156 



Journal of Applied Microscopy. 



enthusiasm made it easy for pupils to 

 follow him. His investigations were 

 guided by so clear a mind and prosecuted 

 with such tireless industry that success 

 rarely failed to crown his efforts. 



In 1857 he became an instructor in Al- 

 fred Academy, and in 1859 professor in 

 Alfred University. From 1870 to 1886 he 

 was connected with Harvard University, 

 most of the time as assistant professor 

 of Astronomy, in the observatory. In 

 1886 he became Professor of Physics and 

 Astronomy in Colby University; and at 

 this time, when the nation is so proud 

 of its navy, it should not be forgotten 

 that Prof. Rogers served in it from 1864 

 to the close of the war. 



In 1897 Prof. Rogers resigned his chair 

 at Colby and was made the head of the 

 Babcock School of Physics, which had 

 just been established in Alfred Univer- 

 sity; and its plans were laid with all 

 the wisdom and experience which his 

 long and fruitful life had given him. 

 His ripest experience was thus to work 

 in the same field that had felt the uplift 

 of his youthful enthusiasm nearly forty 

 years before. But like many another 

 circle of human hope and aspiration, this 

 was not to be completed. On March 1, 

 1898, death came. 



Simon H. Gage. 



Note.— For other details concerning the 

 life and work of Professor Rogers the 

 reader is referred to the Quarterly Bulle- 

 tin of Alfred University, July, 1897, and to 

 the Physical Review, Vol. VI., pp. 315-319. 

 Both contain a portrait and a list of his 

 scientific papers. 



A Convenient Method for Mount- 

 ing Filamentous Algae and Fungi. 



1. Treat fresh material with chromo- 

 acetic acid for sixteen to twenty-four 

 hours. Formula: 



Chromic acid 4-lOg. 



Glacial acetic acid 6-lOg. 



Water 99cc. 



Instead of this, Flemming's weaker so- 

 lution may be used. Allow the Flem- 

 ming's to act for about two hours, then 

 transfer to chromic-acetic acid which 

 should act for ten to twenty-four hours. 

 This often avoids the blackening caused 

 by the osmic aid. 



Formalin two to six per cent., is a fair 

 killing and fixing agent for many algae. 

 Twenty-four hours is suflficient, but ma- 

 terial may be left here indefinitely. 



2. After any of these killing and fixing 

 agents, wash in water ten to twenty-four 

 hours, either using running water or 

 changing frequently. 



3. Stain in Haidenhain's iron alum 

 haematoxylin. For algae we use the 

 stain as follows: 



a. Two per cent, aqueous solution of 

 iron alum, two hours. 



b. Wash in water two to six hours. 



c. Stain in one-half per cent, aqueous 

 solution of haematoxylin six hours, or 

 "over night." 



d. Wash in water. Some recommend 

 a few- minutes, others several hours. 



e. Treat again with iron alum until 

 the stain suits you. It may take a few- 

 minutes and may take an hour or more. 

 The only safe way is to examine 

 frequently with a microscope. 



f. Wash in water for an hour or two. 

 If lack of time proves an objection to 

 this elegant stain, use aqueous eosin 

 thirty minutes, transfer directly from 

 the stain to a one per cent, solution of 

 acetic acid which should act for two to 

 five minutes, then wash thoroughly in 

 water for an hour or more to remove 

 the acid. 



Mayer's haemalum is good where the 



nuclei are the only details cared for. 



Chromatophores and cell walls stain 



lightly or more frequently not at all. 



Stain two to twelve hours and wash in 



water for about half an hour. 



4. Transfer to dilute glycerine; ten per 



cent, is about right. Allow the stained 



material to stand in this in a watch 



glass or saucer, freely exposed to the 



air, but to as little dust as possible. The 



water will evaporate and the material 



will be in glycerine thick enough for 



mounting purposes in two to four days. 



Mount in this glycerine or In glycerine 



jelly. Seal in the usual manner. 



The Flemming's fluid followed *)y iron 

 alum haematoxylin gives such elegant 

 results that even a rather busy man can 

 well afford the time. Pyrenoids of algae 

 take a brilliant black with this combina- 

 tion, the nuclei show fine details, es- 

 pecially if undergoing division, the cyto- 

 plasm though of a plain dull gray color, 

 is exquisitely differentiated. 



Charles .T. Chamberlain. 



Botanical Department, University of 

 Chicago. 



Laboratory Notes. 



The writer has for a number of years 

 made use of the following simple method 

 for mounting sections from a number of 

 tissues under the same cover glass, and 

 has found it so useful in class-room 

 work, especially in instructing large 

 classes, that he feels prompted to sug- 

 gest its use to others situated as he is. 

 The methods consist briefly in embed- 

 ding, side by side, in one paraffin block, 

 a given number of tissues cut in the form 

 of rectangular blocks of about one- 

 eighth of an inch in thickness. These, 

 if carefully embedded, may readily be 



