286 Journal of Applied Microscopy. 



The eighth annual meeting of the Ohio State Academy of Science was held 

 in Columbus, at the Ohio State University, on December 29 and 30. The meet- 

 ing was well attended, and interest and enthusiasm prevailed throughout the 

 entire session. The Academy received a gift of $250.00 from Mr. Emerson 

 MacMillen, which is to be used the coming year to aid in carrying on original 

 research work and publication. The officers elected for the coming year are the 

 following ; president, Prof. G. Frederick Wright ; first vice-president, Prof. C. 



E. Albright : second vice-president. Prof. A. D. Selby ; secretary. Prof. E. L. 

 Moseley ; treasurer, Prof. Herbert Osborn ; trustees, Prof. F. M. Webster, Prof. 

 W. R. Lazenby and Prof. E. L. Moseley. 



Among the large number of papers read, the following were of interest from 

 a microscopical point of view : " The Division of the Megaspore Nucleus of 

 Erythronium," John H. Schaffner; "Some Observations on Unio Subovatus," 



F. L. Landacre ; " Two Interesting Filamentous Bacteria from Columbus," John 

 H. Schaffner ; " Micro-photographs of Fungus Spores," A. D. Selby and P. A. 

 Hinman ; " Development of the Microsporahgium of Hemerocallis Fulva," E. L. 

 Fullmer; "Reliability of Spore Measurements of the Fleshy Fungi," H. C. 

 Beardslee ; " Studies of Ustilago Reiliana," W. A. and K. F. Kellermian ; 

 " Further Studies in Embryology," Mrs. L. C. Riddle ; " The Laboratory and 

 the Field ; their Relative Importance," H. E. Chapin ; " The Illinois Biological 

 Station," H. C. Beardslee. j. h. s. 



Philadelphia, Jan. 12, 1899. 

 To the Editor of the Journal of Applied Microseopy : 



Having occasionally used picrocarmine with hematoxylin, with good results 

 as it seemed to me, I read with interest the paper on " Picrocarmine and Alum- 

 carmine as Counterstains," that appeared in a recent number of your journal. It 

 was also in staining developing bone, in sections of a baby's finger, that my atten- 

 tion was directed to the usefulness of these stains for the differentiation of other 

 structures. In these sections the developing skin was more instructive than the 

 developing bone. The epidermis and coiled glands were a beautiful blue, the corium 

 was of several shades. Sections of kitten's jaw stained with hematoxylin and 

 picrocarmine exhibited equally interesting differentiation of the young mucous 

 membrane and the developing teeth. In the latter the dentine was rose-color, 

 the enamel yellow, the papillae, odontoblasts, and enamel-cells blue. In two 

 instances I noticed a line differentiation of epithelial elements ; namely, in hair- 

 follicles in kitten's skin, in which the cells of Huxley's layer alone were stained 

 a deep red, other elements being blue, yellow, or light-pink ; and in the testacle 

 of a rabbit, in which the seminiferous tubules and seminal filaments were a deep 

 blue, the tall cells of the epididymis an exquisite rose-color, their nuclei blue. I 

 have not found it necessary, nor even advantageous, to stain with picrocarmine 

 for more than ten or fifteen minutes. May it not be that the time required 

 depends on the quality of the carmine, which varies much and on which the 

 efficiency of the picrocarmine depends ? 



Respectfully yours, 



Emma L. Billstein, M. D. 



