Ill 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



[May 1, 18GG. 



On Observing Infusoria. — Those who are in 

 the habit of making observations on Infusoria in the 

 live-box, know how often that, coming across some 

 particular specimen they are anxious to preserve 

 alive for some time, in order to further observe it, 

 and setting it aside for a time, on again examining 

 it, find the fluid evaporated, and of course the speci- 

 men spoiled. To prevent this, I beg to suggest a 

 plan which hitherto I have found answer well ; viz., 

 add a single drop of glycerine to two or three drops 

 of water containing the infusoria to be examined, 

 before putting the cover of the live-box on. This 

 hinders the infusoria travelling too fast across the 

 " Celd," prevents the water from evaporating with 

 that rapidity which it otherwise would, and so 

 enables it to be kept for days ; it also preserves the 

 colour, and but slightly alters the form of any algse 

 that may be present. The glycerine should be made 

 to mix with the water by gently stirring it with a 

 bristle. When an observation has been made, raise 

 the cover of the live-box, and allow the fluid to form 

 a single compressed spherical drop ; when again to 

 be used, gently press down the cover. Various 

 modifications of the above plan may suggest them- 

 selves to other observers.—/. 



To Obtain Desmids Clean.— Place the sediment 

 in a bottle having a comparatively narrow diameter 

 (say a test-tube), in bright light for two or three 

 days, and do not disturb it meanwhile. The desmids 

 will gradually separate themselves from the mud, 

 adhering together on its surface in clusters which 

 are quite visible to the naked eye. The dipping- 

 tube cleverly managed will do the rest of the busi- 

 ness. According to the richness of the gathering, 

 will the results be more or less clean.— S. J. M. 



"Magnifying without Lens or Prelector." 

 — Your correspondent will find some interesting 

 papers by Mr. Gorham, entitled "On the Magnifying 

 Power of Short Spaces," in the Journal of Micro- 

 scopical Science, vols. 3 and 4, old series. — Fred. 

 Kifton, Norwich. 



BOTANY. 



The Cherry.— It was in the CSth year before 

 the birth of Christ, that Lucullus planted the 

 cherry-tree in Italy, which " was so well stocked," 

 says Pliny, "that in less than twenty-six years 

 after, other lands had cherries, even as far as 

 Britain, beyond the ocean." This would make 

 their introduction to England as early as the 42nd 

 year before Christ, although they are generally 

 stated not to have been brought to this country 

 until the early part of the reign of Nero, A.D. 55. — 

 Phillips's "Fruits of Great Britain." 



Pose oe Jericho (Science Gossip, p. 94).— 

 I fancy that the specimens seen by your corre- 

 spondent were not the Anastatica, but such as 

 are referred to in the following extract from my 

 " British and Garden Botany," p. 23G, under the 

 head of the Ice-plant Family. " Some of the species 

 have hygrometric capsules. Those of the Mesem- 

 hryanthemnm Tripolium (often miscalled the Rose 

 of Jericho, and still more foolishly, the ' Pesurrec- 

 tion-flower ') are imported from the Cape of Good 

 Hope as curiosities. "When dry, they resemble a 

 round grey button about an inch in diameter ; but 

 on being dipped in water, they expand into a beau- 

 tiful stai', the rays consisting of the carpels, which 

 then discharge their small black seeds. As the 

 moisture evaporates, the button form is resumed." 

 The Anastatica is a plant, consisting of dried and 

 incurved branches, as well figured in Lindley's 

 " Vegetable Kingdom," cited by you, p. 353. It has 

 very little resemblance to a flower, — none at all 

 when compared with the beautiful similitude found 

 in the capsule above spoken of, and is, relatively, 

 very rare. A third plant, sometimes miscalled the 

 Pose of Jericho, is the Lycopmlium incolvens, a native 

 of Mexico and the adjoining regions. It is of won- 

 derful beauty, and far eclipses the Anastatica. I 

 possess the specimens from which the description 

 in the work I have already cited, was drawn up. 

 {Vide Lycopodium family, p. 808.) — Leo Grindon. 



The Blower-Market.— There are pretty tilings 

 everywhere in this world, if we will only take the 

 trouble to look for them. But of all pretty things 

 it is universally allowed that none are prettier than 

 flowers. It would seem that French people — par- 

 ticularly women — were sent upon this planet for the 

 purpose of saying, "Tiens! Que e'est joli!" The 

 utterance of these words gives an opportunity for 

 raising the eyebrows and the hands, and for dilating 

 the eyes, and otherwise showing that you are a 

 person of refinement, of feeling, perception, and 

 taste. The words " Tiens ! Que e'est joli ! " arc 

 always applicable to flowers ; therefore, the flower- 

 markets of Paris are favourite spots, and much 

 frequented by ladies, ces petites dames, and those 

 wonderful Parisiennes whose rolling black eyes give 

 you the notion that they— the eyes — were originally 

 intended for handsomer faces. The flower-market 

 by the side of the Madeleine is a pleasant lounge 

 — a sort of floral camp, where you walk beneath 

 canvas, aud criticise bouquets, ankles, breakfasts, 

 and mutual acquaintances. The odd thing is that 

 the place appears to be a promenade, and not a 

 market. People walk up and down and cry, " Tiens ! 

 Que e'est joli ! " but they don't buy. The very fat, 

 white-capped women who vend the lilies, roses, 

 fuchsias, and all the tender tribes of the garden, look 

 matronly, but they don't sell, at least I never saw 

 them or heard them, and I never knew any fellow 



