Nov. 1, 1864.] THE TECHNOLOGIST. 



REVIEWS. 191 



Mollusca : 



Periwinkles, whelks, mussels, cockles . . 25,000 



Oysters 125,000 



Mother-of-pearl shell 38,677 



Pearls 89,305 



Worms : 



Leeches . 9,455 



Polypes : 



Coral . 4,624 



Sponges . 100,204 



18,181,755 



Dr. Phipson speaks of 50,000 or 60,000 lbs. of silk being received 

 annually at Liverpool, but is he aware that the imports into the king- 

 dom reach 10^ million pounds frequently ? So with wax. The mere 

 25 tons imported at Liverpool are but a trifle compared with the 350 or 

 400 tons of foreign received in all, whilst nearly as much more is 

 collected at home. Some 2,000 tons of honey are also said to be obtained 

 from bees in the kingdom, whilst we import about 380 tons additional 

 from abroad. 



Passing seriatim over the sections, we think that Dr. Phipson might 

 have told us something of the efforts making to introduce silk culture 

 in different colonies; and had he watched the collection of cocoons in the 

 last International Exhibition, he would have found subject for notice in 

 the curious open net-like cocoons of several worms, and the green cocoon 

 and silk of Anthercea Yamamai of Japan. The Japanese are very skilful 

 in the management of silkworms and the preparation of silk. We have 

 in our possession a very curious Japanese work in three volumes, full of 

 illustrations of the culture and manufacture, and showing every stage of 

 operation, prefaced by the mythology of the subject. In speaking of the 

 colour-producing insects, Dr. Phipson forgets to allude to the attempts 

 that have been made to introduce the cultivated cochineal insect into 

 our East and West India colonies and Australia. 



In speaking of bees, Dr. Phipson does not give us any account of the 

 underground bees which furnish a blackish wax in Asia and South 

 America. In the latter quarter, the number of honey-producing bees 

 is said to exceed twenty-four; at least, as many species were shown in the 

 Brazil Court of the London International Exhibition. 



The trehala mentioned at p. 97 is probably a species of manna, 

 formed by an insect, like the lerp of Australia, a similar insect saccha- 

 rine product, which Dr. Phipson does not allude to, although common 

 in several of the Australian colonies. 



Dr. Phipson does not seem to be very well informed as to the com- 

 mercial uses of shells, although he has gleaned some information from 

 the pages of the Technologist. 



Thus, with respect to the money cowry, they are more largely used 



