12 
ON BLACK WAX. 
more probably, earthen mould in which it was solidified. It consists of two dis¬ 
tinct layers : the upper, one inch in thickness, of a jet black colour, and its 
recently-fractured surface somewhat conchoidal; the lower layer, which is only 
to be distinguished from the upper by its browner colour and more granular 
fracture, is about half an inch in thickness. The cut surface of both layers ex¬ 
hibits a waxy lustre, and the upper layer is more readily indented by the nail 
than the lower. 
It does not possess any characteristic odour or taste, and when chewed does 
not adhere to the teeth. 
The upper surface is smooth and free from impurities ; at one side it presents 
a vesicular appearance, such as usually occurs near the margin of a vessel in 
which a waxy composition has solidified; the under surface presents some irre¬ 
gular shallow depressions, which are lined with adherent vegetable fibre, appa¬ 
rently the debris of an endogenous plant. 
The specific gravity of the thick upper layer is 0-985, a somewhat higher 
density than that of beeswax, which averages 096 ; and the specific gravity of 
the thinner brown layer is T462. The greater density of this stratum is chiefly 
owing to the presence of a considerable amount of sand. The fusing-point of 
the black portion is about 148° F., or nearly the same as that of ordinary wax. 
Very little can be said as to its natural history, but its close resemblance in 
physical properties to common wax, and Pomet’s account of it, which I shall 
presently quote, would warrant us in concluding that it owes its origin to a par¬ 
ticular species of bee. 
No mention is made of a similar substance in any of the numerous modern 
works consulted, including Hagen’s 1 Bibliotheca Entomologica,’ for reference 
to which I am indebted to Dr. Perceval Wright. 
In one of the earlier volumes of the ‘ Pharmaceutical Journal’ (vol. xii. 1853, 
p. 401, quoted from the Reports of Juries), there is an allusion to a curious wax 
which had been imported from Brazil, the product of a black bee which hives 
under ground. It was soft and exceedingly tenacious, and of a dark mahogany 
colour. 
In Pomet’s ‘ Histoire des Drogues,’ published in 1735, there is a short article 
on the black wax of India, which directly bears upon the present subject:— 
“ De la Cire noire des hides .—En plusieurs endroits des Indes, tant orientales 
qu’occidentales, il s’y trouve de petites abeilles qui font leurs ruches dans le 
creux de certaines arbres. Ces abeilles font leur miel dans de petits vaisseaux de 
cire noire, qui sont de la grosseur et figure des oeufs de pigeons ; ce miel est tres- 
agreable et d’une couleur d’ambre. Les Indiens se servent de cette cire pour 
faire des cierges et pour recueillir de l’arbre le baume surnomme de tolu, ainsi que 
je l’ai marque ci-devant. 
“ Quelques auteurs disent, qu’il y a un animal qui est semblable a un chat 
qui est noir, que les Indiens appellent lieirat , ou bete a miel , qui le plus souvent 
monte dessus ces arbres et mange tout le miel, et ce qui est plus surprenant, 
c’est que cet animal tire les rayons clu miel avec sa patte, et ne fait aucun mal 
aux mouches, et les mouches ne lui en font point non plus, parce qu’elles n’ont 
point d’eguillon commes les notres. Cette cire etoit autrefois fort en usage en 
Espagne et quelque peu en France, mais a present on ne s<jait plus ce que c’est, 
etant une des plus rares drogues que nous ayons.” (In-iol. p. 56, ii. partie.) 
Pomet’s Hist. Gen. des Drogues, nouv. edit. 1735, liv. iii. p. 168. 
I shall now give the details of the chemical examination which I made with 
the assistance of Dr. Emerson Reynolds. 
3-009 grammes were exhausted with boiling rectified spirit, filtered, and 
washed. 
The dark brown residue left undissolved by the alcohol was treated frequently 
with ether, which partially dissolved it, and filtered. 
