i886.] 



NEW-YORK MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY. 



81 



6. Rutile Crystals, from Burke Co., North Carolina : by G. 

 F. KuNZ. 



7. Scalariform Cells of the wood of the Sweet-Gum tree 

 (^Liquidambar Styraciflua, L.) : by J. L. Zabriskie. 



8. Bacterium laciis, Lister : by P. H. Dudley. 



HAPLOPHRAGMIUM CASSIS. 



Mr. Woodward's note " On a new locality for Haplophrag- 

 miuni cassis " was read. 



COTTON FIBRE. 



Mr. Brevoort exhibited some photomicrographs of cotton fibre 

 obtained from a friend who was connected with a large Cotton 

 Manufacturing Company, and explained the method employed 

 by the company in the microscopical examination of cotton fibre, 

 which is as follows : — 



As the cotton is received, samples are taken from each bale 

 and photographed, and from the appearance of the photomicro- 

 graph and an examination of the cotton it is determined which 

 bales shall be mixed in manufacturing. 



The spirality of the fibre is first looked for. The cotton with 

 spiral fibre will twist together much more readily than the cotton 

 whose fibre is comparatively flat and straight. In manufactur- 

 ing, the spiral fibre makes less waste and a more even thread. 

 A fibre with good thick edges will give strength to the yarn, 

 while the oil deposits present in fibre make the yarn smoother 

 and more elastic. The evenness in diameter causes the fibre to 

 draw more evenly, and makes a smooth round thread. Fibres 

 with spirality, good thick edges, well filled with oil, and even in 

 diameter, will make good cloth with little waste, while round, 

 straight fibres will make weak yarn with a large amount of waste. 



LIQUIDAMBER STYRACIFLUA, 



The President exhibited a longitudinal, radial section of the 

 wood of the Sweet-Gum tree {^Liquidaviber Styraciflud), and, in 



