Miscellanies. 195 



is filled with ashes for leaching, and the lye is drawn off to add to the 

 soap cask, and more water is added ; and thus by filling water and 

 draining, the solution becomes weak, when it is used for bleaching, &c. 

 When the lye cask is emptied, it is filled immediately with ashes, to be 

 used as above mentioned, so that the cask is always in use ; by which 

 means it is kept in order, and lasts many years. When left empty, as 

 some persons practice, it shrinks and soon becomes useless. Some quick 

 lime put into the ash cask, near the bottom, causes the lye to be more 

 caustic. 



Cedar and white pine make the best casks for lye or soap. The pine 

 should be free from knots and resin, as the lye will incorporate with the 

 resin, convert it to soap, and leave the wood porous and leaky. 



When soap has accumulated beyond the wants for soft soap, it is con- 

 verted into hard soap, by adding one quart of salt to three gallons of soap ; 

 it is then boiled and put into tubs, &c., to cool. It is then cut into pieces, 

 the froth scraped off — then melted again to a boiling heat, leaving out the 

 iye at bottom, put it in a box to cool, and cut into bars for drying. 

 A little rosin or turpentine added before boiling, improves the color and 

 quality of the hard soap. 



N. B. In winter, the leach tub should be set in the cellar, or where it 

 will not freeze — or, when filled, the ashes should be only dampened with 

 water, not to freeze, and it should stand till spring, before it is leached, 

 to prevent freezing. 



I omitted to say, that this mode of making soap relieves from the Pagan 

 practice of boiling soap at a certain state of the moon. 



1 7. Notice of Vespertilio pruinosus* and Icterus Phceniceus. — Sir : — I 

 improve this opportunity to inform you that on the 8th inst., (July, 1839,) 

 I obtained in my garden the Vespertilio pruinosus, (Hoary Bat,) of 

 Say, and answering perfectly to the description of Dr. Godman in his 

 Natural History, Vol. I, page 68. It is the first instance that I have 

 learned of its being found north of Pennsylvania.t One was captured by 

 Barton some years since near Philadelphia and presented to the museum 

 in that city. " Mr. T. Nuttall also observed it at Council Bluffs." Upon 

 capturing the animal, I found to my surprise, two young ones attached to 

 the breasts of the mother, nearly equal to her in size. It indeed required 

 a number of violent efforts to shake them off, and they then again immedi- 

 ately attached themselves to the breasts of the mother as before. The 

 latter measured 4^ inches in length and lis inches in alar extent. The 



* Extract of a letter from Rev. James H. Linsley, to the junior editor, dated 

 Stratford, July 22d, 1839. 



t We presume our correspondent has not seen the Journal of the Essex Co. Nat. 

 Hist. Soc. No. ii, where a similar occurrence is recorded Vid. this No. p. 187-8. 



