150 THE MICROSCOPE. 
removed by wiping the finger dry and continuing the rubbing until 
no frothy streaks appear in the film. Then tap the moist surface 
lightly with the finger, so that by light reflected at a proper angle it 
appears pebbled or stippled. Each section is pressed into the film 
with a brush, and when the slide is full a piece of filter-paper is 
placed over all and firmly pressed with the finger until every part of 
each section is in even contact with the glass. Then heat the slide 
over steam until the paraffin melts, and then plunge into turpentine. 
The film is opaque in alcohol, but this is corrected in turpentine and 
mounting. Mayer’s fixative consists of the filtered white of eggs 
with an equal volume of glycerine, and a little carbolie acid asa 
preservative. 
Soap Empeppine.—Pfitzer recommends a modification of the 
soap embedding process for a study of developmental processes. A 
mixture of equal parts of glycerine and 96 per cent. alcohol is 
saturated at 60°—70° C. with finely-shaved, transparent glycerine- 
soap. The plant parts taken from strong alcohol, are brought into 
the mixture before it sets by cooling, or they can be penetrated by 
allowing them to lie in a similar cold-saturated solution of soap. 
This embedding mass keeps without change in corked vessels, and 
becomes fluid at 40° C. The action of the alkali of the soap 
renders the sections particularly clear.—Botanical Gazette. 
Tue Kocus-Woxrz Microscope Lamp.*—This lamp was exhibited 
at the last meeting of the German naturalists at Cologne. It con- 
sists of an ordinary petroleum hand- 
lamp; having an external] dark (R) chim- 
ney, the inside of which is a reflector. 
The only opening through which light 
can pass is at (O). Into this short tube 
a cork is inserted, which in turn is per- 
forated by a glass tube having a 
diameter of about 1c. m., bent at any 
desired angle, and carried either below, 
or above the stage, as translucent or 
opaque objects are examined. The 
advantages of the lamps are that the eye encounters no ray of light 
save those provided by the tube; the apparatus can be used with any 
microscope; the light is steady, uniform, cool, diffuse and agreeable 
to the eye; white light may be obtained by placing colored glass over 
*Manufacturers’ Circular, also, Schiefferdecker in Zeitsch f. Mikr., Bd. V., H. 4p. 
