HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



in 



Hum dioicion. Bird- cherry grew in the hedges. In 

 one place was plenty of buckbean {Menyanthes 

 trifoliatd). Oak-fern grew near the Elan, and beech- 

 fern almost under the little mountain waterfalls. Some 

 of the old walls were full of common spleenwort and 

 Cy stopfer is fragilis. 



We went to Aberedw, near Builth, and walked over 

 the hill to see Llewellyn's Cave, a little three-cornered 

 hole with a wooden door. On our way we found 

 Saxifraga hypnoides amongst the rocks, and some tall 

 specimens of Meconopsis Cambrica. 



Pinner's Hill. -jvl. A. Tooke. 



MICROSCOPY. 



Pollen. — It is pleasant, if only for a moment, to 

 turn away from the bloodshed of Zululand to the 

 calm possibilities of scientific research and induction. 

 This is suggested to us by a capitally-printed paper 

 we have received on "Pollen," read before the 

 Natal Microscopical Society in November last by Mr. 

 Maurice S. Evans. This paper is a valuable one, and 

 gives us a good deal of original research. In the dis- 

 cussion which followed, Mr. Adams (thehon. secretary) 

 referred to Taylor's "Flowers; their origin, shapes, 

 perfumes, and colours," in which it was stated that 

 ants never assisted in fertilising plants, the hairs of 

 which the author thought were intended to keep the 

 ants off. Mr. Adams said he had himself seen ants 

 not only carrying off pollen, but entire anthers. This, 

 however, only proves that ants are unwelcome visitors 

 to flowers. What is meant by the author of 

 "Flowers" is not that ants were unable to carry 

 off pollen, but that they were unable to beneficially 

 effect cross-fertilisation, and that they are insects to 

 be guarded against by flowers, rather than welcomed. 



Quekett Microscopical Club. — A conversa- 

 zione of this society took place at University College 

 on March 14, and was attended by upwards of a 

 thousand visitors. The guests on arrival were received 

 by the President, Professor T. H. Huxley, who was 

 supported by the Vice-Presidents and Secretary. 

 Microscopes to the number of 185 were exhibited in 

 the museum and libraries by members and their 

 friends from kindred societies, in addition to which a 

 large number of instruments and objects were dis- 

 played by the principal opticians. An interesting 

 lecture "On Curious Houses and Queer Tenants," 

 was delivered by Mr. May in the Mathematical 

 Theatre, and frequent exhibitions of polariscope and 

 other beautiful objects and preparations took place in 

 dark rooms by means of oxyhydrogen microscopes ; 

 whilst an excellent band discoursed sweet music in 

 the famous Flaxman Hall. The general arrangements 

 were such as to call forth much praise, and the great 

 scientific interest and admirable manner in which the 

 greater part of the microscopic objects were shown 



could not fail to be remarked. In addition to the 

 microscopes there was a good display of stereoscopes 

 and objects of interest, including a number of scien- 

 tific diagrams contributed for the occasion by Messrs. 

 Hardwicke & Bogue. 



A New Method of Preserving Infusoria. — 

 The development of minute animalcules in infusions 

 of animal and vegetable substances when undergoing 

 decay has excited much interest amongst the medical 

 profession, on account of the light which recent 

 researches have shed upon the mode which bacteria 

 have of spreading disease. For the study of these 

 minute forms it is very desirable that we should 

 possess some means of obtaining a permanent pre- 

 paration of them which would facilitate their examina- 

 tion. As regards bacteria and vibriones, especially 

 those on which M. Pasteur's researches have shed 

 so much light, and also those of Professor Tyndall, I 

 have been experimenting upon a method by which 

 this could be done ; and after some years of patient 

 research I have at last been rewarded with a very 

 excellent method, and for the benefit of the readers 

 of Science-Gossip I now send it you. The follow- 

 ing things will be necessary : — A bottle of thin 

 Canada balsam diluted with chloroform, a hot-water 

 plate and a few glass dishes, and the fixing solution, 

 which is made in the following manner : to 25 cc. 

 of chromic oxydichloride acid is added 50 cc. of 

 water with 5 cc. permanganate of potash. First 

 draw a large, ring of white wax upon the slide 

 much larger than the covering glass, then place the 

 vorticellas which you wish to preserve in the ring 

 with some water. When they have attached themselves 

 to the slide some of the chromic oxydichloride solution 

 must be added, which will instantly fix the specimen 

 in the position. After remaining about three minutes 

 the water may be poured out, and a few drops of 

 chloroform added and poured off, the covering glass 

 placed carefully on, and a few drops of dilute Canada 

 balsam added so as to flow under the cover, which is 

 then placed upon the hot-water plate to dry. Speci- 

 mens preserved in this manner retain all the freshness 

 of the living animal. — T. C. 



ZOOLOGY. 



Japanese Deer. — At a recent meeting of the 

 Zoological Society, the secretary called the attention 

 of the meeting to the herd of Japanese deer (Cervus 

 sika) in the park of Viscount Powerscourt, at Powers- 

 court, in Ireland, now about eighty in number, and 

 gave an account of their introduction and history, 

 from particulars supplied to him by Lord Powerscourt. 



Female Deer with Antlers. — This was the 

 subject of a paper by Mr. Edward R. Alston, read 

 before the Zoological Society, showing that these 



