THE MICROSCOPE. 129 



morsel, concluded to ascertain, on the following day, what his gen- 

 erous hosts were feeding him. He accordingly called at a fish 

 market, selected a fish with a fine, fat tumor on his tail, and opened 

 it. And Avhat think you these Charleston seekers after delicacies 

 had been banqueting on? Of course you cannot guess, but we have 

 the Professor's word for it, the delicate morsel— the lump — contained 

 a tape worm. — Bistoury. 



New Parasites. — The Mississippi Valley Medical Monthly 

 quotes, "from the editorial columns of a daily paper," that a Dr. 

 Buhl, of Wisconsin, claims that he has discovered a vegetable 

 parasite which infests the human trousers and causes broken legs. 

 He has placed garments, cut after the manner of trousers and inoc- 

 ulated with the parasite in question, upon the fore legs of eighteen 

 cats, thirteen of whom were afterwards found in a steel trap, set for 

 the purpose in the doctor's back yard, each with a fore leg broken. 

 Dr. Buhl maintains that by inoculating human trousers with this 

 parasite, after it has been artificially bred in trousers supplied for 

 the purpose to cattle, men will be fully protected against broken 

 legs. The parasitic origin of all the ills and inconveniences known 

 to mortals, will, it is presumed, be fully proven before many years. 



Testing Flour for Adulterations.— Mr. H. Kraetzer, of 

 Lipzig, has indicated several modes of testing the quality of flour. 

 He says that a good unadulterated flour, on a handful of it being 

 taken, firmly pressed and placed on a board must preserve the 

 pressed shape. If the mass gives way the flour is usually adulter- 

 ated. Moreover, it should feel soft to the touch, although some- 

 what granulous. On passing a knife over it, it should spread wide- 

 ly, and if made into dough with a little water it should harden 

 quickly. The best and strongest wheat flour must appear purely 

 white, and if dissolved in eight parts of pure spring water it should 

 appear milky white and no extraneous substances should show 

 themselves on the surface. Ordinary flour must have a yellowish 

 color and adhere to the fingers, and be dry and weighty. It should 

 be capable of being pressed in the hand into lumps. — Sanitarian. 



Parasitic Monads in the Blood of Fishes. — Mitrophanow 

 has found two species, which he describes as new flagellate monads. 

 They were obtained — one from Cobitis fossilis, the other from 



