202 JOURNAL OF THE [November, 



"Though the stigma, when the flower is young, is immersed 

 in the pollen-mass, it is unable to appropriate that pollen. For 

 its two lobes are pressed together like a pair of closed lips, giving 

 the appearance of a serpent's head. But as the flower fades, the 

 pistil increases in length, and finally the stigma projects through 

 the aperture of the anther-tube, and then the lips open widely, 

 exposing the stigmatic surface to be acted on by the pollen 

 brought from another flower. 



" The specimen exhibited is a longitudinal section through 

 the anther-tube, showing the inclosed pollen-mass, the bearded 

 aperture, and the stigma, with its collar of bristles, at the inner 

 end of the tube. There is exhibited also the anther-tube of a 

 mature flower, with the stigma protruding and widely opened. 



" This subject was clearly explained and illustrated in " The 

 American Naturalist " for 1879, by Prof. J. E. Todd, and also, 

 in another article, by Prof. William Trelease." 



WHITE ROSIN AS A MOUNTING MEDIUM. 



Mr. William Wales : " Some time ago it occurred to me that 

 white rosin might prove a good medium for mounting micro- 

 scopic objects. It is easily soluble in alcohol, it melts readily, 

 it cools quickly, and it is more transparent than balsam. I have 

 found it a better material than balsam for cementing lenses, and 

 I deem this a good test. At my desire, Mr. Henry L. Brevoort 

 has given it a trial as a mounting medium. He has just com- 

 municated to me the result in writing." 



Mr. Wales then read Mr. Brevoort's communication. Its main 

 points are here given, in substance. ' The results of my experi- 

 ments in mounting with white rosin are very satisfactory. My 

 method is the following : On the centre of a clean glass slide 

 laid on the heating table, I put a small piece of rosin of the 

 purest quality. Heat is gently applied until the rosin becomes 

 as liquid as it can be made without burning it. To remove air- 

 bubbles, with a pointed glass rod I add to the liquefied rosin, 

 and stir in with it, a half-drop of turpentine. A moment or two 

 after the object to be mounted has been placed in the medium 

 and the cover-glass has been dropped upon it, the slide must be 

 removed from the hot table and a spring clip applied. In five 

 minutes the mount will be ready for finishing and labelling. I 

 have studied such objects as hairs and fur-fibres for three or four 



