HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



225 



the dog-tick, and an idea of them can be gathered 

 from Plate 6, Fig. 5, of the [hist, edition of the 

 " Micrographic Dictionary" (Epidermis of a Der- 

 manyssus). The organs in figure (« in Fig. 127) are 

 apparently strong mandibles. It will be seen that, 

 in addition to these, the mite has more highly 

 elaborated mouth-parts, of which details are given in 

 Fig. 127. The delicate organs (<5>andr, Fig. 127) are 

 beautiful objects with any power which reaches 

 them. My slide now finds a place in the cabinet we 

 have started in connection with the Microscopical 

 Society here. 



As to the details of mounting, I flattened out the 

 mite in a drop of pure carbolic acid undera cover-glass. 



GOSSIP ON CURRENT TOPICS. 

 By W. Mattieu Williams, F.R.A.S., F.C.S. 



A New Roadway. —Many useful inventions have 

 been suggested by Nature's mechanism. An 

 example of this is presented by the most recent 

 device in road-making, which has-been patented by 

 a gentleman of varied and scientific attainments, Mr. 

 A. C. Ranyard. The requirements of a horse and 

 carriage road are rather contradictory, and conse- 

 quently present a troublesome problem. For the 

 sake of the carriage wheels, the carriage, and the 

 passengers, it should be as smooth as possible, cannot 





Fig. 128.— First pair of Legs. Obj. Seibert, No. III., Oc. A. 



,~,.z.^S^>». 







Fig. 129.— Second pair of Legs. Obj. Zeiss D., Oc. A.— Stand : Baker's Histological. 



In about an hour's time the acid was washed out, 

 and the object, which fortunately adhered to the 

 cover-glass, placed in dilute glycerine — a detail 

 which, I think, might have been omitted, and which 

 was only resorted to because I originally intended 

 to mount the mite in that medium. At the end 

 of two hours I washed out the glycerine, and placed 

 the object in Beale's carmine solution for twenty-four 

 hours. I washed out the superfluous stain in water, 

 then in dilute spirit ; finally in absolute alcohol. 

 I drained off the alcohol, cleared in clove oil, and 

 finally mounted in balsam and benzol. 



W. J. Simmons. 

 Calcutta. 



be too smooth ; but the horse, on the other hand, 

 demands a certain degree, in fact a considerable 

 degree of roughness, to afford him foothold. The 

 cyclist and the horse are seriously antagonistic in this 

 respect. 



We have all witnessed the consequences of at- 

 tending only to the wheel requirements on the smooth 

 asphalte roads, and we still have opportunities of 

 practically studying the old granite-block pavement, 

 which, within my recollection, prevailed throughout 

 all the main thoroughfares of London, when " off the 

 stones " was used as an expression equivalent to out 

 of London. 



The new roadway is an imitation of the teeth of 



