ON THE TANNING MATERIALS, ETC. 205 



To the farmers generally, throughout the province, and indeed, to 

 all living in the country districts, I would say, that they may render 

 service of great value to the future interest of the province, by the 

 simple preservation of whatever objects of curiosity may chance to 

 meet their notice, even though they may be unable of themselves to 

 decide upon their value. Such collections cannot fail to be of interest 

 and profit to those who make them, while the assistance they may 

 render to scientific investigators cannot be over-estimated. Wherever 

 geological surveys have been conducted, such private collections have 

 invariably been the source of much useful information. 



ON THE TANNING MATERIALS AND DYE-STUFFS USED IN 



ITALY. 



BY J. ARNAUDON. 



The art of working skins has been practised in Italy from very 

 ancient times. The cities of Venice, Naples, Florence, and Mantua were 

 renowned for their production of coloured gilt and morocco leather ; 

 and the gloves and coloured skins produced by the two latter towns, as 

 well as by Rome and Eimini, were at the same period much esteemed. 

 These branches of industry, however, have very greatly declined, though 

 not to so great an extent, perhaps, as those of wool and silk, as they are 

 not so dependant on the adaptation of machinery and the caprices of 

 fashion. 



In spite of its general importance, few documents can be found 

 that throw light upon the history and technology of this art in Italy, 

 those which exist giving but very little information on this interesting 

 subject. The political disturbances of this country also cause great 

 obstacles to lie in the way of any researches into its commercial welfare 

 (the more so with regard to skins and leathers, as these branches of 

 industry are chiefly practised at the extremity of the peninsula), and all 

 accounts that have been obtained are limited to the exports and im- 

 ports ; the important points of national production and consumption 

 being left almost wholly untouched. The documents that are found 

 were written at a time prior to the formation of the Kingdom of 

 Italy, when great and almost insuperable commercial barriers existed 

 between different parts of the same nation. In subdividing the business 

 connected with the preparation of the skins of animals, as far as the 

 means in our power will allow us to judge, the production of tanning 

 materials, and raw and half-cured hides, belongs to Sicily, Sardinia, the 

 Tusban Maremmas, Trentino, Umbria, the Marches and the valleys of 

 Susa, Finerola, and Aosta. From the towns of Turin, Naples, Florence, 



