70 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



[March 1, 1S66. 



Stinging Power of Sea-Anemones. — A few 

 years ago a lady friend of mine got up an aquarium 

 (as aquariums were all the fashion here then), in 

 which she had a very good collection of sea-ane- 

 mones. One evening, noticing that the water had 

 evaporated a good deal, she wished to know if what 

 was in the tank was too salt, so she touched her 

 tongue to the water ; it was dusk at the time, and 

 just in the spot where she put her tongue, there was 

 sticking to -the glass a fine specimen of the Opelet 

 (Antkea cereus) ; it instantly seized her tongue and 

 lips with its tentacula. She did not mind it much 

 at the time, but by degrees her mouth, throat, and 

 jaws became swollen, and gave her great pain. She 

 sent for the doctor, fearing she was getting lock- 

 jaw: he used some common remedies, but it was 

 ate that night before she got relief. — W. S. Green. 



Atlantic Ooze. — I have been fortuuate enough 

 to have presented to me two gatherings of ooze, or 

 mud, from the depths of the Atlantic ; one portion 

 is from soundings taken on board of H.M.S. Por- 

 cupine, on the 7th July, 1862, in lat. 52" 40' N., 

 long. 12° 35' W., in 290 fathoms of water, and the 

 other is a pai't of the mud which came up on the 

 grappling-irons of the Great Eastern when search 

 was being made for the lost Atlantic cable, on 

 11th August, 1865, lat. 51° 25' 15" N., long. 38° 59' 

 W., in 2,100 fathoms water. Each of these gather- 

 ings contains similar microscopic forms, the leading 

 specimens being complete shells of foraminiferse, 

 fragments of Polycystince, very minute fragments of 

 Diatomacecc, and a considerable portion of pretty 

 silicious-looking inorganic particles. It appears to 

 me, judging from the fact that entire forms of 

 diatomaceous frustules are not found in the deeper 

 gathering, that the extreme depths of the ocean 

 are probably not the natural habitats of diutomacem, 

 and that they are of foraminifera, as entire shells of 

 foraminiferce present themselves in the mud in con- 

 siderable numbers; and although I have examined 

 several slides of my own mounting, I have not yet 

 met with a single complete diatomaceous frustule. 

 I have in possession sufficient material to enable 

 me to prepare several scores of slides of Atlantic 

 ooze from the depths and localities enumerated, and 

 shall be glad to exchange them for rare forms of 

 marine or fresh-water diatoms, especially marine 

 shore gathering, as I am at present engaged in 

 preparing an illustrative catalogue of British marine 

 forms. — T. B. Barkas, Newcastle-on-lyne. 



Impressions of Leaves.— In reply to S. J. B., 

 who wishes to know how to take clear impressions 

 of leaves with printing-ink : — first, carefully ink the 

 surface of a piece of tolerably soft paper — say 

 printing in preference to writing paper; lay the leaf 

 upon this, face downwards, and take an even im- 

 pression. This inks the surface of the leaf, which 

 can then be carefully laid upon the card or paper 

 which is to receive the impression, and printed. 

 Take care that the leaf is not wet ; if it is, it won't 

 "take" the ink. If there is a thick stalk, pare it 

 down from the back with a penknife. Prepare the 

 cards for printing by placing them between damp 

 sheets of paper, and don't crush the leaf by too 

 much pressure. I enclose two or three impressions, 

 taken a year or two back. — John T. Young. 



P.S. — A very handsome result is obtained by 

 taking an exceedingly faint print, aud carefully 

 colouring it afterwards. 



In answer to S. J. B., I beg to say that I have 

 found the following plan to answer very well for 

 taking impressions of leaves, &c, with printer's ink : 

 I make myself two pads by tacking soft leather 



on two small pieces of board, say four inches 

 square, and stuffing the inside with cotton ; on these 

 pads I put a little ink, rubbing the two well 

 together to get it equally over all parts of the pads ; 

 I then place the leaves between the pads, pressing 

 them lightly, so as not to injure the leaves ; I then 

 remove them carefully, and place them between a 

 sheet of clean note-paper, placing it then in any 

 large book, and put a few more books upon the top 

 and let them remain for a few minutes, when I 

 generally find I have a clear impression of both 

 sides of the leaves. — John Chester. 



Your correspondent S. J. B. asks for directions 

 to take clear impressions of leaves with printing ink. 

 I have no recipes for taking impressions of leaves in 

 printing ink, but perhaps the following may serve 

 S. J. B.'s purpose quite as well. I am sorry I can- 

 not speak from experience as to the value of any of 

 the methods. 1. Take clean note-paper, rather 

 thick, and oil it well with sweet oil ; after it has 

 stood till the oil has soaked through, rub off the 

 superfluous oil with a piece of paper, and hang it in 

 the air to dry. After the oil is well dried in, take a 

 hghted caudle, and move the paper over it, so as to 

 touch the flame, till it is perfectly black. When 

 you wish to take off impressions of plants, lay your 

 plants carefully on the oiled paper, and lay a piece 

 of clean paper over it, and rub with your finger 

 equally in all parts for about a minute ; then take 

 up your plant, taking care not to disturb the order 

 of the leaves, and place it on the book or piece of 

 paper on which you wish to take the impression ; 

 then cover it with a piece of blotting-paper, and rub 

 it with your finger for a short time, and you will 

 have an impression superior to the finest engraving. 

 The impressions may afterwards be coloured accord- 

 ing to nature. (The above is copied from Young 

 England, vol. i., p. 1S8.) 2. Over common writing- 

 paper spread with a brush 20 grains of bichromate 

 of potash, 10 grains of sulphate of copper, 1 oz. dis- 

 tilled water. Let the paper dry, then place your 

 leaf on the prepared side ; place a piece of plate 

 glass over it, and expose to the sun. In about half 

 an hour a faint copy will be produced in yellow, 

 this must be washed over with a solution of 20 grains 

 nitrate of silver, 1 oz. distilled water ; fix by washing 

 in pure water. 3. Make a dabber of cotton wool, 

 tied tightly in fine soft muslin, and with a little oil 

 colour (sap green or burnt sienna) dab the leaf all 

 over on both sides, being careful to leave no part 

 untouched ; then place it on one side of an open 

 sheet of writing-paper, securing it in the position 

 you wish by a stitch or two with very fine cotton ; 

 close the paper, and holding it firmly on the table 

 with one hand, rub it all ove* repeatedly and evenly 

 with a clean dabber. Open the paper and remove 

 the fern, and you will find it indelibly printed. — 

 T. Frank Wright. 



We have also received similar communications 

 from A.E. W. B., E. T.S., J. Chuter, J.E. Young, 

 and T. E. Wright, who are respectively thanked for 

 the same, although we cannot avail ourselves of 

 them, as the above will probably serve our corre- 

 spondent's purpose. — Ed. 



Bees. — I fancy that the Great Mautuau Bee- 

 Master's Eourth Georgic does not contain much of 

 what Apiarians in the present day would term 

 " reliable matter ; " but I am able to inform " M. G. 

 W." that house-sparrows do indulge in a breakfast 

 of bees occasionally. They will watch the hive, and 

 carry off an industrious member or two, as an 

 especial treat for their young family. Therefore, 

 all nests in the vicinity of an apiary ought to be 



