—so- 

 One should have the following implements if possible: A pair 

 ut fine pointed forceps with comparatively large surface of con- 

 tact at the points, a pair of small, fine-pointed, sharp scissors, dis- 

 secting needles, and a sharp scalpel or razor and a stick of pith. 



The leaves should be removed with the forceps by seizing 

 them near their bases and stripping downward; these are then put in 

 a drop ot water on a slide and covered with a cover glass; in this drop 

 of water should be placed also a portion of the branch from which the 

 leaves have l)een stripped. An examination of this last will show 

 whether the bases of the leaves are decurrent or not and will give a 

 profile view of the leaves that will tell whether there are any teeth 

 or papillae on their backs. With the hair-caps and their allies and 

 some other mosses, a cross-section of the leaves is often necessary 

 to definitel\' determine the species. This often seems very diffi- 

 cult to a beginner but is really quite simple unless very beautiful 

 sections arc desired. The most common method is to split a stick 

 (jf pith a little distance and insert a bunch of leaves in the cleft, 

 pressing the sides together with the thumb and finger of the left 

 hand. 1 hen cut thin sections of pith and leaves with a very sharp 

 razor or scalpel. The |)ith should be thoroughly moist ned and 

 there should be water on the upper surface of the razor to float 

 away the sections cut. After a number of sections have been made, 

 all the masses of pith and leaf sections should be removed to a drop 

 of water on a slide and the pith and large pieces of leaves should be 

 removed. Pith can be obtained from young elder shoots or the 

 stems of the flowering raspberry, or if nothing better is at hand the 

 pith of a cornstalk can be used. Mrs. Britton thinks that this 

 method is "more bother than it is worth for all simple leaf sections*" 

 but recommends it for other sections. She places a number of 

 the leaves side by side in the same direction so that they may be 

 easily held firm with the thumb nail of the left hand — "begin 

 cutting at the tips of the leaves" (using a razor or sharp knife) " mo\- 

 ing the nail from side to side and working downward to the lower 

 half of the leaf." I have often used another method with success, 

 (irasp a bunch of leaves between the thumb and forefinger of the 

 left hand and with the scissors (which must be sharp) cut section 

 after section from the bunch as thin as possible and among the mass 

 of sections will be found some that will show the desired structures. 

 If the leaves are very small a whole stem or branch covered with 

 leaves can be sectioned without first removing the leaves. 



* Obseivfr for May. 1804. 



