i8 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



M. Pouchet, who is still engaged in experiments 

 on the subject, states that the blood of cholera 

 victims is charged with biliary salts, whilst there is 

 always a tonic alkaloid in their dejecta. Experiments 

 at Marseilles show that biliary acids are relatively 

 more abundant in the blood of cholera patients than 

 in others. 



Mr. Ellery, the well known astronomer of Mel- 

 bourne, is still of opinion that the recent brilliant 

 sunsets are attributable to the presence of vapour in 

 the higher regions of the atmosphere. 



Mr. Gibbs Bourne has found ahydriform stage of 

 the freshwater jelly-fish, which for several years past 

 has made its unaccountable appearance in the tanks in 

 Regent's Park. 



"THEBirdsofLancashire,"byMr. F. S. Mitchell, 

 of Clitheroe, will be published shortly by Mr. 

 Van Voorst. The book is a carefully prepared list 

 of the species of birds which, either as residents or 

 visitors, have been known to occur within the limits 

 of the county of Lancaster. The author has been 

 aided with information from observers in all parts of 

 the county, and this, added to published matter, has 

 furnished him with a vast number of facts. A map 

 of Lancashire, showing the physical features, and 

 with all the places referred to inserted, has been 

 specially drawn for the work, as also plans of Martin 

 Mere before it was drained, and of the duck-decoy at 

 Hale, with woodcuts illustrating this mode of catching 

 clucks. The volume promises to be very interesting. 



At the last meeting of the Royal Microscopical 

 Society a new Lantern Microscope with the oxy- 

 hydrogen light was exhibited, which will be of great 

 service to lecturers who require to exhibit microscopic 

 objects to classes or audiences. A number of ana- 

 tomical and other objects were exhibited on a screen 

 fourteen feet square ; and Mr. Lewis Wright, and 

 Messrs. Newton & Co., of Fleet Street, the makers of 

 the instrument, received high commendations for the 

 brilliancy and sharpness with which the details of 

 the subjects were shown. This instrument was also 

 exhibited at the recent meeting of the Quekett 

 Microscopical Society, when the blow-fly's tongue 

 was shown from 6ft. to 14ft. long, and a section of a 

 drone fly's eye was magnified 2500 diameters. 



At a recent meeting of the Academy of Paris, 

 M. Vulpian read a paper on the aneesthetic action of 

 the chlorohydrate of cocaine. So powerful is it that an 

 aqueous solution of I part of cocaine and 99 parts of 

 water inserted under the eyelids produces complete 

 insensibility of the conjunctiva and cornea in the 

 human eye. 



On the 14th of November last, I found a sprig of 

 hawthorn in full and fragrant blossom in a hedge 

 near Ipswich. The sprig bore ripe fruit as well as 

 flowers. — J. E. Taylor. 



MICROSCOPY. 



To Clean Cloudy Mounts. — On mounting. 

 sections of freshly cut vegetable tissues, they become 

 cloudy. Will any reader suggest a mode of clearing 

 and mounting to prevent this occurring ? — W. H. L. 



Staining Vegetable Tissues. — A correspondent 

 has drawn our attention to the fact that the para- 

 graph in last month's Science-Gossip under the above 

 heading, by W. F. Pratt, is quoted bodily, verbatim 

 ct literatim, from Cole's "Methods of Microscopical 

 Research," part xi. for June 1884. 



The Quekett Club.— The Journal of this well 

 known club for November 1884, is as interesting as 

 usual ; containing, beside the Committee's report, 

 list of members, &c, the address by the president, 

 Dr. M. C. Cooke, a paper on "A Hydrostatic fine 

 Adjustment," by E. M. Nelson ; and a list of objects 

 found on various excursions to x Epping Forest, 

 Whitstable, and other places. 



The Norfolk Diatomace/E. — Mr. F. Kitton,. 

 Hon. F.R.M.S., has issued the second series of his 

 " Century," and in every respect it fully maintains 

 the high character earned for the work by the first. 



Liverpool Microscopical Society: — The 

 ordinary monthly meeting of this Society was held 

 on 5th December, the president, Mr. Charles Botterill, 

 F.R.M.S., in the chair. Some notes on the " Seed- 

 vessels of Senecio vulgaris " were read by Mr. 

 William Oelrichs, F.R. Met. Soc. ; special attention 

 being called by him to the minute spiral fibres 

 emitted from the hairs on the surface of the seed- 

 vessels after immersion in water. Another paper 

 was read by Mr. A. T. Smith, junr., on the structure 

 of Alcyonium digitatum, the dead man's finger 

 zoophyte. He described the general appearance of 

 the zoophyte during life, both in and out of the 

 water, and afterwards detailed its minute structure 

 as revealed by the microscope — tentacles, thread 

 cells, spicules, &c. 



" The Journal of Microscopy." — The January 

 issue of this journal shows no falling off in its old 

 vigour, and promises well for the coming year. It 

 contains the address of the President of the Postal 

 Microscopical Society, Mr. C. F. George ; together 

 with papers on " A Piece of Homwrack : Its In- 

 habitants and Guests," by Arthur J. Pennington, 

 illustrated; " Rambles of a Naturalist near Amber- 

 ley," by Miss A. M. Charlesworth ; and "The 

 Microscope and How to Use it," by V. A. Latham. 



Does the Sparrow-Hawk attack Toads?— 

 Referring to this query (p. 215), I believe such an 

 incident to be quite new in the'history of the sparrow- 

 hawk • but not uncommon with the kestrel. Is your 

 correspondent certain the bird was not a kestrel ? — 

 //. M., Ipswich. 



