852 ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



FOUNTAIN OF BLOOD IX HONDURAS. 



In the Annual of Scientific Discovery for 1855, a description derived from 

 Sillimari's Journal of the so-called " Fountain of Blood," in Honduras, was 

 given, without any explanation of the observed phenomena.* In the Jour- 

 nal for March, 1855, a letter is published from Mr. E. D. North, which solves 

 the mystery of the appearances observed. Mr. North says: "The brown 

 liquid which flows from the cavern, according to my examinations, must be 

 a solution of the dung of bats. An examination of the liquid under the micro- 

 scope, even when excessively diluted with water, exhibits various portions 

 of the harder and less destructible parts of insects, together with perhaps 

 occasional fragments of small crustaceans. Since the notice of the fountain 

 mentions that the cavern is frequented by ' vast numbers of large bats (vain- 

 pyres),' that 'the liquid has the color, smell, and taste of blood,' (of course 

 we may make large allowance for exaggeration), and that 'dogs eat it eagerly,' 

 we may conclude that the vampyres gorge themselves to such an extent 

 that, as is common with all animals over-fed, much of their food passes with- 

 out being digested. As to the statement that the ' blood' is found ' in a state 

 of coagulation,' a physiologist will withhold his belief until a careful examin- 

 ation by one who knows what the coagulation of blood really is. Evapora- 

 tion and settling will reduce a solution of any dung to a semi-solid mass." 

 Sillimari's Journal. 



NEW METHOD OF PRESERVING ENTOMOLOGICAL SPECIMENS. 



Dr. Dummer, of Jersey City, has devised a method of preserving entomologi- 

 cal specimens by inclosing them in small glass tubes, inclosed and sealed by 

 means of the blow-pipe. This renders the tube air-tight, and forms a recep- 

 tacle well adapted for preserving insects without spirits, or drying, as in the 

 ordinary way. 



Mr. "W. S. Van Duzee, of Buffalo, N. Y., also proposes, in Sillimari's Journal, 

 the following method for the arrangement and preservation of a cabinet of 

 insects. He proposes to take glass-stoppered jars with a large mouth, attach 

 to the under side of the stopper a rectangular strip of cork or soft board 

 (whitened with paper or otherwise) as broad as the stopper and as long as the 

 jar will hold ; then arrange the insects on one side of this upright piece. The 

 insects thus arranged would show finely in a collection could be always on 

 the shelves for exhibition would be perfectly secure from insects, even with- 

 'out camphor, though it may still be used and the jars could be easily opened 

 and insects taken out for special examination. Moreover, he suggests that 

 the insects may be numbered on the opposite side of the board, and the names 

 of the species be given. 



New Method of Preserving Anatomical Specimens. At a late meeting of the 

 Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, Dr. John H. Britten stated that he had suc- 

 ceeded, after a series of experiments, in preserving a dissected leg. retaining 

 * See Annual of Scientific Discovery for 1S55, p. 362. 



