a small tin canister of workshop air that repeatedly acquires the odour of warmed varnish and brushed copper when its lid is closed.

Dimensions: 9.1 cm × 6.0 cm × 6.0 cm. Weight, 182 grams (sealed); 179 grams (unsealed).
Material: Tinned steel canister with screw lid; fibre gasket; interior lacquered.
Provenance: Transferred from the effects of Capt. H. R. Vellum, retired engineer, through the Rookery Maritime Rooms, Hull, 1898. Accessioned 1899.

Remarks

Rectangular canister with a machine-turned lid and an intact gasket. The container holds ordinary air when opened. When the lid is tightened and the vessel left undisturbed for approximately twelve minutes, a distinct odour is present upon reopening. The odour persists for 40–70 seconds and then dissipates. No residue is found on the interior lacquer. The effect recurs after washing the canister with soap and water and after replacement of the gasket with new fibre. Heating the closed canister to 40°C shortens the interval to five minutes. Cooling it on ice lengthens the interval to 28 minutes. When the canister is stored in proximity to cabinet drawers of electrical apparatus, the interval becomes irregular and the odour frequently fails to appear. The canister produces no detectable pressure change. A weight loss of three grams is recorded only while the lid is unthreaded.

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