i6 
as big of a different shape, and not white beneath as they are in 
S. Benzoin. Herr Rordorf lays stress on the fact that the leaves are 
not serrate-toothed as in 5 , Benzoin. This is an error, the leaves of 
S. Benzoin are never serrate toothed but always entire-edged. 
' He gives a curious account of the collection and preparation of 
the resin. The Benzoin district is very difficult of access, and nine 
expeditions in search of specimens failed to procure any. The tenth, 
however, was more successful. The only means of access are by the 
rivers which are not navigable at high-water, and at low water are 
impenetrable marshes. They are only navigable for a short period in 
the year, and it takes three days to get up the rivers. The benzoin 
collectors are a race of small long-haired Chinese who speak an old 
long forgotten language. The resin is collected in the following way, 
on trunks of 20-25 cm diameter pieces of bark of rectangular 
shape from half to four hand-breadths in size are loosened and 
the resin runs out on the inner side of the bark solidifying by the heat 
of the sun. This forms the finest quality. The smaller fragments are 
formed into a lump by hand. The resin is spread out in a heap on 
the strong mat, and ginger roots hollowed and filled with the marrow 
from pigs’ bones are mixed with it and the mats are tied up in a 
bundle. The contents are examined from time to time to see if the 
fat has been taken up, if not fresh fat is used. Rancid pork fat, it is 
said, will not pass through the ginger roots. This process takes about 
a year, and is supposed to give a fine aroma. When the fat has 
disappeared from the ginger the resin is ready for export to Bangkok. 
T. ie commercial product differs from ordinary Sumatran in its vanilla 
odour and the fact that the tears are separate from each other.— Ed. 
THE OCCURRENCE OF RED PATCHES ON CREPE 
RUBBER. 
During the month of June 1910 my attention was called to the 
occirrence of crimson patches on para crepe which developed during 
dry ng. 
The patches varied in size from just visible red spots to blotches, 
a quarter of an inch or more in diameter, and as many as 288 occurring 
to He square foot in some samples. 
The spots become visible when the rubber had been drying for 12 
or [4 days, then increased rapidly in size until drying was all but 
complete, after this no apparent growth took place. They were not 
observed on the crepe from bark scrap as it was too dark at this stage 
of drying for them to be visible. 
A close examination showed that the spots in the majority of 
cases had developed from a nucleus in the substance of the rubber. 
Inoculations from freshly visible spots were made on sterilized 
bread and agar-agar, in a few days a strong crimson culture was ob- 
tained, this appeared to be Bacillus prodigiosus. 
