In at least one instance, however, it has been used on animal fibres with considerable success. During the critical part of the Boer war, it was at one time necessary for England to put as many of her troops as possible—especially her mounted troops—into the field. Among others the Scots Greys, distinguished at Waterloo and made famous in many other bloody campaigns as a fine old fighting regiment, were ordered to the front. There is a tradition, dating back over two hundred years, that the horses of this regiment must all be either white or grey in color. Some heaven-sent genius at the Horse Guards—the English War Department—hinted quite forcibly to the authorities that to send out a cavalry regiment on white horses to face the Boer sharpshooters, was rather a dangerous experiment. The authorities, therefore, consulted a well-known dyeing chemist. He advised them to send down, on the troopship, some kegs of permanganate; and to instruct the officers and men to sponge each horse with a weak solution of the salt, every day at “Stables.” This was done, and, in consequence, long before reaching Cape Town, the skin and hair of every horse was thoroughly colored a soft, quiet shade of brown. The color produced by permanganate varies, according to the strength of the solution, or rather with the number of dips in comparatively weak solutions, from a light brownish tan to a full, rich, soft, seal brown. Pleasant shades, too, can be obtained by dyeing first with the iron rust dye and then covering with the permanganate. This color is discharged, not only from textiles but from the hands, by soaking in a solution of _sodium hydrosulphite_ (commonly used in dyeing indigo) and then washing. PRACTICAL DYEING Before proceeding to the practical dyeing instruction it is well to say a few words about the equipment needed for the work. Fortunately no elaborate or expensive outfit is necessary, even for the beginner. And after one has had a little experience, it is astonishing what an amount of interesting, and even important work can be turned out with a few of the very simplest utensils. The essentials may be set down as follows: Dye-pots. Heating devices. Stirring rods, or dye-sticks. Wringers. Drying arrangements. _Dye-pots._—For this purpose, common agateware vessels are best and most convenient. There should be varying sizes to accommodate different amounts of material to be dyed. The so-called “miner’s cups,” which are agateware cups holding a pint or more, are large enough for practical work, when single skeins are being dyed. For large pieces use the wash boilers which vary in capacity from one to five gallons. It is always best, especially for amateurs, to dye in one batch enough material to complete the work on hand, whether rug, portière, or piece of tapestry. This avoids the necessity of exactly matching the shade afterward.