they are allowed to remain for about half a minute. They are next thrown upon a tough paper membrane attached to the top of an oven, which is heated by burning charcoal covered with ashes, where they are constantly manipulated by the hand until the light-green colour turns to a dark olive, and the leaves have become spirally twisted. After this “firing,” the tea is dried at a low temperature for from four to eight hours; it is next sorted by passing through sieves, and is then turned over to the “go-downs,” or warehouses of the foreigners, where the facing process is carried on by placing the tea in large metallic bowls, heated by means of a furnace, and gradually adding the various pigments used, the mixture being continually stirred. The tea is finally again sorted by means of large fans, and is now ready for packing and shipment. The sophistications to which tea is exposed have received the careful attention of chemists, but not to a greater extent than the importance of the subject merits; indeed, it is safe to assert that no article among alimentary substances has been, at least in past years, more subjected to adulteration. The falsifications which are practised to no inconsiderable extent may be conveniently divided into three classes. 1st. Additions made for the purpose of giving increased weight and bulk, which include foreign leaves and spent tea leaves, and also certain mineral substances, such as metallic iron, sand, brick-dust, etc. 2nd. Substances added in order to produce an artificial appearance of strength to the tea decoction, catechu and other bodies rich in tannin being mainly resorted to for this purpose. 3rd. The imparting of a bright and shining appearance to an inferior tea by means of various colouring mixtures or “facings,” which operation, while sometimes practised upon black tea, is far more common with the green variety. This adulteration involves the use of soap-stone, gypsum, China clay, Prussian blue, indigo, turmeric, and graphite. The author lately received from Japan several samples of the preparations employed for facing the tea in that country, the composition of which was shown by analysis to be essentially as follows:-- 1. Magnesium silicate (soap-stone). 2. Calcium sulphate (gypsum). 3. Turmeric. 4. Indigo. 5. Ferric ferrocyanide (Prussian blue). 6. Soap-stone, 47·5 per cent.; gypsum, 47·5 per cent.; Prussian blue, 5 per cent. 7. Soap-stone, 45 per cent.; gypsum, 45 per cent.; Prussian blue, 10 per cent. 8. Soap-stone, 75 per cent.; indigo, 25 per cent. 9. Soap-stone, 60 per cent.; indigo, 40 per cent. The “facing” or “blooming” of tea is often accomplished by simply placing it in an iron pan, heated by a fire, and rapidly incorporating with it one of the preceding mixtures (Nos. 6, 7, 8, or 9), in the proportion of about half a dram to seven or eight pounds of the tea, a brisk stirring being maintained until the desired shade of colour is produced.