HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSS/F. 



89 



M. Fremy has been able to manufacture rubies 

 ■artificially, and has produced numerous rhombo- 

 hedric crystals identical with those found in nature. 

 The rubies are produced by calcining a mixture of 

 aluminium, red lead and potassium bichromate for 

 several hours in an earthenware crucible. 



The celebration of the Jubilee of the Chemical 

 Society was held on Tuesday, February 24th. 

 There was a conversazione in the evening held at the 

 Goldsmiths' Hall, at which eight hundred were 

 present. 



A PUBLIC meeting was held at the Shire Hall, 

 Chelmsford, on Wednesday evening, the i8th March, 

 to further the scheme of the Essex Field Club and 

 Chelmsford Museum for the establishment of a local 

 museum, laboratory, and library in the county town. 

 The occasion was one of great interest. Professor 

 Plower and other well-known scientists took part in 

 the proceedings. 



Colonel Swinhoe, F.L.S.,gavea capitallantern 

 lecture before the members of the Croydon Micro- 

 scopical and Natural History Club, on March iSth, 

 on the interesting subject of " Mimicry in Nature." 



Dr. J. E. Taylor, Editor of Science-Gossip, 

 concluded, on March 19th, a course of twelve lectures 

 (each of which was extensively reported) in connec- 

 tion with the Ipswich Museum, on " The Ingenuity, 

 Sagacity, and Morality of Plants." 



MICROSCOPY. 



The Royal Microscopical Society. —The 

 February number of the journal of the above society 

 contains, in addition to the well digested and use- 

 fully arranged "Summary of Current Researches," 

 abstracts of the proceedings of the meetings, and the 

 following papers : — " Some Observations on the 

 Various Forms of Human Spermatozoa," by Dr. 

 R. L. Maddox ; and the address of the president 

 (Dr. C. T. Hudson), "On Some Doubtful Points in 

 the Natural History of the Rotifera." 



"Journal of Microscopy and Nat. Science." 

 — The March number contains the following papers, 

 in addition to notes and excerpts : — "British Earth- 

 worms," by the Rev. H. Friend ; " Prehistoric Man 

 in Europe," by Mrs. Bodington ; "The Evolution 

 of Sex," by Dr. J. A. Smith, &c. 



The Microscopical Society of Calcutta.— 

 The Third Annual Report of this flourishing society 

 for 1890 has been published. During the year the 

 following papers were read :— By J. Wood-Mason 

 (President), "On a Secondary Sexual Organ in 

 the Males of certain Prawns of the genus Peneus," 

 and "On the Changes of Skin, and on the so-called 

 Pupa-Stage, of the Praying-Mantis {Tenodera aridi- 



folia, var.) ;" by Dr. W.J. Simpson, "A Note on 

 the Bacillus of Leprosy, with specimens ;" by Dr. J. 

 Stevenson, "The Microscope Stand, with some 

 remarks on the Choice of a Microscope ;" by Mr. A. 

 Thomson, " On the Optical Principles of the Micro- 

 scope ;" by Mr. W. J. Lynch, "On a few Hints on 

 the Home Construction of Appliances for the Micro- 

 scope, with Exhibits ;" by Mr. W. J. Simmons, 

 three Resumes ; by Baboo Bhupendrasri Ghosha, 

 one Resume ; and by Mr. W. M. Osmond, " Bromide 

 Enlargements of Photo-micrographs," and a Silver 

 Print from an Enlarged Negative. 



Mounting Corallines. — I have been trying to 

 mount corallines for the microscope with the animals 

 expanded out of their cells, I read in "Carpenter" 

 that osmic acid would cause the animals to expand 

 their tentacles so that they could be mounted. I 

 have tried that acid, but with no result. Can any of 

 the readers give me any help how to get the animals 

 to expand their tentacles and to kill them at the 

 same time, so as to be fit for mounting? — W. A. 

 Toiunei: 



Mounting Cochineal Insects. — To ring, try 

 Hollis' glue. I have found this good in almost every 

 case, and always use it to ring, for I do not like white 

 zinc, &c., except as a finish ; though I never even care 

 for that, for the plain Hollis is all ready, and can be 

 used for immersion objectives. — V, A. Latham. 



Micro-Marine Zoology at Home. — Those 

 who desire a delightful evening at home with the 

 microscope should procure one of the jars of living 

 marine objects sent out every fortnight by Mr. J. 

 Sinel, of Jersey. The latest to hand contained the 

 following specimens : — Lucernaria aia-iciila (in repro- 

 duction) ; o\z.oi IiiocJms striatus\\\'0[\.exa!oryo%; Alcyo- 

 iiidmtn papillosum, Mcmbraiiipora pilosa ; on the red 

 weed, one or two kinds of Campanularia and some 

 small Polyzoa ; Ci'isia dcnticidata, Spirorbis naiitiloidcs, 

 Syllis artnirallis ; one or two other micro-annelids ; 

 some young Rissoas ; Cystophium Dari^'inii, and one 

 or two other micro-amphipods ; Cytkere reniformis and 

 one or two other kinds of Entomostraca ; some small 

 Planarire ; various parasitic Infusorians, Diatoms, &c., 

 &c., on the weed. 



ZOOLOGY. 



Physa Acuta in Scotland. — About July, 1887, 

 I found this shell in abundance in Banner Mill 

 Ponds, Aberdeen, but never thought of recording 

 the same in my journal. But, since I came to 

 London, Mr. Jenkins, M.C.S., Deptford, on one 

 occasion when visiting me saw them, and asked me 

 if I had ever mentioned them, as this was a new 

 locality. I said I never had. He took a few notes 

 and sent to "Conch. Journ." (see vol. vi., No. 8, 



