The Microscope. 55 



eter. In cutting the knife is kept flooded with alcohol to pre- 

 vent tearing the specimen. The specimens are taken from the 

 knife by means of a camel's-hair pencil, and are dropped into a 

 vessel of water. 



To color the sections, they are taken from the first dish and 

 washed in pure water; the excess of water is absorbed by 

 touching the specimens to a piece of blotting-paper ; this is 

 done so as not to dilute the staining-fluid. I prefer picro-car- 

 mine or alum-carmine and hematoxylin in the staining'of ani- 

 mal tissues. From the staining fluids the specimens are placed 

 in water containing acetic acid, and allowed to remain a few 

 moments. They are then washed until no more color is given 

 off, when they are transferred to alcohol of 96 per cent., where 

 they remain for ten minutes, and are then submerged in oil of 

 cloves for five or ten minutes. 



To place the specimen upon the slide, I first float it upon a 

 piece of paraffined paper (a trifle larger than the specimen.) 

 with the aid of a fine camel's-hair pencil. If there are wrinkles 

 in the specimen I hold the paper and the edge of the specimen 

 with the forceps and dip again and again into the oil of cloves 

 until the wrinkles have disappeared. Transferring the speci- 

 men to the slide, place it face downwards upon the center of the 

 slide, and gently place a blotter upon the paraffined paper cov- 

 ering the specimen ; this is to absorb the excess of oil. Care- 

 fully remove the paper with the forceps, and wipe the slide 

 with a clean linen cloth, being careful not to disturb the speci- 

 men. Add a drop of Canada balsam, thinned with chloroform, 

 and place the cover-glass in position. Do not press out the air- 

 bubbles, they will disappear after the first twenty-four hours. 

 Pressure upon the cover-glass often causes the specimen to 

 break or become disarranged. 



These methods, as above described, I have found to work 

 well, and if others will follow them there is no reason why they 

 will not succeed in their hands. 



OKIGINAL METHOD OF STAINING AND MOUNTING 



POLLENS. 



BY REV. J. T. BEOWNELL, A. M., AUBURN, N. Y. 



1. Material used. — Canada balsam, spirits of turpentine, 

 alcohol, analine colors, dissolved in alcohol. 



