WAX 
large, aud wliich they take up w ith a pro- 
per instrument. A similar practice obtains 
among fishermen in various other parts, and 
Dr. Franklin was informed by an old sea- 
captain, that the fisliermen of Lisbon, when 
about to return into the river, if they saw 
too great a surf upon the bar, would emp'ty 
a bottle or two of oil into the sea, which 
would suppress the breakers, and allow 
them to pass freely. 
The Doctor having revolved in his mind 
all these pieces of information, became im- 
patient to try the experiment himself. At 
last having an opportunity of observing a 
large pond very rough with the wind, he 
dropped a small quantity of oil upon it. 
But having at first applied it on the lee- 
side, the oil was driven back again upon 
the shore. He then went to the windward 
side, and poured on about a tea-spoon full 
of oil ; this produced an instant calm over 
a space several yards square, which spread 
amazingly, and extended itself gradually 
till it came to the lee-side ; making all that 
quarter of the pond, perhaps half an acre, 
as smooth as glass. This experiment was 
ofteii repeated in dilferent places, and al- 
ways with success. 
WAVED, Wavy, or Wavey, in he- 
raldry, is said of a borduie, or any ordi- 
nary, or charge, in a coat of arms, having 
its outlines indented, in manner ot the 
rising and falling of waves: it is used to 
denote, that the first of the family in whose 
arms it stands, acquired its honours for sea- 
service. 
WAX. There are two or three sub- 
stances which resemble each other so 
closely as to have received the name of 
wax. The first, and by far the most impor- 
tant, is bees’ wax, which is consumed in 
such vast quantities for giving light; and is 
also used for a variety of other purposes. 
Another kind of wax is the myrtle wax, 
which is extracted pretty largely in Loui- 
siana, and some other parts ot America, 
from the myiica cerifera. Another sub- 
stance very similar to wax is the pe la of 
the Chinese, tlie product of an insect, tlie 
exact species of wliicli is not known ; and 
the white matter which yields the laccic 
acid has also a strong resemblance to wax. 
The properties wliich all these substances 
have in common are, fusibility at a inede- 
rate heat; when kindled, burning with 
much flame; insolubility in water, solubi- 
lity in alkalies, and also in alcohol and 
ether. In these two latter properties all 
the species of wax ditfer froni the concrete 
WAX 
oils, witli which, in otlier respects, they have 
a very strong resemblance. Bees’ wax is 
the substance, excreted from the body of 
the bee, of which these insects construct 
their cells, both those for containing honey 
and for tlie lodgment of their young. It is 
collected for the use of man wherever bees 
are kept. A' young hive will yield at tlie 
end of the season about a pound of wax ; 
and an old hive about twice as much. The 
colour of wax, when fresh from the bee, is 
nearly white, but it soon grows consider- 
ably yellow in the hive, or if very old is of 
a dark brown. The wax which is the ordi- 
nary bees’ wax of the shops, is a pale yel- 
low substance, of an agreeable honey-like 
smell, soft, and somewhat unctuous to the 
touch, but without sticking to the fingers, 
in winter becoming considerably hard and 
tough, and melting at about 142°. This 
yellow colour and the smell of wax are en- 
tirely taken away by exposing it, when di- 
vided into thin laminae, to the united action 
of the light and air, and by this means it 
becomes perfectly white, scentless, some- 
what harder and less greasy to the touch, 
and in this state it is employed for candles 
and many other purposes. Bleached wax 
burns with a very pure white light, and" 
gives no offensive smell, and very little 
smoke compared with tallow. Being less 
fusible than tallow it requires a smaller 
wick. Bleached wax melts at about 155“ 
or 7“ higher than tire unbleached. Its spe- 
cific gravity is less than that of water, be- 
ing about .96. Alcohol has no sensible 
action on wax when cold, but on boiling 
it dissolves rather less than l-20tli of its 
weight of waxy tire greater part of which 
separates when cold in ^the form of white 
flocculi, and what remains in solution is en- 
tirely precipitated by water. Wax is solu- 
ble abundantly in the fixed oils; but very 
sparingly in the essential oils. It is usually 
supposed tliat tire wax is the pollen of 
flowers, which the bees visibly collect on 
their thighs, and afterwards elaborate in 
some unknown way. The great difference 
between wax and this matter which the 
bees collect, has however been long re- 
marked. When examined by the micros- 
cope, this little mass of jiollen is obviously 
composed of a number of hard grains com- 
pressed together, and if it is laid on a liot 
plate, it does not melt as wax would do, 
but smokes, dries, and is reduced to a coal, 
and if kindled it burns without melting. 
Some late very curious experiments of Hu- 
ber, one of the most celebrated apiarists in 
