Digest of Current Literature. 247 



THE Session of 1878. We are indebted to Mr. W. K. Brooks for 

 this valuable contribution. We have already referred to some of the 

 excellent scientific work done during the past summer. In this 

 volume the results are published in detail, with excellent illustrations, 

 occupying 170 pages. The contents are as follows: "Introductory," 

 by W. K. Brooks, Associate in Biology. " Partial List of Land Plants 

 found at Fort Wool," by N. B. Webster. " List of Animals observed 

 at Fort Wool," by P. R. Uhler. " The development of Li7igula and 

 the Systematic Position of the Brachiopoda," by W. K. Brooks ; illus- 

 trated by six plates. " Description of Lucifer Typhus" by Walter 

 Faxon ; one plate. " Preliminary Observations upon the Development 

 of the Marine Prosobranchiate Gasteropods," by W. K. Brooks ; one 

 plate. " The Larval Stages of Squilla Einpicsa, Say;" by W. K. Brooks; 

 with five plates. The energy and foresight which have led to the 

 equipment of the Summer Laboratory are amply rewarded by this 

 record of the work of the first year. An extended notice of the mono- 

 graphs mentioned would occupy more space than our limits will 

 allow. 



The Medical Record, on page 187, gives the main conclusions of 

 C. F. W. Bodecker, who has been studying the Structure of 

 Teeth in Dr. Heitzmann's laboratory. Several new discoveries are 

 claimed, but as the " new methods " of preparing the specimens are 

 not described, further comment is not necessary. On page 205 is 

 found a note on the Structure and Formation of the Giant 

 Cells of Tubercle, from the Gazette Medicate de Paris. 



Science Gossip for January has an illustrated article describing some 

 Fungi from Epping Forest; and a brief account of the development of 

 the House Fly, and its parasite. The February number contains a 

 contribution from A. M. McAldowis, on the Colors of Animals 

 and the Arrangement of Pigment in the Lepidoptera. In 

 the March number Mr. G. R. Vine continues his instructive contribu- 

 tions on POLYZOA, with a paper entitled " Physiological Character of 

 Fenestel/a." 



The New York Medical Journal for January contains an article by 

 A. M. Hurlbutt on the Structure of the Blood Corpuscles of 

 THE Oyster. 



The Cincinnati Medical News, for February, contains several short 

 papers under " Microscopy," among others is one by Prof. J. Edwards 

 Smith, on the "illumination with High Powers by Reflected Light." 

 In this article he speaks of Beck's Illuminator, used with wide-angled 

 objectives. Among other things he claims to have seen the nucleus 

 of the red blood-corpuscles of mammalia in this way, about three years 

 ago. The appearance of a nucleus, when the corpuscles are viewed 

 in this manner, has long been familiar to observers, and it is safe to 

 assert that no true nucleus can be thus demonstrated. 



