HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP, 



139 



"for future experiments an approximate idea of the 

 .proper moment when the death-blow is to be given. 

 The latter consists in pouring over the weakened, 

 but still expanded animals, a hot or cold saturated 

 solution of corrosive sublimate. To make its action 

 still more effective it is advisable to withdraw 

 beforehand as much of the water in the watchglass as 

 possible, leaving just enough to keep the hydrozoa 

 fully expanded. This method of fixing all sorts of 

 ^mall fish or saltwater inhabitants needs a little 

 practice, but it teaches a great deal in an experi- 

 mental way, and secures more truly satisfactory 

 Jesuits than many of the other methods recom- 

 mended, some of which I shall mention at some 

 future time. After the material has been fixed by 

 'the described chloroform-sublimate method, it should 

 'be mounted in a cell {not a metal cell) with corrosive 

 sublimate. Glycerine is not suitable at all, and 

 balsam only if stains, such as Dr. Beale's carmine 

 and iodine green (used successively to produce a 

 •double stain) have been used. For balsam-mounts 

 the animals must be gradually dessicated in alcohol, 

 placed or dropped with a pipette upon oil of cloves, 

 <never use turpentine for such objects) and when they 

 have completely sunk mount them in balsam. I 

 shall not return to the study and cultivation of 

 rotifers, hydrozoa, etc., as it would lead too far, and 

 I shall refer to this subject at a future opportunity. — 

 C. O. Sonntagt Glasgow. 



New Slides.— Mr. Fred. Knock's slides are 

 always welcome. They are not only well mounted, 

 and the objects interesting, but they deal with some 

 new phase of entomological discovery or research, 

 so that both specialists and amateur naturalists can 

 hardly do without them in their cabinets. The latest 

 things Mr. Enock has sent out are connected with a 

 subject to which he has devoted much special 

 research — the natural history of insect-egg parasites. 

 One preparation contains three eggs of Fsocus, each 

 containing a tiny parasitic fly {Alaptus mini7iius) 

 ready to emerge. The parent parasite had laid the 

 egg in each of the affected eggs, and the young larva 

 had there found sufficient nutriment to allow its 

 ^oing through all its transformations there. Another 

 preparation contains a specimen of Alaptus minimus 

 which Mr. Enock bred from the egg. The exquisite 

 beauty of these specimens must be seen to be 

 appreciated. From Mr. E. Hinton we have also 

 received two highly interesting and beautifully 

 mounted .marine objects for microscopical examina- 

 tion and study. One is a fine specimen of the sea-pen 

 or "cock's comb" {Pmnatula phosphorcus), with all 

 the tentacles fully extended and surrounded and 

 strengthened by bundles of acicular spiculae. When 

 seen on a dark ground this is a most exquisite 

 specimen. Mr. Hinton's other preparation is a 

 beautifully mounted palate of a South Australian 

 mollusc {Fkasianella Ausira/is). 



ZOOLOGY. 



NOTHOLCA AcuMlN.'i.TA.— On March 27th, I 

 found a specimen of this rare Rotiferon in water 

 taken from a clear ditch on Hayton Common, near 

 Retford. The concave shape, as it turned on its 

 side, was very marked. I was only able to find one 

 specimen, although I took numerous dips. The 

 only habitat given in Dr. Hudson's book is "Orna- 

 mental Waters near London." — J?. Clark. 



SoLWAY Fishery. — Mr. J. J. Armistead in his 

 circular (season 1S90-91), mentions the following 

 interesting "items" : — "A black-headed gull {Larits 

 ridibundus, settled on one of the ponds, when a large 

 trout 'went for him,' probably taking him for a fly, 

 and broke his leg. The bird was afterwards found 

 dead." " The trout in the ponds have often been 

 seen to rise at swallows as the birds skimmed over 

 the surface, but the fish is a bad flying shot and has 

 never been seen to hit ane." " A large dog jumped 

 into one of the ponds and had a hot time of it 

 amongst the fish." Mr. Armistead has forwarded a 

 consignment of ova to Natal, during the past season, 

 which is reported as arriving there in splendid con- 

 dition. He is now cultivating aquatic plants, shell- 

 fish (mollusca), and crustaceans ; especially fresh- 

 water shrimp, for stocking fish-ponds." His circular 

 says : "It is now a well-ascertained fact that the 

 famous Gillaroo, and some other very fine breeds or 

 varieties of trout, owe their reputation to the food on 

 which they live ; and that food has been ascertained 

 to be shell-fish. I have met with instances in which 

 trout supplied from this fishery have grown with 

 great rapidity, and in three years, or less, have 

 attained a weight of about four pounds, and these, 

 on dissection, have been found to be gorged with 

 shell fish." I have myself taken trout of which the 

 crop has been found to be full of the common black 

 water snail, many of the shells being crushed into 

 fragments ; but I do not know if this crushing has 

 been done with the mouth of the fish or after the 

 arrival of the shells in the crop.— Z^w. Winder, 

 A.M.I.C.E. 



A Partly Scalarid Specimen of Helix 

 AsPERSA FROM WEST KENT. — In a batch of shells 

 sent to me for naming by Mr. J. R. Longhurst, from 

 Dodington in Kent, I find an interesting Subscala- 

 riform monstrosity of Helix aspersa. The word sub- 

 scalariform fully explains the character of the shell 

 and any further description seems hardly necessar)\ 

 Of course it is not so completely scalarid as the well- 

 known specimen in the: Natural-History Museum, but 

 it is interesting as showing a " half-way house," 

 between the contour of that shell and the contour of 

 the type. The shell is bodily small ; its height is 

 25 mill. ; and its breadth 15 mill.— y. IV. Williams. 



