Miscellaneous. 189 



Woodward has thought proper to mistake and pervert what passed 

 between us, as it has nothing whatever to do with the present con- 

 troversy. 



It is true that he asked me for specimens of the Schismope, and 

 that I referred him to Mr. Damon, who had all my collection of 

 Mediterranean shells, on his repaying me (by previous agreement) 

 the expenses I was at in dredging. But it is not true, that when I 

 took him specimens (which I had a day or two before picked out of 

 some sand), he put such an impertinent question to me as he suggests 

 my remembering. 



It was on this occasion that we examined together under a micro- 

 scope these specimens (and not the specimens given to him by Mr. 

 Damon), and that he noticed the peculiar structure of the closed slit. 

 After we had consulted Philippi, and Sowerby's ' Genera ' (and not 

 " at that time," as Mr. Woodward would have me say), I went to the 

 British Museum Library and referred to Sowerby's translation in 

 the Zoological Journal of D'Orbigny's Memoir. The result of this 

 reference I gave in a former paper. 



When I took Mr. Woodward the specimens, I certainly understood 

 him to say that he was unacquainted with any other species of Scis- 

 surella than S. crispata. It was some time afterwards that he 

 showed me Mr. M'Andrew's specimen of S. angulata, Loven (a true 

 Scissurella and closely allied to S. ci'ispata, but of a much larger 

 size) ; and I certainly never saw D'Orbigny's specimen of <S. Berthe- 

 loti in company with Mr. Woodward, nor heard him say anything 

 about a New Zealand Scissurella. We examined together a collec- 

 tion of fossil shells (containing Plenrotomaria and Trochotoma) in 

 quite another part of the Museum ; and this he seems to have mis- 

 taken for the D'Orbignyan collection. 



This explanation, however, cannot interest your readers ; and I 

 will not trespass any more on their patience. 



I am, Gentlemen, yours obediently, 



J. GwYN Jeffreys. 



1 Montagu Square, 11th July 1856. 



New Mode of Cleaning Diatomaceous Deposits. 

 By Prof. J. W. Bailey. 



Having found the following method of cleaning diatomaceous de- 

 posits more speedy and efficacious than any other I have tried, I 

 recommend it to all those who may have occasion to prepare speci- 

 mens of the siliceous organisms in soundings, guano, mud, &c. Dis- 

 solve out the lime compounds, if present, by means of nitric or 

 hydrochloric acid, wash and filter. Then put the moist contents of 

 the filter into a porcelain capsule with enough strong sulphuric acid 

 to make of the whole a fluid mass. Heat the capsule over a spirit- 

 lamp until the organic matters are all charred, and continue the heat 

 until strong acid fumes are evolved. Keep the capsule hot, and add, 

 in minute portions at a time, finely powdered chlorate ofpotassa. If 

 the acid is hot enough to give off fumes, the chlorate will be im- 

 mediately decomposed without the accumulation of explosive gases. 



