LUTING!- FOR STOPPERS. 83 



Possibly some of tlie beautiful preparations in tlie Fisheries 

 Exldbition of 1883 were prepared in this manner, and sucb 

 objects as tbe sea-anemones, witli tentacles expanded as in life, 

 may baye been instantaneously killed by osmic acid. 



Luting for Stoppees. 



lS[o doubt, every one notices liow tbe ordinary wax, whicb 

 is used as a protective coating for bottles or "preparation" 

 jars, is attacked by tbe contained spirit in sucb. a manner 

 as to be useless as a preventive of evaporation. Ordinary 

 sealing wax, "bottle wax," beeswax, or paraffin wax, being 

 useless, we are driven back on a very old recipe of tbe Frencb 

 naturalist M. Peron, wbo claimed for it advantages wliicb it cer- 

 tainly possesses : 



No. 30. — " Lithocolle^' for Sealing Bottles. 



Common resin. I Yellow beeswax (or paraffin wax). 



Eed ochre (in powder). | Oil of turpentine (turps). 



Tbe proportions of tbis luting are determined by putting more 

 or less resin and red ocbre, or turpentine and wax, as tbe " litbo- 

 colle" is to be more or less brittle or elastic. Melt tbe wax in tbe 

 resin, tben add tbe ocbre in small quantities, and at eacb addition 

 of tbis stir tbe whole briskly round. When the mixture has boiled 

 seven or eight minutes, pour in the turpentine, stir it round, 

 and set it near the fire to keep it warm some little time. To 

 ascertain the quality, and if it requires more or less wax, put a 

 little out on a cold plate, and note its degree of tenacity. 



It is rather dangerous to prepare, and is best managed over 

 a gas jet or stove, so arranged that the flame does not rise 

 above the edge of the iron pot containing the composition; 

 if this is attended to, not much danger can arise, especially 

 if, in case of the composition firing, the lid of the pot be 

 immediately clapped on. 



Apply with an old brush, or by repeatedly plunging the neck 

 of the bottle in the luting before the latter becomes cold. 



I have used an application of glue with great success on 

 •corks over spirits, by procuring the best glue, making it rather 

 thin, and applying it whilst hot in successive coats. It will 



g2 



