238 
mention that so far as their protection from insect enemies is concerned, 
the subject was investigated by me years ago, when in charge of the 
Government Central Museum, Madras, and the practical outcome of the 
u 
books and papers poisoned with it in the nests of — ants, the most 
formidable of all the enemies of literature, and it w invariabl y found 
that the articles thus exposed came out of the orla ur uninjured. Phe 
composition of the Madras preservative was as follo 
Corrosive sublimat - - - loz. 
Carbolie acid (Calvert's) ete od: d i. 
(or Thymol, } oz.) 
Methylated spirits — - - - - 2 pints. 
This mixture was carefully and ii applied with a soft brush about 
the bindings and amongst the leaves of the books, the eyes of the 
operator being protected with Pd fitting goggles. It dried I 
and was perfectly safe, as I have never seen or experienced an 
disagreeable effects from fending books poisoned with it. 
My impression is that the - of this preservative was made known 
to all publie departments by Government eireulars, but apparently these 
never penetrated so far as Calcutta, 
Tam, &c., 
(Signed) G. Dipig, 
W, T. Thiselton Dyer, Esq., C.M.G., &e., 
— Director, Royal Gardens, Kew. 
Gum Tragacanth,—in a Foreign Office Report (No. 1624, Annual. 
Series, 1895) on the agricultural — of the Vilayet of An rà, 
Turkey, the following account is given by Consul Cumberbatch of 
“Kitré” or gum tragacanth, a partially soluble gum obtained from 
ies 0 s— “It is known in commerce as eru white 
‘Syrian’ tragacanth, and appears as f jeaf-sorts’ and Eem 
y 
— "Hthas the appearance of twisted ribbons, is white and reddish, near 
. opaque, and a little ductile. Its adaptability in lieu of borax for giving 
lustre to starched linen is perhaps not dn known. The districts 
— where the shrub is chiefly found are Yozgat, Iskilip, Cesarea, Kaledjik, 
. and Angora. Li ke the yellow d (the fruit of Rhammus infectorius 
described in the Museum Guide, E., p. 36) this plant is also neglected 
owing to the falling-off in the foreigu demand, and though aut in 
the above-mentioned districts little or no trouble i is taken by the peasants 
frequerttly g athered for fuel = the peasantry.” 
artic tars of nth ma be found in Museum Guid e, L, 
