2298 Journal of Applied Microscopy 



[ NEWS AND NOTES. J 



The biological laboratory of the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences, 

 located at Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island, will hold its next regular session 

 for six weeks, beginning Wednesday, July 1st. Courses are offered in high 

 school zoology, by Dr. Davenport and Mr. Lutz ; in comparative anatomy, by 

 Dr. Pratt; in invertebrate embryology, by Dr. Sigerfoos ; in animal bionomics 

 and variation, by Dr. Davenport; in cryptogamic botany, by Dr. Johnson; in 

 ecology, by Mr. Whitford ; in bacteriology, by Dr. Davis, and in microscopic 

 methods, by Mrs. Davenport. Fifty students are admitted to receive instruction, 

 the tuition fee being $25. A limited number of rooms are offered, free of rental, 

 to properly qualified investigators. Application for such rooms, or for further 

 information, may be made to Professor C. B. Davenport, University of Chicago. 



We recently received the Catalogue of Exhibits at the Sixteenth Annual Ex- 

 hibition of the Department of Microscopy of the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and 

 Sciences, held February 14, 19U3. The attendance at the exhibition was be- 

 tween 300 and 400. In connection with the department the following historical 

 note is of interest: The Brooklyn Microscopical Club was organized February 

 10, 1881. Meetings were held twice a month at members' houses. Between 

 February and April, 1888, through Professor C. W. Peckham, it was merged 

 into the microscopical department of the Brooklyn Institute. The one 

 thing necessary for the success of a scientific institution, the publication of 

 papers, either generally or selected, is not done except in connection with the 

 museum. This was the first department of the institute and had sixty-eight 

 members when formed. The department has 134 members now. It has a con- 

 ference and lecture once a month. 



Mr. C. M. Clark offers the following note, which may be of interest : 



" I find that immersion (cedar) oil can be perfectly removed from a lens by 

 distilled water. To be sure, it requires a little more rubbing than when xylene, 

 etc., are used, but then there is no danger of damaging the lens setting. I use a 

 piece of any fine linen, which has been carefully washed and dried away from 

 dust. The oil is first wiped off as far as possible with this ; then a corner is 

 wet with water and wiped once over the lens, which is then wiped dry with an- 

 other portion of the cloth. About three such applications are generally neces- 

 sary to remove all the oil, but I have repeatedly removed oil that I have been 

 using for nearly an hour in less than three minutes. I suppose ' lens paper ' 

 would do just as well as linen, but I have never used it." 



The same writer says : 



" The hairs from the pods of cowhage (Mucuna pruriens) make interesting 

 objects of study. With a power of about 500 it is easy to see the cause of their 



