Ci 



HARDWICKE'S SC I E N C E -G O S SIP. 



become acclimatized to Irish ways, is shown by the 

 fact that liis food for some time back had consisted 

 of whisky ftinch and live eels. The report some- 

 what naively adds that "the spirit was taken with 

 avidity." 



MICROSCOPY. 



MoTTXTixG ExTiiAORDiNARY. — As an illustration 

 of what may be done in the way of mounting, we 

 beg to notice a slide which has been sent to us by 

 Mr. H. Dalton, of Dieppe, intended for a thi'ee-inch 

 objective, ou which is arranged a vase of liowers, of 

 various species, in the most elegant and artistic 

 manner. The flowers are formed of naturally 

 coloured scales of butterflies' wings, and some 

 hundreds have been curiously utilized for this pur- 

 pose. 



Crystals in Skin of Pbawn.— On the subject 

 of crystals in the skin of the Prawn, I do not think 

 that tlie observation of Mr. Kyngdon, that " in a 

 cast skin no crystals seem to be ever found," is 

 quite correct, as in my Micro-cabinet are two home- 

 mounted slides of prawn's skin, both, I feel certain, 

 from those shed in the Aquarium, and one is labelled 

 " Exuvia of Prawn." Either of them shows nume- 

 rous crystals when examined by polarized light. — 

 George Gityon. 



AspnALTUM AND EuBBEK. Varnish.— -The diffi- 

 culty I have experienced in making this varnish 

 with mineral naphtha (as per the receipt given in 

 Davis's book) has led me to try some other solvent. 

 Eor some time I have been using " rectified spirits 

 of tar" in lieu of alcohol, in all cases where the 

 colour (sherry) is not objectionable, and on placing 

 a piece of rubber in a small quantity of that spirit, 

 I dissolved it in six hours, and the asphaltum in 

 about the same time. "Spirits of tar" can be 

 purchasedat the oil and colour shops. I do notknow 

 the retail price, but 1 pay 45s. per cwt. for it whole- 

 sale. To test its purity, shake well in a bottle with 

 an equal quantity of water, and note if separation 

 takes place in a few seconds.— 77/ owr/.? Lisle. 



Tjie Optic Nerve, &c.— By a microscopic 

 examination of the retina and optic nerve and tiie 

 brain, M. Bauer found them to consist of globules 

 of 25Wth to ToVutli of an inch diameter, united by 

 a transparent viscid and coagulable gelatinous fluid. 

 — E. Lovett. 



Mounting. — Having found considerable difllculty 

 n keeping the objects in the right position when 

 pressing down the cover on the balsam, it being so 

 apt to slip out at one side, I tried fixing it first 

 with gum-tragacanlh, and I find it answer very 

 well : the balsam seems to dissolve the gum, and 

 removes all tracesof itfrom the object. Perhapstliis 



may be a valuable hiut to young amateurs like my- 

 self; but I should like to know from some one 

 experienced in mounting, if the minute quantity of 

 gum will at all injure the specimen or produce 

 fungoid growth on the object after a lapse of time. — 

 R. B., Jim. 



Prehensile Organs of Moth.— I inclose you 

 a sketch of a microscopic slide, supposed to be the 

 preliensile organs of a male moth, and shall be much 







t V V 



t-«l ■• 





^. ' / ., ,1 



Fie-- 54. Prehensile Organs of a Moth, x 40. 



Fi^. 55. Pygidium ('; of ditto, x 240. 



obliged if any one of your readers can recognize and 

 name it. I prepared the object about three years 

 ago, and do not recollect upon what insect I was 

 operating. — it. H. N. B. 



BOTANY. 



Botanical Extracts. — The following extracts 

 from Childrey's "Britannia Baconica" (1660) maybe 

 of interest. In Cornwall " grows greater store of 

 samphire and sea-holly (whose roots, commonly 

 called Eriugo-roots, are a great restaurative and 

 corroborative, being preserved in syrup) then in any 

 other part of England. Some of the gauUy grounds 

 do also yield plenty of Ilosa Solis (more properly 

 called Ros Solis, a plant that grows indeed on 

 boggy and quagmiry grounds). Upon the sea-cliffs 

 in Cornwall grow wilde Hysope, Sage, Pela-mountain, 



