seems to have soon disappeared, as it will doubtless do in the same 
way in the rubber estates. It has quite disappeared from the^ Bota- 
nic Gardens now, except an occasional nest in the Gardens’ jungle. 
Editor. 
NOTES ON SOME SAMPLES OF RUBBER. 
We have recently receiver] a small series of samples of rubbers as 
sold in England, from M. PoBLOTH, and some notes on the appear- 
ances of these may be interesting. 
Fine Para smoked. The best rubber imported. This is a dense 
firm rubber, the outside black, inside it appears of layers of different 
shades from a light smoky brown to darker brown and black. It 
has evidently been prepared by the Amazon’s method so often des- 
cribed, and has the peculiar smoky smell that one is accustomed to 
in prepared rubber. Except for the smoky odour and the different 
colored layers, it appears very similar to the unsmoked rubber former- 
ly made in the Gardens 
Para entre fine showing alternate layers of smoked and virgin. 
The smoked layers resembfe the dark ones of the previous rubber, 
but contain some spaces, apparently water bubbles, which are much 
more abundant in the pale colored virgin rubber, of which more 
than half the piece consists. T his has a fish- like odour, and its ap- 
pearance suggests that it contains still a good deal of water. 
Both of these are apparently free of extraneous matter. 
West India ball in sausages, probably smoked, ranks next to Para 
in quality. This is a black, rather sticky, rubber apparently made 
into rolls of bits coated with layers. It is full of bits of bark and 
dirt. The texture is firm and strong. 
West Indian sheet is similar, but very irregular, more like masses 
of scrap joined together by dipping in latex. It is full of holes and 
bits of bark. 1 hese rubbers are castilloa elastica Peruvian sheet 
equal in quality to best West Indian is somewhat similar in colour, 
full of holes but with less dirt. It is sticky and has a rather un- 
pleasant smell. This is apparently Castilloa elastica rubber. 
Congo i, from upper Congo, lo^es 7 percent. less water in drying 
than fine Para, but is worth only 3/9 as against Para at 5/. 
The piece ‘is made up of irregular bits stuck together. The bits 
are clean, but there is a certain amount of earth, etc., adhering to 
them and between the pieces. The rubber is black, firm and sticky. 
Congo 2, from upper Congo, known as Red Marsai consists of 
irregular bits and layers pressed together, reddish grey with a good 
deaTof red bark mixed in. It has a faintly smoky smell, but does 
not appear to have been smoked. 
Congo bale, the commonest kind, inferior to the last two, from 
the Lower Congo, seems to be a mixture of at least two kinds ; a 
red or grey kind and a black one, apparently made in bits and layers, 
