THE TECHNOLOGIST. [August 1, 1864. 



48 SCIENTIFIC NOTES. 



far from Colombo. In the Northern Province coral lime-stone is the 

 universal building material, and the roads are made with a species of 

 lime-stone gravel. In other parts of the island the roads are metalled 

 with a species of broken gneiss. Cabook is very common near Colombo, 

 and is found valuable for building purposes. It is easily cut into blocks, 

 and when well protected from the weather by lime or cement will last 

 a long time. In house-building it is generally used for walls, with 

 brick pillars between for the support of heavy roofs, &c. Cabook is 

 paid for at the rate of 4s. a thousand when cut on crown lands, but 

 little revenue is received from this source, as it is principally obtained 

 on private property. 



Starch Sugar has been converted into a sweet, hard, granular con- 

 dition, in which it resembles ordinary sugars, by Mr. P. Anthon. He 

 first treats the starch with sulphuric acid in the usual manner. The 

 neutralized solution is then evaporated in a wooden vessel, allowed to 

 rest and to solidify gradually. The mass of raw sugar is then removed 

 and strongly pressed in a cloth, the syrup which is pressed out being 

 reserved and boiled down in a fresh operation. After pressing, the 

 sugar is melted and further concentrated in a water bath until the liquor 

 reaches 43° or 35° Bauriie. When this point is arrived at, the melted 

 sugar is allowed to cool, with an occasional stirring. If it is desired to 

 obtain the sugar in small granules, the stirring is continued. When this 

 mass has cooled to 25° or 30° Reauni., it is removed and dried in a 

 gently heated drying-room. 



The Mezquit-trke (Algaroba glandulosa) belongs to the family of 

 the Acacias. The leaves are delicate, the wood of a hardness that, did 

 the tree attain a large size, would render it admirably adapted for 

 turnery. The long narrow seed-pods are a favourite, kind of food with 

 horses and mules, and the beans are ground by the natives and made 

 into cakes, either alone or with maize or wheaten flour. The name 

 Algaroba is used by Decandolle for one division of the species Prosopis, 

 but by George Bentham for a species belonging to the tribe Parkice 

 of the natural order. The Algaroba glandulosa was first mentioned by 

 Toney, and drawn and described in the ' Annals of the Lyceum of New 

 York,' vol. ii., p. 192. 



Black Salt. — The black salt of Madagascar is extracted from the 

 ashes of the reed mace (Tyj>ha communis), called " Vundra," and which 

 they have a habit of licking frequently. 



Rusot. — The yellow aqueous extract of the Berberis lycium of India is 

 used as a substitute for bark. 



PERIODICALS RECEIVED. 



Paper Trade Review — The Paper-Makers' Monthly Journal — Journal 

 des Fabricants de Papier — Le Technologiste (Paris) — Memoir upon the 

 Lnprovement of the Sheep and Goats of Italy, by Saxe Bannister. 



