POLISHING HORNS, TOKTOISE-SHELL, ETC. 223 



interested me greatly. The leaves were boiled for two minutes, 

 and tlien transferred to a strong solution of permanganate of 

 potash, and gently heated. In an hour or two the laxer tissues 

 were easily removed by means of a brush. Sulphurous acid was 

 used for bleaching them, and this liquid was also employed with 

 much facility for the removing of the stains on the fingers 

 caused by the permanganate of potash." — Geoeg-e Newlyn, 

 Science Gossip, November, 1867. 



The last-named gentleman appears to bleach his leaves by 

 fastening them across a hat-box by means of strings, inserting a 

 pan or tin cup containing sulphur, setting it on fire, and shutting 

 down the lid (of course, out of doors). The whole article is very 

 interesting, but too long for insertion here. 



CiitrsTACEANS. — Lobsters, crawfish, and crabs must have the 

 cephalo-thorax (the upper part) disjointed from the body or 

 "tail" part, the limbs taken off at their attachment to the 

 body, and the whole of the flesh removed by means of the 

 *' undercutting tool " (see Eig. 29), and crooked wires ; afterwards 

 wash the inside with carbolic wash (No. 15), and fill the limbs 

 and body with dry plaster and wadding, neatly fixing on the 

 legs where disjointed, and putting the remainder of the body 

 together with any of the cements mentioned on page 89. 



Polishing Houns. — As a commencement it will be requisite to 

 remove all the rough shell-like layers of horn which stand up as 

 knots and gnarls, and mar the symmetry of the horns. In some 

 horns, old ones especially, you will find their inner sides covered 

 with several thicknesses of this waste or dead stuff. Do not be 

 afraid, but boldly pare this down level with the surrounding 

 horn, for which purpose nothing is so good as a spokeshave. 

 Blood stains usually lie in the soft upper layers ; shave these 

 down carefully until they end, which will be underneath where 

 the horn becomes white and of a more ivory-like texture. When 

 nearing this it will be as well to give up the use of the spokeshave, 

 and use some instrument in a scraping manner; the side of a 

 chisel (not the cutting edge) or a knife is best for this jDurpose. 

 The handle being held in the right hand and the point in the 

 left, scrape the horn until you get to the white part, which will 

 be somewhat harder than the remainder. In colourless horns 

 you must get down to this white part, or your polish will not be 



