" to distinguish it from the tah'vl; i ' „iva: k'uli'), the Fraxliias 

 " bungeana, DC, which is a tall tree with largo loaves also frequent 



of both of these species, which are now growint; in l he .Jaruin <l«js 

 Plantes. 



Insect white wax is produced as far north even a; Manchuria, acorn d- 

 ing to the statistical account of the province, S/,-\<g-ciiiig Cu<ig chili 

 (set; W} lie's Chinese Literalure. ]>. .'U!; in vviiieh, eh. xxvii. I. '.)", ', Hie 

 wax insects (hi cfi'ung) are described as o\ (lie size of lice, feeding ii] on 

 the h>ia rhuliii otherwise called hi t'inv or wax twig tree, the small 

 brandies of which are collected and heated to extract the wax, which is 

 noted to be somewhat yellower than the Ssu-ch'uan wax. This tre2 is 

 doubtless also a species of ash (Fra.rinrs), it being mentioned in another 



According to the Kuang tour, f 'inn/ <■;,:/,, the statistical description 

 of the Canton province, pai-la (" white w.fx "). i- abundantly produced 

 in the prefecture oi' ( 'himiL'-chuu, in the tropical island of Hainan, on 

 a tree called ch'iiig c/i'ou slut, described as an eveigceen resunhliug the 

 tung ch'ing. 



The insect is thus shown to range from Hainan in the south to 

 Manchuria in the north, and from S-su-cFit in in the west to Kiang-su 

 in the east, so that Mr. Baber is doubtless right in his conjecture that 

 the wax may be produced in every province in China. 



The Chih wu ming sink foil k'ao, the large illustrated book on 

 Chinese Botany published in 1848, which is, I believe, in the Library 

 attached to the Kew Herbarium, ligures lour in-ae: wax-producing 

 trees, giving a short description of each, which I will translate. 



I. The Nu chen (Ch. xxiii. f. 23). 

 The Nu chen (Virgin tree) was included in the Pen ching (the most 



always commonly called Tung ch'ing (evergreen tree). 

 " i chen has dark purple fruir, 



tree"), the branches, leaves (low* -. : i he In ight 



not exceeding four or five feet. The Chui-huang pen ts'ao (a treatise 

 ou plants fit for supporting life in times of scarcity) gives Tung-ch'imi 

 leaf-buds and leaves as eatable, pointing to this tree. 



II. The Tung ch'ing (Ch. xxxv. f. 51). 



The Tung-ch'ing (evergreen tree) is described in the Sung T'ose 

 ching (an illustrated materia medica in l!l books, published by Imperial 

 order in the 11th century) under Nil chen. The Pen ts'ao hang mu 

 (the celebrated in: Una medica by Li Shih-ehen) first distinguished it 

 by its leaves being a little rounder and its fruit of red colour. It is 

 commonly used to graft the Olea frag mm upon. Wax can also be 

 produced upon it. 



III. The La shu (Ch. xxxvi. f. 49). 



The La shu (wax tree) is planted in the province of Kuei-ehou at 

 Kuei ting ILicn in gropes, lor the profitable cultivation of wax. They 

 lop off the branches in place ef which :i m:i^ of twigs sprout out 

 winch are again cut off, to grow thicker than ever. The trees line the 



