ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 775 



avoided by careful closure of the vessel. The author advises a special 

 jar, the lid of which is kept taut by a spring. 



When the lime or silica is removed, a block with sides 8 mm. broad is 

 cut out, and having been coated with celloidin is submitted to the follow- 

 ing procedure : alcohol 70 p.c. (0 hr.) ; alcohol 40 p.c. (2 hr.) ; aqueous 

 alum solution 5 p.c. (12 hr.) ; running water (12 hr.) ; alcohol 40 p.c. 

 (1 hr.) ; alcohol 70 p.c. (i- hr.) ; alcohol '<)(> p.c. (£ hr.) ; absolute alcohol 

 (10 min.) Then follows a mixture of pure carbolic acid 1 part and 

 chloroform 2 parts, or anilin oil (12-24 hr.). These must be fre- 

 quently changed. 



After this an equal bulk of chloroform is added (6 hr.), then pure 

 chloroform (12 hr.) ; followed by chloroform and paraffin (6 hr.), soft 

 paraffin m.p. 45° (6 hr.), hard paraffin m.p. 58° (12 hr.). The sections 

 made in the usual way, are stuck on by the " Japanese method." The 

 paraffin and celloidin are successively removed, and then the sections 

 may be stained by any desired method, though iron-hgematoxylin is 

 advocated. 



Examining Stylaria lacustris.* — G. Dalla Fior, when examining 

 the asexual reproduction of Stylaria lacustris, first benumbed the animals 

 with cocain and then fixed them in one of the three following fluids : — 

 (1) sublimate-acetic acid 6 p.c. ; (2) Perenyi's fluid ; (3) Flemming's 

 fluid. The first gave the best results. Transverse and longitudinal sec- 

 tions 4 fx thick were made. The preparations were stained with Dela- 

 fi eld's hamiatoxylin, acid-fuchsin, orange, and Heidenhain's iron-alum. 



Examining the Poison-glands of Salamandra maculosa.f — A. 

 Nierenstein fixed the material, the poison-glands of Salamandra macu- 

 losa (adult animal and larvas at various stages of development) in 

 Zenker's fluid and 1 p.c. osmic acid. The latter gave better results 

 when it contained 0-6 p.c. sodium chloride. Sections made by the 

 freezing method from osmic-fixed preparations gave very good results. 

 For staining purposes, Mayer's muci-carmin was superior to other dyes. 



Combined Imbedding in Celloidin and Paraffin.^ — A. Breckner 

 takes the pieces, which have been fixed, out of al isolate alcohol and 

 transfers them to 2-:) p.c. celloidin solution, wherein they remain, 

 according to size, from a few hours to days. The pieces are then picked 

 out and placed in chloroform for 5-10 hours, after which they are passed 

 successively through benzol, a warm mixture of benzol and paraffin, 

 and pure melted paraffin. In the latter they remain until completely 

 saturated. Blocks are made in the usual way. The sections are treated 

 as if made from paraffin blocks, and made to adhere to the slide by the 

 albumen or water method. In the further treatment, absolute alcohol 

 should be avoided, and dehydration effected by means of a mixture of 

 8 parts xylol and 1 part water-free carbolic acid, or by a mixture of 

 equal parts of chloroform and absolute alcohol. 



* Arb. Zool. Inst. Wien, xvii. (1908) pp. 109-38 (2 pis.). 



t Arch. Mikr. Anat. u. Entwickl., lxxii. (1908) pp. 47-1-40 (3 pis.). 



♦ Zeitschr. wiss. Mikrosk., xxv. (1908) pp. 29-32. 



