SHOWN AT THE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION. 269 



Italy. — From Italy we have a great number of collections represent- 

 ing the various kinds of timber woods grown in the different districts of 

 that country ; generally speaking, they are carefully prepared and named. 

 One of the most interesting is that shown by Professor Giocomo Arnaudon 

 of Turin, which is especially remarkable for an exceedingly ingenious 

 way of showing, by the size of the specimen, #its specific gravity. Each 

 is made to weigh 200 grammes, and the specific gravity is indicated 

 inversely by its length, a method of exhibiting this important character 

 which would become very valuable if generally adopted in museums. 



The other principal collections are those sent by the Count Pietro 

 Beltrami, of Cagliari, which are accompanied with a series of charcoals 

 prepared from some of them, and excellent cork cultivated on his estate ; 

 by Professor Filippo Calandrini, of Florence, consisting of 185 specimens 

 of the native and acclimatized woods of Tuscany ; by Niccolo Cherici, of 

 Borgo San Sepolcro ;* by Cavalier Niccolo Maffei, of Volterra ; by the 

 Majorana Brothers, from Catania ; by the Ravenna Sub-Committee for 

 the Exhibition, which, in addition to the specimens of woods grown in 

 the district, is further illustrated by an interesting series of the products 

 of the common Italian pine (Pinus pined), consisting of the cones, the 

 nuts, the seeds, cakes made of the seeds, resin frum the tree, &c. ; by 

 the Administration of the Forests of Sondrio, an excellent collection of' 

 large and characteristic specimens of the timber woods of the Valtellinar 

 accompanied by a diagram in which the history of the trees and their 

 chief economic characteristics are cleverly shown ; by the Reggio Agri- 

 cultural Association, an exceedingly interesting collection, classified 

 according to the uses of the woods, thus : — 



For building and naval architecture. — Several species of oak. 



For building and domestic utensils. — Chesnut, elm, hazel, pine, &c. 



For coopers' work, domestic utensils, and oars. — Beech and poplar. 



For furniture, utensils, and turning. — Cherry, box, and service tree. 



For cooperage and domestic utensils. — Willow, juniper, mulberry, 

 and chestnut. 



Excellent elm, beech, and hazel hoops, oak bark, staves, &c, accom- 

 pany this collection, still further illustrating the economic products of 

 the forests of Reggio ; and by the Agricultural Academy of Pesaro, 

 which, in addition to the woods of its district, exhibits other economic 

 products gathered from the forests, especially excellent tinder (Amaduu). 

 The Italians also exhibit exceedingly beautiful preparations of willow 

 plait and the prepared willow. That sent by Tito Benzi, of Carpi, by 

 the Modena Sub-Committee for the Exhibition, and by Michele Finzi, 

 of Carpi, are very fine, especially the first. Carpi in Modena is the head- 



* This is a small collection, but the very admirable manner in which the speci- 

 mens are prepared for exhibition, as well as the excellence of the materials, were 

 highly commended by the jury. They are those of the common oak (Quercus 

 rubra), the Adriatic oak (Quercus serris), chestnut (Castanea vesca), walnut 

 (Juglans regia), and cypress (Oupressus fastigiata). 



