HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



SJj 



13 



A New Lamp for Microscopic 

 Mounting. — In mounting balsam 

 slides, I find that a small benzoline 

 lamp with opaque white glass answers 

 admirably in the place of the spirit 

 lamp and brass plate advocated by so 

 many writers on microscopic mount- 

 ing. The slide may be laid flat across 

 the lamp-glass, and the heat can be 

 regulated to any degree by means of 

 the rackwork. The light which this 

 lamp gives enables the worker to 

 detect any moderate-sized air-bubbles, 

 while the opaque lamp-glass prevents 

 the light dazzling his eyes. The cost 

 of this lamp is only is. 6d., and it may 

 be bought of almost any oilman. — Geo. 

 Clinch, West Wickham, Kent. 



Section Cutting. — Messrs. J. & 

 A. Churchill have just published a 

 neat little manual by Dr. Sylvester 

 Marsh, entitled "Section Cutting: a 

 Practical Guide to the Preparation 

 and Mounting of Sections for the 

 Microscope." Special prominence is 

 given to the subject of animal sections. 

 It is a most useful little book, and 

 cheap, the price being, we believe, 

 half-a-crown. 



The Quekett Microscopical 

 Club.— No. 38 of the "Journal" of 

 this popular and useful club has just 

 been published, containing papers as 

 follows : — " On an Apparatus for Use 

 with Powell's Small Bull's-eye Illu- 

 minator," by Geo. Williams; "On 

 the Influence of Diffraction in Micro- 

 scopic Vision," by F. Crisp, LL.B. ; 

 and the address of the late president 

 (Henry Lee, F.L.S.). Prof. Huxley 

 has been elected president for the 

 ensuing year. 



Fig. 25. — Upper Carboniferous (Coal-Measure) Fossils. 



of Ireland," Plate IV. 



From Kinahan's " Geology 



Microscopy in Natal. — I have much pleasure 

 in informing you that we have, in our little colony, 

 just founded a microscopical society, which bids fair 

 to be very successful. It is called the " Natal Micro- 

 scopical Society," and is under the presidency of 

 Julius Schulz, M.D.— Stephen C. Adams, Hon. Sec. 



Sections of Quartz. — Would Mr. J. Clifton 

 Ward kindly describe how he obtains and prepares 

 for the microscope the "slices" of quartz he speaks 

 of in his interesting articles in Science-Gossip ? — 

 R. S. P. 



Diatoms in Coal.— In reply to F. W. Kitton's 

 communication, I only write to say that, when I saw 

 diatoms in coal first mentioned, I tried the ashes of 

 the coal we were then burning, and found abundance 



of them of several different kinds, and from several 

 different specimens of ashes, but I do not think they 

 will be found in all kinds of coal. — Edtvard Thomas 

 Scott. 



ZOOLOGY. 



Science in the Provinces. — The number of 

 "Proceedings," "Transactions," &c, which reach 

 us, setting forth the work done in the scientific centres 

 which now exist in almost every town in Great 

 Britain, is increasingly great. One of the best 

 managed of these provincial societies is the West 

 Cumberland Association for the Advancement of 

 Literature and Science, which is formed by the union 



