MEANS  OF  RENDERING  TIMBER  INCOMBUSTIBLE.  323 
island  of  Scio  and  in  the  neighborhood  of  Smyrna.  In  the  latter 
locality  it  may  be  found  in  most  gardens  and  shrubberies.  In  a 
tree  of  moderate  size,  having  some  resemblance  to  the  mountain 
ash.  Its  fruits,  which  are  called  by  the  Smyrniotes  Tzecoutha, 
occur  in  a  profusion  of  clusters,  and  ripen  in  September.  This 
period  is  looked  forward  to  as  the  season  for  shooting  beccaficos, 
or  as  they  are  called  by  the  English,  beefigs.  Three  or  four 
species  of  very  small  birds  are  included  under  this  designation. 
The  Smyrniotes  pursue  this  sport  with  avidity,  but  in  a  manner 
peculiarly  oriental.  The  sportsman  takes  his  place,  often  seated 
in  a  chair,  close  to  a  terebinth  tree,  in  which  some  of  the  birds 
are  sure  to  be  found,  and  fires  at  any  becfig  that  gives  him  the 
chance.  At  the  report  of  the  gun  the  birds  fly  away  to  a  short 
distance,  but  return  so  quickly,  that  opportunity  for  a  second 
shot  is  frequently  afforded  by  the  time  the  sportsman  has  re- 
loaded. Great  numbers  of  birds  are  sometimes  thus  killed  at  a 
sitting,  They  are  very  fat,  and  on  this  account,  and  for  their 
fine  flavor,  are  much  esteemed  for  the  pilaff."] — London  Pharm. 
Journ.,  May,  1858. 
THE  CHEMICAL  MEANS  OF  RENDERING  TIMBER 
INCOMBUSTIBLE. 
By  John  S.  Blockey. 
Within  the  last  few  months  my  attention  has  been  occasionally 
called  to  papers,  in  »  The  Mechanics'  Magazine  "  and  elsewhere, 
as  to  certain  new  methods  or  new  appliances  for  rendering  tim- 
ber incombustible.  The  more  so,  as  in  September  last  I  was 
engaged  in  a  series  of  experiments,  the  result  of  which  I  here 
beg  leave  to  state,  and  solicit  a  trial  of  their  correctness.  In 
all  cases  I  had  learned  that  silicate  of  potassa,  or  soda,  was  the 
most  commercially  useful  compound  for  the  purpose,  and  with 
this  (the  application  of  which,  I  may  remind  the  readers  of  "  The 
Chemist,"  is  not  new)  I  set  out.  Having  prepared  a  solution 
of  tolerably  pure  silicate,  such  as  I  conceived  would  be  used  on 
the  large  scale,  I  soaked  a  number  of  pieces  of  wood  in  it  for 
twelve  hours,  having  previously  thoroughly  dried  them  in  an  oven 
moderately  heated  ;  they  were  then  again  dried,  and  half  of  them 
placed  in  dilute  hydrochloric  acid,  the  other  half  dried  without 
