44 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE -GOSSIP. 



[Feb. 1, 1868. 



MICROSCOPY. 



Opaque Objects. — An examination of several 

 hundred slides of opaque objects, mounted iu closed 

 cells, has induced me to attempt a remedy for the 

 sad state in which I find them. Consisting of every 

 kind of object ; mostly obtained from the best 

 known preparers ; they are all greatly deteriorated, 

 and too many, alas ! totally spoiled by the growth 

 or incrustation formed on the under side of the glass 

 cover. In order to avoid any further loss or incon- 

 venience from this cause, I have proposed what 

 may be called a "pill-box cell," turned in wood, 

 and have added to it a small cylinder, also turned 

 in wood, to act as a stop for the half-inch objective. 

 The cell and stop can be reduced in depth, as re- 

 quired by glass paper, and after being cemented to 

 the slide, should be coloured with lamp black in 



Fig. 37. Pill-box cells. 



water. Pig. a. is the cell arranged for any power 

 up to one inch, for which it forms a stop when the 

 Lieberkuhn is used. Pig. b. shows the arrangement 

 for the half-inch objective with Lieberkuhn, the thin 

 bottom of the cell having been removed. This 

 mode of putting up opaque objects, not only shews 

 them, as they ought to be, uncovered, but allows 

 any part of a freshly killed insect, or analogous 

 object, to be mounted at once as a permanent slide, 

 without danger from evaporation. The cells and 

 stops can be procured at Baker's, in High Holborn. 

 — H. C. R., Kensington. 



New Infusoria.— In the Quarterly Journal of 

 Microscopical Science for January Mr. T. G. Tatem 

 describes three species of Epistylis and one of 

 Ccenomorpha as entirely new. One of the species of 

 Epistylis was found in salt-water, whereas the genus 

 was before believed to be confined exclusively to 

 fresh-water. 



Quekett Microscopical Journal. — The new 

 Journal of the Quekett Microscopical Club has 

 made its appearance, and contains a paper on 

 " Universal Microscopical admeasurement," one on 

 Pseudo-scorpions, by Mr. S. J. Mclntire, a short 

 communication by Mr. Bockett on Ross's 4-inch- 

 object glass, "Recollections of our Meetings," the 

 "Proceedings," and the first instalment of a "Mi- 

 croscopical Bibliography." 



"Wheeler Insect. — The Wheeler insect is a 

 curious microscopical object. Take a little dust of 

 rotten timber and a drop of water ; by-and-bye the 

 insect appears, two horns arise on its head, then a 

 wheel, the velocity of which is surprising, it sails 

 among the dust as if amidst islands. The wheel 

 seems intended by suction to draw in numbers of 

 smaller insects, its food.—" The Times " {Friday) 

 July 2nd, 1824. 



Plumules of Butterflies. — Mr. J. Watson has 

 recently read his third paper before the Literary and 

 Philosophical Society of Manchester on the Plumules 

 of Lepidoptera. He is of opinion that they are so 

 constant in their character, and so distinct in different 

 species that they are of value in determining species 

 and varieties. A full and complete work on this 

 subject is promised, copiously illustrated, the advent 

 of which microscopists will hail with pleasure. 



A STORY OP SCIENCE. 



BY ONE WHO KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT IT. 



A philosopher sat in his easy chair, 



Looking as grave as Milton ; 

 He wore a solemn and mystic air 



As he Canada balsam spilt on 

 A~ strip of glass, as a slide to prepare 



Por a mite taken out of his Stilton. 



He took his microscope out of his case, 



Aud settled the focus rightly: 

 The light thrown back from the mirror's face 



Came glimmering upward brightly. 

 He put the slide with the mite in place, 



And fixed on the cover tightly. 



He turned the instrument up and down, 



Till getting a proper sight, he 

 Exclaimed — as he gazed with a puzzled frown — 



" Good gracious ! " and " Highty-tighty ! 

 The sight is enough to alarm the town — 



A mite is a monster mighty ! " 



From t'other end of the tube, the mite 



Regarded our scientific,— 

 To its naked eye, as you'll guess, the sight 



Of a man was most terrific, 

 But reversing the microscope, made him quite 



The opposite of magnific. 



" One sees the truth through this tube so tall," 

 Said the mite as it squinted through ir, 



" Man is not so wondrously big after all, 

 If the mite-world only knew it ! " 



MORAL. 



Mem. — Whether a thing is large or small 

 Depends on the way you view it ! 



Fun. 



