sables and other furs. The handsome trophy of Mr. Nicholay, the Court furrier, formed one of the most attractive ornaments of the Nave. Here the Russian sable was to be seen in perfection: a complete set of it, including trimmed velvet mantle, is valued at 5007. Next were a cloak of the fur of the Siberian squirrel; skins of the Astracan lamb; paletots of seal skin, trimmed with other furs, including the beaver, and made into a bonnet edged with miniver and decorated with a plume of white feathers. Among the treasures of the collection was a sea-otter skin, worth 501. Messrs. Poland showed a splendid rug of the white Arctic fox, and large cloaks of sable and ermine; and Mr. Jeff a swanmuff and tippet from Holland, and a curious mantle formed from the crest and neck of the king eider-duck, a kind of green and black pattern on a white ground.

Russia contributed little the most noteworthy specimens were a manufactured Fur Carpet; an elegant mantle of Down; and eight species of stuffed Sables, exhibited by M. Alibert.

In the next section of this Class, De Costa, Andrade, and Co. displayed an Ostrich-feather trophy, in which as many as ten different colours of tints were presented in one single feather. The white plumes were examples of purity of colour and excellence of finish; they were selected from 5000. AVeil of Marabout Feathers was also an ingenious novelty. Here also was a Pelerine and Muff of white marabout feathers; and white, grey, and black Ostrich Feathers, in their rough state, as sent from the Barbary States and the Cape of Good Hope.

The third division of the Class included Artificial Hair, suited to every requirement and demand. Flowing white locks for majestic old age; or a light sprinkling of grey hair to assist the expiring efforts of Nature; and wigs adapted to middle life, and more or less advanced.

Among other Curiosities exhibited was a case containing specimens of Human Hair of great length, shorn from the heads of English, German, French, and Italian ladies-hair of every hue, from pale auburn to jet black, and of every degree of fineness and silky gloss. The honours in this Class, however, were carried off by some fair unknown of our own country, from whose head had been severed a lock of jet-black hair, no less than 74 inches in length!

INDIA-RUBBER MANUFACTURES.

There were upwards of 20 exhibitors of various manufactures in this material, besides those of Gutta Percha, and other analogous substances.

Prominent amongst these were the original patentees in England, C. Mackintosh and Co., of Manchester, who exhibited beautiful specimens of the raw material, showing the process of manufacture, from the masticated lump to the finished sheet.

They had also tubing for the Lighting of Railway-carriages by Gas, which has been found practicable; and an inflated India-rubber Globe, three yards in circumference, for the use of schools. Silver and Co. showed their Ebonite Tubes, which are not affected by acid, for vinegar and dye works; bottles and funnels, photographic baths and dishes; coated harness-irons; bracelets and chains in place of jet, &c. In soft vulcanized India-rubber was shown a Door-mat, produced by making incisions with a sharp knife at regular intervals, which being kept open, during vulcanization, a mat is produced, firm to the foot. They also exhibited washers, valves, steam-packing hose, &c.; insulated telegraph wire, and ebonite pole insulators.

Warne and Co. showed their novel Junction Rubber for pistonrings and pump-buckets, made of soft and hard rubber combined; and their Screw-shaft Water-stop for ocean-steamers, which prevents the necessity of stoppage for repacking when at sea. This is effected by the inflation of two rings so arranged as to answer the end required, whilst the stuffing-box is being repacked. They also showed an elastic Bath-towel, having a rubber warp alternate with cotton; "mineralized rubber;" "ferruginous cement packing;" a very ingenious flesh-brush, and their "aromatic bands;" also an "Archimedean screw Rifle-cleaner." Warne and Co. were the first to introduce the use of India-rubber for door-mats, formed of cross-sections of tubes cemented together.

The North British Company, of Edinburgh, excelled particularly in their over-shoes, which is a branch of the trade hitherto only carried on in France and America. The shoes exhibited here, however, very far exceeded in beauty of make and finish those of either of the other makers; as did also their valves, hose, and beltings. They showed, let into the floor, the largest valve which has ever been made; being 6 feet 4 inches in diameter, and 1 inches thick, made of pure rubber, in the manufacture of which no solvent had been used.

Cow and Co., of Cheapside, showed their Water-proof Cloths; a knapsack and haversack combined, and a lady's yachting-jacket. Mr. J. L. Hancock exhibited a portable air Bedchair for invalids. Hooper, and Hall and Wells showed their India-rubber coated Telegraph-wires for submarine and aerial purposes. Spill and Co. exhibited their Vegetable Leather made up in various forms; and there were several exhibitors of Kamptulicon (India-rubber and cork) floorcloth.

Walton and Co., of Chiswick, showed samples of their "Campticon, or India-rubber substitute," made from oxidized oil, freed of unctuous matter, and formed into semi-elastic resin, which, for steam-packing, driving-bands, and hose, answers as well as India-rubber, and at a considerably less cost.

The Gutta Percha Company displayed a good collection of their manufactures; and Mr. C. Hancock showed some beautiful Mouldings in Gutta-percha, on a sideboard. There were several French exhibitors of Tubing and Vulcanized India-rubber goods;

and three or four from Hanover. There were also exhibitors from Berlin; and the Russian Company of St. Petersburg displayed superior Overshoes, Hose, and Belting; and Boots specially adapted to Russian wants.-Abridged from the Mechanics' Magazine.

Cohen and Co., of Hamburg, make the most extensive display of any one in the Building, consisting of India-rubber goods generally-overshoes, clothing, tubing, toys, and a very elegant and useful mat or carpet for doors, stairs, railway carriages, &c. They resemble more than anything a grey carpet with a raised honeycomb pattern.

As a curiosity, we may here mention a statue of Vulcanized India-rubber, contributed by Herr H. C. Meyer, of Hamburg, who also exhibited a large trophy of articles of the same material. The statue was modelled by Herr Engèlard, the Hanoverian sculptor, and is intended to represent Hermann (the Arminius of the Roman historians), the son of Sigmier, the chief of Cherusci, one of the tribes of North Germany, after the victory gained over the Roman legions under Quintilius Varus, in, as is supposed, the Teutoburg Forest. The head is surrounded with the victor's wreath, the foot rests on a Roman eagle, and the sword is being sheathed triumphantly. The figure has considerable artistic merit; but the material is ill adapted for the purpose.

PERREAUX'S PATENT PUMP-VALVES.

This method of constructing Pump-Valves (says the Illustrated London News) is extremely ingenious, simple, and efficient: it is copied from the valves contained in the human heart. Perreaux's valves are made of India-rubber vulcanized for the purpose; they are of the form of a tube flattened at one extremity, similar to the mouthpiece of a hautboy. The thickness of the sides of the upper part diminishes gradually to the top, where the two sides meet and form two lips, which when the valve is in a state of rest are in close contact, and prevent the downward passage of the fluid. With any upward pressure, the lips freely separate, and allow of the upward passage of the fluid; the gradual diminution in the thickness or tapering of the sides forming the lips of the passage enables the valve to open and close with the slightest variation of pressure. The passage for the fluid through these valves is larger than in any others of the same dimensions; they also possess the advantage of having a "clearway," there being nothing whatever to retard the flow of water; and, owing to the self-acting principle imparted by the elasticity of the material, they close perfectly and instantaneously the moment the pressure from below ceases. The lips of the valves being flexible and elastic, any foreign substance which may enter the suction-pipe, such as sand, gravel, coal-dust, cinders, grain, cotton, tow, rags, chips of wood, &c., passes freely through without in the least in

terfering with or deranging the action of the valve; semi-fluid material, as tar, passes freely through. Should a pump of this description remain dry for any length of time it requires no priming by pouring water into it, as other pumps do, but is always ready for immediate use. In practice these valves answer exceedingly well: they are extensively used in soap and alkali factories and by paper-makers, tanners, bleachers, and dyers, in pumping paper-stuff, chemicals, tan-liquor, &c. The pumps exhibited had glass cylinders or barrels, so that the action of the valves might be seen. It is found advantageous to use glass barrels, as they are free from corrosion and lubricate themselves with the material which is pumped through them.

LEATHER, INCLUDING SADDLERY AND HARNESS.

Additional warranty was given to the old fable of Nothing like Leather" by the contents of a small Court of British specimens, remarkable both for material and manufacture.

From the head-quarters, Bermondsey, Hepburn and Son sent an enormous Butt-hide of Black Enamelled Leather, 11 feet long by 10 feet 3; and a large number of tanned English sole butts, the average weight being 43 lbs. ; the thickness and texture being very remarkable. Samples of all the Tanning Materials used in England were shown in front of these butt-hides:-English oak bark, valonia, gambier, shumac, mimosa, hemlock oak-bark, and others. Bevington and Sons had a large black enamelled coach hide. Harness Leather was shown by Brown and Sons and Santley and Co.; capital hides and skins, coach and harness leather, by Wilson, Walker, and Co.; coloured moroccos, and leather for bookbinding, as fine and delicate in tone and colour as the best fabrics of Manchester, by Fitch and Co., of Leeds. Coloured moroccos were also shown by Bevington and Sons, and coloured seal-skins by Matthews, all remarkable for the excellence of their colour. Leather for boot-tops, thin and light in texture as a lady's glove for jockey-boots, contrasted strongly with the enormous thickness of the leather made from the walrushide. There was also buff leather for soldiers' accoutrements. In Saddlery and Harness, Mr. Cuff showed a magnificently embroidered military State Saddle, the property of the Duke of Buccleuch it is covered with blue velvet, richly worked in silver and gold, and is a gorgeous piece of work, rivalling some of the state trappings of India. Saddles for officers of the 13th Hussars and the Enniskillen Dragoons, by Mr. Gibson, of Coventry-street, were also exhibited by Davis, Strand; with an embroidered Sidesaddle, from designs by Delamotte. Merry, of St. James's-street, sent a beautiful Saddle and suite of Harness, made to the order of the Prince of Wales. The Whips, by Swaine and Adeney, formed

a brilliant and tasteful display, a case of theirs being valued at more than a thousand pounds. Horses fully harnessed were shown by Blackwell; and the Saddlery Ironmongery of Walsall was largely represented. Among other applications of leather, were specimens of that once fashionable accomplishment for ladies, Potichomanie; Snuff-boxes; and Embossed Leather for walls, screens, and covering furniture-a tasteful item in these times of decorative revivalism.

In the Nave there was a Leather trophy by Bevington and Sons, which was grouped with considerable effect: it was nearly forty feet in height, the summit being occupied by a fallow-deer, standing on a miniature rock. The cornice was diversified by a display of the heads of wild boars, bullocks, elks, African goats, rams, seals, and red deer. Between these was a glass-case, divided into compartments, in which was exhibited every description of leather, from the most delicate texture which covers the lady's hand down to that in which the greatest strength and durability are required. In the lower compartments were photographic representations from the works of the exhibitors, showing the process of the manufacture and preparation of leather through its different stages.

The supremacy of British Leathers and Saddlery was thus fully maintained. There was also a large show of Cape leathers (the so-called dogskin gloves being all made from the skin of Cape sheep); and, among the furs, Lillicrap exhibited a collection of all kinds of Sealskins from the Falkland Islands, to procure which the greatest exertions had been made.

ARTICLES OF CLOTHING.

This display was an epitome of the wants of man, woman, and child, as the title-pages of histories say, "from the earliest period to the present time," and strongly illustrated how "the world is still deceived by ornament."

The Class was divided into, 1. Hats and Caps. 2. Bonnets and general Millinery. 3. Hosiery, Gloves, and Clothing in general. 4. Boots and Shoes.

In this wide-awake age it is not easy to describe the varieties of head-gear. Gaimes and Saunders exhibited their light ventilating Hats; Lincoln and Bennett, some Black Hats, of exquisite finish; and Ellwood and Sons, a series of Military Hats and Caps for the army in India; so made as to admit of the cool air ascending round the forehead, to drive the hot air out at the top of the cap, the sound principle of ventilation, whether applied to the House of Commons or the head of one of its Hotspurs. Westland and Laidlaw, of Glasgow, showed a patented Hat, that is ventilated, and so expanding as to fit every kind of head easily and fully. Mr. Stollady showed Hats 3 oz. in weight. How much has been done