HA RD WICKE'S SCIENCE- G OS SIP. 



113 



fauna, and flora of Australia as studied by him during 

 his recent visit, will be published by the Society for 

 Promoting Christian Knowledge early in May. 



The Colonial Exhibition is to be opened on 

 the 4th of May. Visitors will there see living fern- 

 tree gullies, and many of the characteristic Australian 

 birds and mammals. 



Mr. F. Galton, who is at present in Italy, has 

 been seeking to obtain from the Vatican manufactory 

 of mosaics some permanent colour-types for anthropo- 

 logical purposes. Mr. Galton proposes to obtain a 

 scale of durable colours, for registering the tints of 

 skin and hair, by using the imperishable enamel 

 employed for mosaic work. 



We are sorry to record the death, at the com- 

 paratively early age of forty-five, of Mr. C. G. 

 Talmage, F.R.A.S., the well-known astronomer. 

 A more courteous, gentle, and modest follower of 

 science never lived. 



It is with extreme regret we have to chronicle the 

 death of Dr. Spencer Cobbold, the celebrated 

 helminlhologist, author of numerous papers on in- 

 testinal and other parasites, and of the well-known 

 " Manual of Helminthology." Dr. Cobbold died at 

 the comparatively early age of fifty-seven, and worked 

 up to the very last. He was also well known both 

 as a botanist and geologist. 



Mr. F. E. BEDDARDhas just described, before the 

 Zoological Society, a new and large species of earth- 

 worm from New Caledonia. 



Professor Edward Solly, F.R.S., formerly 

 known by his popular book, " Rural Chemistry," has 

 just died at the age of sixty-seven. 



"The Butterfly" is the title of a new journal 

 of entomology which has been recently started, 

 price 2d, edited by the proprietor, Mr. G. H. Skuse. 



We have received No. 72 of Mr. William Wesley's 

 welcome "Natural History and Scientific Book 

 Circular." 



From some experiments of Dr. Krauss, of Halle, 

 it appears that fruits grow much more during the 

 night than the day. 



A new sweetening substance, called saccharine, 

 has been discovered by Dr. Fahlberg. It is obtained 

 from gas-tar, and is said to be a thousand times 

 sweeter than cane-sugar. 



Professor Helmholtz has confirmed the state- 

 ments of Mr. John Aitkin, that the formation of 

 cloud in saturated air is induced solely by particles of 



dust. 



M. Fol states he has found in sections of the spinal 

 cord and brain of animals which have died from 

 rabies, a micrococcus he believes is peculiar to the 

 disease, and probably its cause. 



MICROSCOPY. 



Mounting in Balsam. — Can any of your readers 

 tell me why, after mounting micro-objects in balsam, 

 and leaving them in clips for a week or more, the 

 balsam will not set ; and upon clearing the superfluous 

 balsam away the air insinuates itself under the edge 

 of the cover, working its way towards the centre, and 

 completely spoiling my objects ? — Alfred Pinnock. 



Tiger-Beetle's Wing-case [Cicindela cam 

 pestris). — I have been examining the wing-cases of 

 the above-mentioned with a view of ascertaining its 

 ultimate structure. I am led to think that the 

 elytron is composed of three distinct membranes : 

 first, a surface membrane consisting of hexagonal 

 cells containing or covering (?) the pigment matter to 

 which the wing-case owes its colouring ; secondly, a 

 membrane made up of larger cells, circular in shape, 

 and seemingly double-lined, though this may be an 

 appearance due to depression. Connections appear 

 to exist between cell and cell, giving the membrane 

 very much the form of plant epidermis with its 

 stomata. Lastly, a membrane of fine texture and 

 marked by numerous dots, the precise nature of 

 which I have not as yet sufficiently examined. The 

 first-mentioned membrane is clearly seen under a 

 ^-inch or J-inch, with deep eye-piece. It shows cells 

 best at the junction of the yellow spots with the 

 general green surface of elytron. All three can be 

 discerned in a carefully made scraping at the end of 

 specimen. An inch glass shows them with sufficient 

 clearness. — R. F. Mullins, Dumfries. 



Preparation of Epidermis. — Place the leaf in 

 distilled water in a test-tube, and boil. Remove the 

 epidermis, and place it in the following solution : 

 Equal parts methyl, spirit, glycerine, water ; mix. 

 After an hour or two, mount in glycerine jelly.— 

 Charles F. W. T. Willliams, B.A., Bath, 



Mounting Pollen, etc. — As a rule mount pollen 

 dry. If too opaque in that way, then use glycerine 

 jelly. Mount sections of stems in glycerine jelly, 

 first soaking in solution as advised in note for pre- 

 paration of epidermis. As a rule, avoid damar or 

 balsam in mounting botanical specimens. For a 

 complete guide to section cutting and mounting see 

 "The Microscope in Botany," pp. 165-203. — Charles 

 F W. T. Williams, B.A., Bath. 



Hunting for Amcebas. — Many students begin- 

 ning to use the microscope in the investigation of 

 living minute animals have heard so much of the 

 Amoeba that they are surprised they do not find it at 

 once. The fact is, Amcebas, although common, require 

 to be looked for. Their transparent and colourless 

 structure screens them, and even trained workers are 

 by no means certain to find Amcebas when they require 

 them. I have found the following simple device for 



