1896 THE MICROSCOPE. 109 



tales the arsenic in a rich orang-e color and the antimony 

 of an orang-e color. The yellow tint is apparent when only 

 a one ten-thousandth part of arsenious acid is present. 



Daldinia Concentrica. — Nearly every one who has 

 wandered in the woods has observed on rotten wood little 

 sub-spherical, hemispherical or long- ovoid excrescences 

 from one quarter to one half an inch in length. They are 

 black spotted and resemble miniature plum puddings of 

 the fairies dotted with tiny raisins. The excrescences are 

 a fungus of the order Pyrenomycetes, sub order Dothi- 

 deaceae, genus Daldinia and species concentrica. The ex- 

 crescences are the stromas. 



To examine the plant cut the stromas in half with a sharp 

 knife. The inner arrang-ement will be seen to consist of 

 concentric layers. Place one of the severed halves under 

 a dissecting scope. 



In the top will be foundasort ofa honey-combed layer com- 

 posed of the perithecia; inside of the latter the asci will be 

 found; they appear like masses of white jelly. Remove a 

 few of the latter with a spatula to a drop of water in a 

 slide ; with forceps remove all dark woody and corky 

 pieces and leave nothing but the white jelly-like masses. 

 Cover and fill the space under the cover with a drop of 

 water and examine with a quarter objective. The long 

 pedicillate asci wall then appear; in each ascus will be 

 seen eig-ht brown spores. The contrast between the brown 

 spores and the hyaline acid will be exceedingly pleasing. 

 The spores will be noticed to be obliquely uniseriate or ar- 

 ranged one spore overlapping the other in a single row. 

 The little raisins on top of the pudding are the ostioles. 

 A good picture of this strange and interesting- plant may 

 be found in plate 38 of North American Pyrenomycetes 

 by Ellis and Everhart. 



Blood in Urine. — May be suspected if the urine has a 

 smoky or reddish -brown appearance, and may usually be 

 detected in a satisfactory manner by the microscope show- 

 ing blood corpuscles (these often do not show their char- 

 acteristic biconcave appearance). 



