40 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



case may be, a sharp and powerful jerk will break 

 the weaker line, when the bearing will immediately 

 reverse the position of the grapple which will free 

 itself from what it has come in contact with, and may 

 be hauled up and the broken line replaced ready for 

 work again at once. The small piece of cork will 

 keep the slack line from fouling the hooks when the 

 grapple is being lowered over the stem of a boat. 

 In bays where large growths of algae are met with, 



Fig. 35. — Position of grapple at work : A, grapple ; B, main 

 cord of ditto ; C, safety-cord of ditto ; D, cork to keep B 

 from foulin" the hook. 



Fig. 36. — Position of grapple after being freed by the breaking 

 of safety-line. 



the grapple of about a foot or so in length would 

 prove a handy apparatus for the collection not only 

 of many species of Crustacea, but also of Echino- 

 dermata, Mollusca, and other forms ; and where the 

 risk of loss is reduced to a minimum it conduces 

 greatly to the advantages of such a portable and 

 effective means of collecting specimens of marine 

 zoology. 



Holly Mount, Croydon. E. Lovett. 



Scarcity of Holly Berries. — Several corre- 

 spondents have noticed the remarkable scarcity of 

 hawthorn bloom and fruit last season. I would like 

 to know if the same is the case with the holly. My 

 district lies along the south of Lough Neagh, and 

 has always been noted for an abundant growth of 

 indigenous holly. A lake in the parish is called Lough 

 Gullion, which means the lake of hollies, but this 

 year I cannot see or hear of a bush on which are 

 any berries.—//. W. Lett, M.A. 



MICROSCOPY. 



Cleaning Glasses. — In the " Royal Microscopical 

 Journal " for June last I saw a chemical way of clean- 

 ing glass which I have found so useful I think it 

 should be more widely known. Take 2 oz. of 

 bichromate of potash, 3 fluid oz. of sulphuric acid, 

 and 25 fluid oz. of water, and mix together. These 

 are the proportions ; of course a much smaller quan- 

 tity would be enough. Soak glass slips in the liquid 

 for some hours, and wipe or drain on blotting paper. 

 Thin covers are best put into a bottle of the fluid, 

 shaken up to separate them now and then, left for 

 some hours and then taken out, well rinsed, and 

 either kept in water, to be wiped gently when wanted, 

 or else wiped or drained and put away for use. It 

 saves, I find, a great deal of trouble and breakage. — 

 W. Locock. 



The Postal Microscopical Club. — We have 

 just received the report of this useful club — always a 

 well written and welcome brochure. A copy can be 

 obtained for 7/. of the Hon. Sec, Mr, Alfred Allen, 

 I Cambridge Place, Bath. 



The Quekett MiCROsconcAL Club. — The 

 November Journal of the above club contains the 

 Address of the President, Dr. T, S. Cobbold, F.R.S., 

 and papers on " The Histology of Pitcher Plants," by 

 W. II. Gilbert, F.R.M.S. ; "Receipts for Micro- 

 scopists," by Julian Delz.C.E., F.R.M.S., "On some 

 Peculiarities of a Flea," by R. T. Lewis, F.R.B.S., 

 and " On a Swinging Sub-stage for the Microscope,'' 

 by James Mackenzie. Some of the above papers are 

 accompanied by beautifully executed plates. 



New Rotifer. — At a recent meeting of the 

 Royal Microscopical Society, Dr. Hudson read a 

 paper on a new kind of rotifer found in Loch Lundie, 

 the trochal disk of which forms a link between that 

 of Melicerta and Qicistes. 



"Manual of the Infusoria," by W. Saville 

 Kent, F.L.S.— Part iii. of this splendid work was 

 issued early in January. The highest praise we can 

 say of it is that it is fully up to its predecessors. The 

 entire scientific press of Europe and America are 

 agreed in lauding this "Manual," and there can be 

 little doubt that when completed it will form an 

 epoch in microscopical science. The parts are being 

 issued with great regularity, considering the vast labour 

 entailed on seeing a work like this through the press. 

 The engravings are exquisite. The present part is 

 devoted to a description of all the genera and species 

 in the families HeteromitidK, Trepomonadidas, Poly- 

 tomidse, Pseudosporida;, Spumellida% Trimastigidiv, 

 Tetramitidce, Hexamitida:, Lophomonadidre, Catal- 

 lactidte, and to the order of Choano-flagellata, whose 

 characters are fully described. 



