Jan. 1, 1S67.J 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



19 



MICROSCOPY. 



Stephanot-s, &c. — Referring to your figure iu 

 December No., it may be interesting to some of 

 your correspondents to learn that the other species 

 of Stephanops, viz., S. muticus, was obtained in toler- 

 able abundance by me on Hampstead Heath on the 

 12th of last November. At times their movements 

 were very rapid, but they would often remain so 

 motionless for minutes together that they might 

 have been taken for dead, except for a Blight ciliary 

 motion which a one-fifth objective rendered visible. 

 They were in company with the' beautiful Conochilus 

 vol vox, which objects to confinement so strongly 

 that it commits suicide by breaking itself up, if the 

 " durance vile " be long continued. The glass slides 

 having a deep depression in them keep it alive 

 longest. I also obtained at the same time a re- 

 markably abundant gathering of the more common 

 desmids and Vohox globator. The filamentous 

 desmid {Desmidium) may be obtained on Wands- 

 worth Common in fine condition.— S. J. Mclntire. 



Melicerta, Eloscitles, &c— It maybe interest- 

 ing to microscopists in search of Infusoria, &c., at 

 this time of year, to know that I found, on the 14th 

 of November, in a pond behind the temporary 

 church Hampstead Fields, Belsize Lane, the fol- 

 lowing : Floscularia in abundance, Melicerta, Hydra 

 viridis, Epislylis, Vaginacola, and many bunches of 

 large Vorticella>, &c. This, so late in the year, is 

 interesting, and I would advise any one being in 

 that neighbourhood to visit this prolific pond. — 

 67. H. F. 



Tarnish, as an Object.— A drop of the trans- 

 parent varnish used by photographers for varnishing 

 collodion pictures, forms an interesting microscopic 

 object. The drop should be placed upon a cold 

 glass slide, and viewed with a power of about 200 

 diameters. As the spirit evaporates the varnish is 

 broken up into small globules, which settle on the 

 glass, and are surrounded with exceedingly minute 

 globules, exhibiting very rapid motions, in conse- 

 quence of the currents produced by evaporation. 

 The slide should be slightly inclined at first, in order 

 to spread the varnish, and then viewed upon a 

 horizontal stage.—/. S. Tute. 



Eish Scales.— These are mounted "dry," and iu 

 balsam. If for use with ordinary transmitted light, 

 the first method is preferable, as the balsam renders 

 them (generally speaking) too translucent. If, 

 however, they are required for the polariscope, they 

 must be mounted in the latter way. Glycerine 

 might give good results for viewing them by trans- 

 mitted light, but I have no experience of this. 



To mount dry.— Eirst clean the scales by washing 

 them in a weak solution of caustic potash, then 



thoroughly free them from all traces of the alkali, 

 by repeated washings in clear water. They may 

 then be placed flat between two glass slides, 

 held together by clips at either end, and suffered 

 to dry, but witlioid heat, or they will curl up upon 

 the glass being removed. When thoroughly dry, 

 take them out and mount at once, to prevent any 

 chance of their curling up again. 



To mount in Balsam. — Proceed as before, but 

 wheu dry, soak for a few hours in spirits of turpen- 

 tine, and then mount as usual, leaving a clip upon 

 the thin glass cover until the balsam has set hard. 

 Chloroform and balsam answer well for these 

 objects. 



Wheat Eels [Vibrio Tritici).— Several years ago 

 a friend of mine gave me a slide containing a large 

 quantity[of these eels; he also gave me some account 

 of their habits and character, since which I have 

 desired to obtain specimens for my own examination ; 

 and lately, while in our corn market, I incidentally 

 looked into a sack of wheat and saw amongst the 

 perfect grains some black, dried-looking seed of 

 some kind, which, on closer inspection, proved to be 

 blighted grains of wheat, and on cutting open one 

 and placing the contents in water found it was what 

 I had been so long looking for. I am not intending 

 to give a description of them. I have by me about 

 100 grains containing these little creatures, w r hich 

 are interesting microscopic objects, and I shall be 

 glad to supply amateurs with two or three grains, if 

 they will send a stamped addressed envelope. The 

 grains will require to be soaked two clays in water, 

 then taken out, cut open, and the contents placed in 

 a watch glass in water. In two or three hours after 

 while in water they will display considerable anima- 

 tion by twisting about; they then, or before if 

 desirable, may be taken out in sufficient numbers, 

 placed on a slide, and mounted in Dean's gelatine. 

 When this is sufficiently cooled, say from four to 

 six hours, wash off with cold water the gelatine ex- 

 tending beyond the edges of the glass cover, wipe it 

 dry with a cloth, and use the liquid varnish brush so 

 as to make the gelatine air-tight, which will soon 

 dry on, cover this with black asphalt, you will then 

 have a very neat nice slide — take care that the 

 asphalt is quite dry before you put it away ; place 

 a label on the slide and the whole business is ac- 

 complished.—/. /. Fox, Devizes. 



Mounting Whalebone.— Mr. E. Davies recom- 

 mends the steeping of whalebone for twenty-four 

 hours in Liq. Potass.," to show the structure. I 

 have repeatedly tried his plan without success. 

 The result I have obtained each time has been the 

 swelling of the section and giving it the appearance 

 of gelatine and the destruction of its polarizing pro- 

 perties. Several of my friends have tried the plan 

 with the same result. — 67. M. I. 



