HARDVVICKE'S SCIEN C E-GOSSiP. 



207 



secretary, and officers of the club, were unanimously 

 carried, and the president, amidst much cheering, 

 presented a testimonial, consisting of a valuable 

 diamond ring, to Mr. T. C. White, on his retire- 

 ment from the position of hon. secretary, which he 

 had so ably occupied during the past four years. 

 The result of the ballot for the election of officers 

 for the ensuing year was as follows : — President, 

 Dr. R. Braithwaite; vice-presidents, Messrs. T. W. 

 Burr, B. T. Lowne, Dr. Matthews, and C. T. 

 White; to fill vacancies on committee, Messrs. By- 

 water, Crisp, Hailes, Hind, Waller, and White ; 

 treasurer, Mr. Hardwicke ; hon. secretary, Mr. J. 

 E. Ingpen; hon. secretary for foreign correspon- 

 dence, Mr. M. C. Cooke ; assistant secretary, Mr. 

 E. Marks. 



Cktstals of the Willow. — In answer to 

 " C. E. B.," Salicine is obtained, according to 

 Thompson's "Dictionary of Chemistry," in the 

 following manner; viz. by boiling willow bark 

 with water, precipitating the decoction by 

 acetate of lead, diffusing the precipitate after 

 washing through water, and decomposing it by a 

 current of sulphohydric gas, filtering, evaporating, 

 and crystallizing out tlie salicine. As the above is 

 a process which none but a chemist will be likely 

 to carry out with any degree of success, and as sali- 

 cine is a common article of commerce, your corre- 

 spondent had better purchase a few pennywoitlis 

 of any druggist : he will find it is soluble in cold, 

 but more soluble in hot water. It is soluble also in 

 alcohol. — Alfred Allen, Felstead. 



Microscopical Science. — The Monthly Micro- 

 scopical Journal for August opens with a capital 

 paper by Mr. W. H. Dallinger and Dr. Drysdale, 

 entitled "Researches on the Life History of a 

 Cercomonad : a lesson in Biogenesis,"— in which 

 they describe the life history of a new Cercomonad, 

 which is thus summarized: — "When mature, it 

 multiplies by fission for a perio'd extending over 

 from two to eight days. It then becomes peculiarly 

 amoeboid ; two individuals coalesce, slowly increase 

 in size, and become a tightly distended cyst. The 

 cyst bursts, and incalculable hosts of immeasurably 

 small sporules are poured out, as if in a viscid fluid, 

 and densely packed; these are scattered, slowly 

 enlarge, acquire flagella, become active, attain 

 rapidly the parent form, and once more increase by 

 fission." They show also that the granules can 

 withstand a temperature much higher than can the 

 mature forms. Dr. Dawson remarks on Mr. Car- 

 ruthers' views of Protataxites, the latter author 

 having described it as a gigantic seaweed, called 

 by him Nematophjcv.s. Dr. Dawson gives further 

 reasons for maintaining his original opinion that it 

 is phsenogamous. — Prof. Rupert Jones continues 

 his papers on ancient water-fleas of the Ostracodous 

 and Phyllopodous tribes {Bivalve Fntomostraca). 



The Wenham-Toller controversy is maintained by 

 Mr. Jabez Hogg and others, and there are abstracts 

 of several papers, with notices of vol. iii. of 

 Strieker's Histological Manual and Dr. Erey's cele- 

 brated work on the Microscope. 



Crystals of Willow. — " C. E. B." may obtain 

 crystals of salicine as follows : — Cut dry or fresh 

 willow bark into small pieces, and boil in water. 

 Concentrate the decoction, and whilst boiling add 

 litharge until the liquid appears colourless. Re- 

 move the lead held in solution, first by sulphuric 

 acid, and afterwards by sulphuret of barium. 

 When the solution is freed from the lead, evaporate 

 it ; purify by repeated solution and evaporation. 

 A second and easier plan would be for " C. E. B." 

 to purchase a small quantity ready prepared. It is 

 kept by most chemists, or it could easily be obtained 

 in London. Salicine does not (at least so far as I 

 know) occur naturally in willow bark, as " C. E. B." 

 seems to imagine. — A'. 



ZOOLOGY. 



"EeR^ NATim^ OF THE BRITISH IsLES."— 



This is the title of a capital brochure published by 

 Messrs. William Blackwood & Sons. The author, 

 Mr. John Colquhouu, is well known as a writer on 

 sporting matters, and therefore his remarks are 

 worth the attention of naturalists, as consisting 

 chiefly of personal observations and experiences. 

 The pamphlet is well written, and printed in clear, 

 bold type, so that it reads smoothly and agreeably. 

 Many of the observations are original, and throw 

 light on contested questions in natural history. 



"Tee British Bee Journal" is the title of a 

 new serial which has recently made its appearance, 

 under the conductorship of Mr. C. Nash Abbott- 

 It is a capitally edited and well printed journal, and 

 we cordially recommend it to all bee-keepers. 



KORFOLK AND NORWICH NaTURALISTS' SoCIETY. 



— The neat annual volume of the Transactions of this 

 Society has just appeared, and, as usual, shows that 

 the members are engaged in good sound work. 

 Although the society has only been in existence a 

 few years, the ardour with which the members have 

 worked the natural history of their county has 

 placed it in the front rank of provincial societies. 

 The present volume comprehends the address by 

 the president. Dr. Beverley ; a capital paper on the 

 " Ornithology of Spain " (somewhat out of place in 

 local transactions), by Mr. Howard Saunders, 

 P.Z.S. ; a short paper on the "Camberwell 

 Beauty," by the well-known entomologist Mr. C. 

 G. Barrett ; and an elaborate article by Mr. Henry 

 Stevenson, E.L.S., the author of the "Birds of 

 Norfolk," on the "Wild Birds' Protection Act, of 

 187-2." There is also a first-rate paper by Mr. 



