Journal of Applied Microscopy. 589 



the ribbons were cut into segments and the needles with which they were 

 handled, as cool as possible, and for this purpose I kept them, when not in use, 

 thrust down past the edge of the glass into the ice below. 



If all the conditions are favorable, the sections should come from the knife 

 with but few wrinkles, but in order to secure them absolutely free from any 

 folds, I am accustomed to spread them by heat. To do this, I place the seg- 

 ments of ribbon upon a perfectly clean slip covered with a thin solution of 

 albumen (three drops of Mayer's albumen to an ounce of distilled water). The 

 whole is then placed upon the top of the paraffin oven where the temperature is 

 below the melting point of the paraffin. Here, in a very short time, they extend 

 their full length quite free from folds or wrinkles. 



While thus warm, it would be quite impossible to arrange them on the slip, 

 so the mount is again transferred to the cool pane of glass, and in this position, 

 by the aid of some slips of absorbent paper, the sections of ribbon are estab- 

 lished in position and the excess of fluid removed. Sometimes it is more con- 

 venient to manipulate the slides upon a Syracuse watch-glass, in the cavity of which 

 are contained fragments of the ice. Should the little ribbons manifest a stubborn 

 tendency to assume the form of circles or segments of the same, a few cuts on 

 the concave side, extending not quite across, will render it possible to straighten 

 them out satisfactorily. 



Nothing now remains but to place the preparations upon the top of the paraffin 

 oven and leave them for a couple of hours in order to secure the adherence of 

 the sections to the slip, when they are ready for the further processes of staining 

 and mounting in the usual manner. 

 University of Kansas, Lawrence. ^' ^- MCULUNG. 



The Concilium Bibliographicum of Zurich. 



The Third International Congress of Zoology, meeting at Leyden, voted unan- 

 imously to found in Zurich, Switzerland, a central bibliographical bureau, to be 

 intrusted with the preparation of an analytical card catalogue of the current 

 publications in zoology, taken in the widest sense. In November, 1895, an office 

 was opened in Ziirich under the name Concilium Bibliographicum, and the 

 practical work was begun. The initial expenses were borne by the director of the 

 institute, but for the current expenses dependance had to be placed upon grants that 

 were made by the Swiss authorities, the American Association for the Advance- 

 ment of Science, the Elizabeth Thompson fund, the American Microscopical 

 Society, the Naples Zoological Station, the Societe zoologique de France, and 

 by numerous generous donors in France, England, and elsewhere. 



For several years past, the project has been actively discussed in the scien- 

 tific press, and it was hoped that the Concilium would serve as a scientific agency 

 similar to a mercantile bureau of information, so that a person desiring infor- 

 mation in regard to some detailed question might obtain promptly full informa- 

 tion in regard to the bibliography of that question. As will be seen in the 

 sequel, the Concilium has remained faithful to this programme and indeed has 

 already for the greater part accomplished this task. 



