44 THE MICROSCOPE. March 
draw and about the right quantity will be obtained; add 
drop by drop atatime. After the lamp black and size are 
thoroughly mixed and worked add twenty-four drops of 
turpentine and again mix and work. 
Apply the mixture ith a camel’s hair brush and when 
it is thoroughly dry the articles will have as finea dead 
black as they did when they came from the optician’s 
hands. 
Frullania asagrayana.—This is a liver moss and is in- 
teresting from the fact that the leaves are marked bya 
central moniliform row of cells is often red or scarlet while 
the leaves are bright green. It is a pretty and interesting 
sight which is also common to Frullania tamarisciand F. 
fragifollia. A description of these interesting plants may 
be found in the revised edition of Gray’s lessons and Man- 
ual of Botany page 706 (1887). ‘These plants are easily 
found, almost ubiquitous and always pretty objects. They 
seem to keep and mount well in glycerine jelly, though 
they are very fine when kept in acabinet and examined in 
water when desired. 
A Mounting Medium for Desmids.—It is said that the 
following is a good mounting medium for desmids. 
Carbolated mucilage of gum arabic and a solution of 
borax. Mix ina watchglass. Puta drop on the desmids, 
cover and ring. 
How to Harden Balsam Mounts.—After mounting, 
heatthe balsam. Nearly all the specimens can be mounted 
in warm balsam, without fear of injury, and then as soon 
as the balsam becomes cool, it is firm and hard. 
Disinfection of Mails from Plague Districts.—The Pen- 
sylvania State board suggests to the Post-master General, 
in view of the fact that the plague isa germ disease, the 
importance of taking the necessary steps to insure the 
disinfection of all mails coming from districts in which the 
disease may prevail. 
