142 SCIENTIFIC NOTES. 
less care, and often partly from East Indian seeds secretly imported for 
the purpose, was, however, sent to England and elsewhere ; even this 
was a superior article to that sent direct to England from India and 
America, but far inferior to the genuine Italian oil. Mr. Phillips 
thought the absence of the usual nauseous flavour in real Italian castor 
oil to be simply due to the use of unbruised seeds not older than above 
mentioned, the avoidance of heat, and the careful manipulatiou observed 
in the whole operation. 
Beetle's Wings. — The jewellers are now doing a considerable trade 
in Brazilian beetles by setting them in gold or silver to form bracelets, 
necklets, brooches, &c. The beetles chiefly used are found in immense 
numbers at Bahia, and they are brought to England in the Brazilian 
mail packets. The beetles are of small size, and their colours are green 
and gold. They are caught in nets to prevent their mutilation. They 
are sold at about Is. each in this country. Large numbers of the elytra 
or green beetle wings are used in India for ornamenting embroidered 
muslins, basket-work, &c. 
Titanium. — This most valuable metal has hitherto been found in 
only small quantities ; it is of the greatest service in hardening iron, 
and rendering it steel-like, or rather of a harder character than steel, 
and at the same time more flexible. It is said to render the surface of 
rails almost everlasting, and that it is almost free from oxydization. 
We understand that a company is being established, for mining it ex- 
tensively, and that it is likely to lead to great results in the manufactures 
of the world in various shapes and forms of metallic structure, for 
which iron and steel are not so appropriate as they are when mixed with 
new metal. 
