NOTE  ON  A  BLACKISH-GREEN  INSECT  WAX.  563 
of  wood.  He  further  investigates  the  nature  of  the  special 
tissues  concerned  in  this  operation,  and  shows  not  merely  how 
they  -may  act,  but  to  a  great  extent  how  they  do  act.  As  this 
paper  will,  I  believe,  be  specially  alluded  to  by  the  President  of 
the  Biological  Section,  I  need  dwell  no  further  on  it  here  than 
to  quote  it  as  an  example  of  what  may  be  done  by  an  acute  ob- 
server and  experimentalist,  versed  in  physics  and  chemistry, 
but  above  all  thoroughly  instructed  in  scientific  methods. — Lond. 
Chem.  News,  Aug.  21,'l868. 
NOTE  ON"  A  BLACKISH-GREEN  INSECT-WAX. 
ByR.  Reynolds,  F.C.S. 
Attention  has  been  called  to  a  variety  of  black  wax  by  the 
paper  lately  published  by  Dr.  Smith.*  Unfortunately  no  history 
of  Dr.  Smith's  specimen  can  be  given,  and  it  may  fairly  be 
doubted  whether  it  is  an  animal  or  a  vegetable  product.  In  the 
instance  which  I  now  bring  before  the  Conference  there  is  suffi 
ciently  clear  evidence  of  the  source  of  the  wax.  I  received  the 
specimen  directly  from  the  discoverer,  who  tells  me  that  he  brought 
it  from  one  of  the  group  of  islands  in  the  Pacific  Ocean,  known  as 
the  Line  Islands.  The  natives  of  these  islands  are  a  highly 
savage  race,  and  but  little  intercourse  with  Europeans  takes 
place.  There  are  two  specimens,  the  first  being  a  mass  weigh- 
ing several  ounces,  just  as  taken  from  the  stump  of  a  tree.  The 
insect  producing  the  wax  is  said  by  my  informant  to  be  about, 
the  size  of  a  small  house-fly.  There  is  little  trace  of  structure 
to  be  detected,  heat  seeming  to  have  destroyed  this.  The  color 
may  be  described  as  being  a  blackish-green  ;  the  odor  is  well- 
marked,  resembling  anise  ;  in  consistence  it  is  softer  than  Eng- 
lish bees'-wax,  and  more  tenacious.  The  second  specimen  was 
clarified  before  it  was  brought  to  this  country,  having  been 
melted  with  water  and  strained  ;  the  removal  of  some  sand  has 
been  the  chief  result.  As  the  first  specimen  has  only  been  in 
my  hands  for  a  week,  I  am  unable  to  speak  definitely  as  to,  its 
chemistry.  However,  a  few  experiments  upon  the  proportion 
taken  up  by  various  solvents,  as  alcohol,  ether,  etc.,  suffice  to 
*Pharm.  Jouru.  July,  1868. 
