HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP, 



Oh ! what improvements can't we boast 



To sum them up — they are a host. 



^Vhy formerly men used to catch it 



From the palaeolithic hatchet. 



Eut now man often proves his right 



By blowing up with dynamite. 



And the acutest form of fun 



Is who shall make the biggest gun ; 



So with cotton, bomb, and ram, 



He still will ''lie down with the lamb." 



For in this way he does contrive 



To show who's fittest to survive, 



Exhibiting in full perfection 



Darwin's theory of selection. 



Or Wallace's — not he who led 



The Scotchmen to their gory bed. 



Though sending millions to perdition 



IMay still be quite a kingly mission. 



What is an atom ? At a pinch 

 ■'Tis fifty millionths of an inch, 

 So small you scarce could ever hope 

 To see it with a microscope, 

 But is it hard, or soft, or round ? 

 This is a question too profound ! 

 '<^h ! can it like a pea be split. 

 Or is it intangible as wit ? 

 Why of its size make a clatter. 

 When none can say "it is matter ! " 

 For can we even ft)rm a notion 

 Of anything excepting motion ? 

 Whatever turn the question takes 

 It seemingly must end in " shakes." 



Now to geology we turn 



And much from rocks and fossils learn ; 



An animal is served up for us 



■Called by Marsh Titanosaurus. 



An awkward customer to meet — 



A centipede — a hundred feet. 



Nor is this all. The missing links 



America has found, methinks, 



In birds with teeth, reptiles with wings. 



And other such cretaceous things. 



The " medals" prove to be no myth. 



You've won the toss, oh William Smith ! 



Thus science plays the game of brag, 



Not choosing in the race to lag ; 



But though it oft the " copper" lacks 



It should not stoop to *' scratching backs." 



We hold this evident and true. 



So bid the British Ass. adieu. A. Conifer. 



LIST OF ASSISTING NATURALISTS. 



\Cotitinucd.'\ 



Surrey. 



Putney. C. Mills, 4 Stanbridge Road, S.W, General 

 Natural History, especially Microscopy, Fo/.d Life, 

 and Aquaria. 



MICROSCOPY. 



Spring Clip Boards.— The accompanying sketch 

 is taken from the spring clip boards I have now had 

 in use for some time, and which for reducing the 

 breakage of thin glass-covers to a minimum, economy 

 of construction, and convenience of moving, far sur- 

 pass any arrangement that has come under my 

 notice. Mine are made of mahogany, but of course 

 pine or other wood can be used ; all, however, 

 should be baked previous to finally planing up. a 

 piece of mahogany 12 in. x 7f X f ; B two strips 



Fig. 13S. — New Spring-Clip Board. 



X g each securely fastened down centre of base 

 board A by eleven screws ; ccc pieces of watch or 

 crinoline steel 3j long, | wide, with hole punched 

 in either end to allow of a small brass pin passing 

 through for securing the pressers : dd small pieces 

 of phial corks ; EEEE four screws fitting in corre- 

 sponding holes drilled in bottom of each board, thus 

 allowing a number to be placed one on the other 

 without injury to the slides, and admitting a free 

 current of air. — ]V. Striiigficld. 



Bubbles in Glycerine Jelly. — Your corre- 

 spondent, Mr. G. H, Bryan, seems to be very un- 

 lucky in his mounting with glycerine jelly. I have 

 for some years used this medium, which certainly does 

 require care in use. Regarding the air bubbles, it 

 seems to me that a good deal would depend on the 

 manner of finishing the slides. If a varnish is used 

 which gets soft, acted on by the jelly, air bubbles 

 would appear. I use gold size to finish with, but 

 I am informed that the "brown cement," sold 

 at a shilling a bottle by Edward Ward of Man- 

 Chester, is a remarkably good finish. If in cleaning 

 the superfluous jelly too much is removed, air 

 will appear. It must be remembered also that 

 glycerine jelly is quickly liquified by an increase 

 in temperature. In every case where "a network 

 of bubbks " has appeared in my glycerine mounts, I 

 have found the gold size has been defective. Slides 

 should now and then be re-coated with gold size. — 

 Charles F. IV. S. Williams, St. JohiCs Coll., Cambridge. 



