XVII, No. 52,—July, 1854. 8 
y 
