258 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



or 70 p.c. alcohol, but too many should not be inserted, as overcrowding 

 distorts and damages the tubes and their contents. 



Use of Formaldehyde for Preventing Liquefaction in Glycerin- 

 jelly Mounts. * — Dr. A. Forti states that the chief defects inherent 

 in glycerin-jelly may be obviated by the use of formalin. He uses 

 Kaiser's gelatin ; i.e. to 1 part of gelatin dissolved in 6 parts of 

 water are added 6 parts of glycerin; to every 100 grm. of the mix- 

 ture add £ grm. of carbolic acid, and heat, stirring the while, until 

 the acid is thoroughly incorporated. The formaldehyde used is the 

 ordinary commercial formalin diluted to 10 p.c. if fresh, to 25 p.c. if 

 old. A piece of the jelly is placed on the slide and warmed, and then 

 a droplet of the formalin solution is thoroughly mixed with it. Then 

 place the specimen in position, and wait until the air-bubbles have 

 risen to the top, when they may be pricked out if they do not spon- 

 taneously disappear, after which put on a warmed cover-slip. In this 

 way permanent preparations may be obtained free of air-bubbles, and 

 without requiring the edges to be luted down with some cement. 



New Fluid Medium for Preserving Zoological Objects, f — G. 

 Marpmann recommends a solution composed of glycerin 10, chloral 

 hydrate 5, common salt 5, water 80. After the animals are washed 

 they are immersed in the above fluid, which in about a week is replaced 

 by a fresh quantity. The old fluid can be used for the preliminary 

 treatment of other preparations. If the animals be soft, or the speci- 

 men contain much blood, it is advisable to add about 5 p.c. of formalin. 



Modification of Cornet's Forceps.^ — Dr. Leshure devised a modifica- 

 tion of Cornet's cover-glass forceps, which has the advantage of being able 

 to manipulate a slide as well as a slip. The jaws terminate in T-pieces 

 which, being ground on their opposing surfaces, grasp a slip or slide 

 firmly and allow of no sliding motion, the effect being enhanced by extra 

 stiffness of the spring handles. 



Preserving Intestinal Worms.§ — Barbagallo recommends a 2-3 p.c. 

 solution of formalin in distilled water with | p. c . common salt for pre- 

 serving worms and other soft animals. The parasites do not shrink, and 

 keep their colour well. 



Mounting Fish for Museums. || — S. E. Meek describes the method 

 adopted in museums for putting up fish. The procedure consists of 

 3 parts : (1) preparation and preservation ; (2) painting ; (3) setting up the 

 glass boxes. The animals are killed with 10 p.c. alcohol and are after- 

 wards preserved in strong alcohol, or fixed first in formalin 1-20 and 

 afterwards transferred to strong spirit. The natural colours are repre- 

 sented by means of water-ground pigments and occasionally some marine 

 blue. Paints containing lead or chrome yellow are unsuitable. The 

 fish are fastened in oblong glass boxes by means of gelatin. For the 

 details of the manipulation the original may be consulted. 



* Bull. Soc. Bot. Ital., 1901, pp. 224-6. 

 t Zeitschr. angew. Mikr., vii. (1901) p. 235. 

 I Med. News N.Y., lxxiv. (1899) p. 556. 



8 Berlin Tierarztl. Wochensclir.. 1901, No. 36. See Zeitschr. angew. Mikr., vii. 

 (1901) p. 241. || Aiuer. Naturalist, xxxvi. (1902) pp. 53-61 (1 fig.). 



