parts are applied:

SKIN.--The skin has been of great use in all ages. The ancient Britons
constructed their boats with osiers, and covered them with the hides of
bulls; and these boats were sufficiently strong to serve for short
coasting voyages. Similar vessels are still in use on the Irish lakes,
and in Wales on the rivers Dee and Severn. In Ireland they are called
_curach_, in England _coracles_, from the British _cwrwgl_, a word
signifying a boat of that structure.

Boots, shoes, harness, &c. for horses, and various kinds of travelling
trunks are made from hides when tanned. The skin of the calf is
extensively used in the binding of books, and the thinnest of the calf
skins are manufactured into vellum. The skin of the Cape Buffalo is made
into shields and targets, and is so hard that a musket ball will
scarcely penetrate it.

HAIR.--The short hair is used to stuff saddles and other articles; also
by bricklayers in the mixing up of certain kinds of mortar. It is
likewise frequently used in the manuring of land. The _long_ hair from
the tail is used for stuffing chairs and cushions. The hair of the Bison
is spun into gloves, stockings, and garters, which are very strong, and
look as well as those made of the finest sheep's wool; very beautiful
cloth has likewise been manufactured from it. The Esquimaux convert the
skin covering the tail into caps, which are so contrived that the long
hair falling over their faces, defends them from the bites of the
mosquitoes.

HORNS.--The horns of cattle consist of an outside horny case, and an
inside conical-shaped substance, somewhat between hardened hair and
bone. The horny outside furnishes the material for the manufacture of a
variety of useful articles. The first process consists in cutting the
horn transversely into three portions.

1. The _lowest_ of these, next the root of the horn, after undergoing
several operations by which it is rendered flat, is made into combs.

2. The _middle_ of the horn, after being flattened by heat, and its
transparency improved by oil, is split into thin layers, and forms a
substitute for glass in lanterns of the commonest kind. [The merit of
the invention of these horn plates, and of their application to
lanterns, is ascribed to King Alfred, who is said to have first used
lanterns of this description to preserve his candle time-measurers from
the wind.]

3. The _tips_ of the horns are generally used to make knife-handles; the
largest