152 The Microscope. 



Kaiser's Glyceeine Jelly fok Plant Sections. — Prof. D. S. 

 Kellicott (Am. Post. Mic. Soc. Note Books) finds that objects, such as 

 stained leaf sections, are best shown in Kaiser's gylcerine jelly, to 

 which a large per cent, of gelatin has been added. Kaiser's fonnula 

 as given by Belerens is : Finest French gelatin, 1 part, by weight ; 

 soak 2 hours in 6 parts, by weight, of distilled water. To this 

 add 7 parts of chemically pure glycerine, and to each 100 gi'ams 

 of the mixture add 1 gram of carbolic acid. The mixture should 

 then be warmed with constant stirring for ten or fifteen minutes, till 

 all the flakes which were formed by stin-ing in the carbolic acid 

 have disappeared. Finally filter while still warm, through glass 

 wool, which has been previously washed and put in the funnel 

 while still moist. As to the method of using this preparation 

 Belerens says : " Glycerine jelly stiffens perfectly at ordinary 

 temperature, and so must be warmed each time it is used. For 

 this purpose it should be kept in a thin- walled test-tube, so that it may 

 be warmed in a moment. Then a drop is taken up by means of a glass 

 rod and put on the slide, the slide itself being gently warmed, and 

 the object which has been previously immersed in a weak solution of 

 glycerine is embedded in it. Then the cover-glass (warmed) is put 

 on and the whole left to cool. The preparation is completed when it 

 afterwards has been provided with a ring of varnish or cement 

 around the edge of the cover-glass. 



NEWS AND NOTES. 



Mr. T. Charters White recently read a paper before the Royal 

 Microscopical Society on "Tartar fi'om Teeth of the Stone Age," 

 numerous preparations being exhibited in illustration. 



From Science's London letter, we learn that the Zoological 

 Record, which was gradually going the way of all journals lacking 

 support, is to have a new lease of life under protection of the Zoolog- 

 ical Society. Prof. T. J. Bell will continue as editor. 



A writer in the English Mechanic says that " a brewer without 

 a microscope is almost analogous to a peacock without a tail." 



The assistants of Pasteur are starting at present a new period- 

 ical, a monthly paper devoted to all questions concerned with 

 micro-biology, which will contain original contributions and reviews. 

 It is edited by Prof. Duclaun, with the aid of the prominent 

 micro-biologists of Paris. The first number was issued at the end 

 of January. It will contain, also, monthly statistics concerning 

 anti-rabic inoculations. 



