121 



|):ir:il1iiK' lor t wi'iily-l'niir Inm is, tlii'ii intn piiri |in inlliiU' [48°(".) lUr I wi-iil y-ldiii' 

 lioiirs. On being sect iniu'd I Ills iiiiiterijil sliowx-il Imt liiilf, it' iiny. iniiinivcnu'iit 

 ovi'f till' ni.-itrrial treatt'd witli turpcntini'. 



riic next iiioiliuni used was xylol. Heads deh\ di'atetl l>y alis(dnte alccdiol 

 weri' plaeed in xylol tor twenty-four iionrs, tlien into y mixture of one-half xylol 

 and one-half paralline for twenty-four iionrs, then into i)ure pai'aftine (48° (". ) for 

 twenty-four hours. When seetioned on a ileideliieru niicrotonie the heads were 

 loUnd to hi' well inliltrated and made tine ril)hons. A series of experiments was 

 then hegun on heads dehydrated hy ahsolule alc(diol, giving them shorter time 

 periods. It was found tlial heads treated with xylol for three and one-iialf hours, 

 then to a mixture of one-half xylol and one-half parattine iov two hours, then to 

 pure parafiiue i 4S" ( '. ) lor two and one-half hours, were inliltrated, and sectioned 

 just as well as heads wiiich had had the extended time treatment. 



The conclusions to be drawn seem to be, first, that large heads of composites 

 may be stained succi-ssfnlly in tolo, but to insure success a long time is necessary. 

 Ineidi'ntally it may be said that, so far as tests made have gone, alum cochineal 

 gives decidedly the best differential stain. 



Second, that successful infiltration can i)e madi' in a tiuu' as short as I'ight 

 hours i)y till' use of xylol, a longer treatnuMit f)eing unnecessary. That a treat- 

 ment with tnriienlinc and a mixture of (H'daroil and xyU)l. as far as Vernonia 

 is I'oncerned, gives unsucci'ssful results with the normal sized heads. Cedar oil 

 'alone was not tried, nor :\vv the experiments as to methods yet com])Ietetl. They 

 are given, howevi'r. in tlu' hoiie tiiat suggestions may bi' made that will extend 

 their sc(>j)e and bad to iiiort,' detinile conclusions. 



Km|!KV(H.(((;V Of THE KANfNCt'LACE.\E. Bv I >. \V. MoTTIER. 



('kktain Ciiemicae I'eatike.s IX the Seeds or I'lantacjo Viriunica and P. 



I'ATAi.ONK A. i!v A I.IDA 'SI. CfXNIXCillAM. 



In the study of the genus Plantiu/o, to ascertain the value ()f seed cliaracters 

 in determining specific rank, the peculiarities hereinafter described were noticed 

 as among the results of some of the experiments. These results, in themselves, 

 are jjcrhaps of little or no value in determining the (juestion under investigation, 

 yet, they are so closely connected with the experiments, and altogether so pecul- 

 iar as to warrant a somewhat extendeil research. 



