HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



89 



At the anniversary meeting of the Geological 

 Society, the Wollaston Gold Medal was presented to 

 Professor A. Gaudry, the eminent French geologist ; 

 the Murchison Gold Medal to Dr. Henry Woodward, 

 F.R.S., for his valuable researches in fossil Crustacea ; 

 and the Lyell Gold Medal to Dr. Joseph Leidy, the 

 celebrated American palaeontologist. 



In the recent number of the "Canadian Ento- 

 mologist," there appears one of Mr. W. H. Edward's 

 suggestive and exhaustive papers, on the "History 

 of the Preparatory Stages of Colias Eiirydice, with 

 remarks upon the genus Meganostoma." He thinks 

 the latter should be dropped from circulation. 



Mr. T. M. Reade has contributed a further paper 

 to the Geological Society on " Rock fragments from 

 the South of Scotland imbedded in the low-level 

 boulder-clay of Lancashire." He thinks they confirm 

 the view that all stones in the drift of North-Western 

 England are derived from the basins of the Irish Sea 

 and of rivers draining into it, except some stray 

 fragments that may have come from the Highlands 

 of Scotland. 



In his " Science Notes" for March, contributed to 

 "The Gentleman's Magazine," Mr. Mathieu Wil- 

 liams shows that after burning the stems of the 

 Equisetum, and examining the ash, there will be 

 found the siliceous scales, which interlock by means 

 of teeth to form the cuticle, and are very pretty 

 microscopic objects. He recommends the dried 

 stem of the Equisetum for rubbing down irregu- 

 larities of the teeth. 



The "Westbury House" School Ephemeris, for 

 January, contains a list of the flowering plants of 

 Worthing and the neighbourhood, a list of plants 

 noticed in flower during January, 1884, and a full 

 catalogue of species and localities of the pulmo- 

 niferous mollusca of Worthing. 



The Nottingham Naturalists' Society held their 

 soiree and exhibition on the 6th of March. There 

 was a capital collection of geological, mineralogical, 

 and natural history specimens shown. A novel 

 feature was the " Naturalists' Dinner Table," where 

 visitors could taste rat pie, French snails, stewed 

 squirrel, &c. 



In the recent number of " Appalachia," we have 

 the " Flora of Mount Lafayette and Franccnia 

 Valley," by Professor Bailey. 



The editors of the "Botanical Gazette" have 

 brought out a new edition of the Catalogue of 

 Phaenogamous and Cryptogamic Plants of Indiana, 

 which will be useful to collectors. 



It is stated that if the Deutzia, scabra, a very orna- 

 mental shrub, is cultivated near grape-vines, rose- 

 bugs and other noxious insects prefer the Deutzia 

 flowers, so that the vines are protected. 



Along with the above we have received a check 

 list of the Ferns of North America, intended for 

 Herbaria. 



Mr. a. J. DoHERTY has kindly sent us two slides, 

 one showing the annular rings (stained) in section of 

 lime ; and the other a cross-section of the ovary of 

 Rhododendron ponticmn. Both are exquisitely neat, 

 tasteful, and beautiful objects. 



The Trilliitm erecticm, a plant often found in 

 shrubberies, is pointed out as affording a splendid 

 opportunity for studying raphides. A portion of the 

 petal should be placed betwixt two glass slips, and 

 pressed until it is almost transparent ; then, upon 

 examining it under a low power, a beautiful series 

 of needle-like crystals are revealed. 



MICROSCOPY. 



To Harden Animal Tissues. — After the animal 

 has been injected, I generally place it at once in 

 equal parts of alcohol and water, and allow it to 

 remain in it for some hours, so that the gelatine may 

 become solid. If a carmine mass has been used, alcohol 

 and water is the only fluid suitable for hardening, 

 and a few drops of acetic acid should be added to 

 prevent the carmine becoming diffused when in 

 contact with the tissues. If Prussian blue has been 

 injected, either alcohol, Miiller's fluid, or picric acid 

 may be used. Some recommend a \ per cent, 

 solution of osmic acid.— F. A. L., Manchester. 



Greenwich Microscopical Society.— At the 

 annual meeting held last month, Mr. T. W. Dannatt, 

 of No. 21 The Circus, Greenwich, was unanimously 

 elected hon. sec. of this Society, in place of Mr. G. D. 

 Colsell, resigned. 



Cutting Sections in Ribbons.—" The Ameri- 

 can Monthly Journal of Microscopy " says : The pro- 

 cess of cutting sections in ribbons, recently intro- 

 duced, is much employed in the laboratory of the John 

 Hopkins University. The object of the process is to 

 enable the observer to cut a series of extremely thin 

 sections of any soft preparation, such as an embryo 

 for example, and to mount the sections in a series in 

 the order of succession, retaining all the parts of the 

 specimen in their proper position. The value of the 

 process needs no further explanation. It is carried out 

 perfectly, and in an exceedingly simple manner. 

 The specimen is first properly prepared, and im- 

 bedded in paraffin. The paraffin is then placed in 

 the section cutter, which is made on the principle of 

 the Rivet microtome, although much longer than the 

 usual form of the latter instrument, and somewhat 

 modified in the details of construction. Sections are 

 then rapidly cut, by moving the knife forward and 

 backward within proper limits, and the successive 



