270 ANNUAL RECOKD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



servation of Erdman, that they diflered from all other vege- 

 table coloring matter, and possessed decided similarity to 

 aniline colors, was confirmed. Besides the well-known red 

 (of "reddened bread"), orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, 

 and brown pigments were obtained and investigated; and it 

 was found that even by our present optical aids the organ- 

 isms concerned in the formation of different pigments could 

 often be recognized as distinct, and that peculiar colors can 

 indeed be produced by several distinguishable organisms, 

 and that these pigments deport themselves differently toward 

 established reagents. The conclusion, therefore, does not 

 seem unwarranted that each decided pigment is the product 

 of a specific organism ; and, since the operation seems decid- 

 edly analogous to the formation of alcohol by yeast fungus, 

 and of lactic acid by other bacteria, it might be termed pig- 

 ment fermentation. The formation of coloring matter by 

 bacteria is not more remarkable than that by higher organ- 

 isms, while it may be assumed that the conditions are much 

 less complicated, so that study of the bacteria may in time 

 lead to some insight into the more important formation of 

 pigments of higher organisms. 19 (7, February 1, 1873, 42. 



smith's monogeaph of the diatoms. 



The April number of The Lens^ the organ of the State Mi- 

 croscopical Society of Illinois, contains the first part of a 

 monograph of the diatoms, by Professor Hamilton L. Smith, 

 of Geneva, who has long been engaged in investigations of 

 this group of objects, and contemplates the publication of an 

 elaborate work, to which the papers of The Lens are intro- 

 ductory. The present memoir is accompanied by several 

 plates, illustrating a large number of species, among them a 

 few that are new to science. 



i CARBOLIC SOLUTION FOR ANATOMICAL PREPARATIONS. 



According to Bufaline, an application of camphor and car- 

 bolic acid furnishes an excellent preservative for anatomical 

 preparations. The mixture of the two articles forms an oily 

 and compact substance, which is to bedissolved in a sufiicient 

 quantity of petroleum, colored with cinnabar. The best pro- 

 portions are seventy parts of carbolic acid and camphor and 

 200 of petroleum. The subject may be injected with this 



