MICROSCOPY. 97 
Atlicroscopy. 
Insects Movnrep witHout Pressure.—The mounting of whole 
insect preparations, or special organs, for examination under the 
microscope has always been a favourite pursuit with amateurs. The 
usual method is so well known as to need no description; probably no 
microscopist is without specimens prepared by himself, by friends, or by 
professional mounters. But how few of the objects are really of value to 
the biological student? As usually prepared the ‘‘insect preparations” 
are merely flattened-out and feeble reminiscences of what they were when 
alive ; their more minute organs are frequently obscured, orif any attempt at 
arrangement has been made so as to display the noticeable parts of their 
structures, the conditions of the ‘‘ squashed” mounting almost invariably 
prevent anything like naturalness in the appearance of the object. Mr. 
Frederic Enock, of 30, Russell Road, Seven Sisters Road, London, 
a well-known entomologist, has recently presented to the Birmingham 
Natural History and Microscopical Society a number of preparations 
of insects of a very different kind from those we have referred to. 
Some of them are mounted in deep cells without pressure, and in these 
more particularly the characteristic features of the living insect are 
wonderfully preserved. Not only is the exterior aspect of the insect 
presented unimpaired, but very much of its internal structure also can be 
clearly made out when suitably illuminated. The following is a brief 
description of the exceedingly beautiful slides presented to the 
Birmingham Natural History and Microscopical Society :— 
1.—Head of Sand Wasp, (Cerceris arenaria,) mounted in fluid for 
examination by paraboloid or as an opaque object. In this 
preparation all the parts of the head and mouth of the insect 
are skilfully and beautifully displayed, and an observer could 
profitably spend some hours in its study. Amongst other 
interesting organs to be easily made out are the two kinds of 
eyes, ‘‘compound” and ‘‘simple,” the semi-club-like antenne, 
the powerful jaws, with their fringe of fine hairs, and the 
wonderful labium, with its tiny palpi and delicate ciliated 
ligula. 
2.—Lace-wing Fly, (Chrysopa perla,) mounted in balsam. Every 
part of this interesting insect is well shown, especially the 
strongly-spined wing-rays. 
3 and 4.—The Common Gnat, (male and female,) (Culex pipiens, ) 
exquisitely mounted so as to be attractive to the ordinary 
observer, and useful to the student of insect anatomy. 
5 and 6.—Garden Spider, (Epeira diadema,) (male and female.) The 
mouth parts, spinnerets, and other important organs all well 
arranged for examination by any powers. 
Mr. Bouton sends us the following list of living microscopic objects 
sent out by him during the last nine weeks to his subscribers :— 
‘Specimens of embryo trout and salmon, (cistes crystallinus, Rhynops 
vitrea, Hydatina senta, Euglena viridis, Spirostomum ambiguum, Spongilla 
fluviatilis, and Plumatella repens, just emerging from the statoblast or 
winter egg. With most of these I have sent drawings from life by 
Mr. H. H. Forrest, or copies of published illustrations. I have now 
coming forward Cristatella mucedo, the curious locomotive polyzoan, the 
colonies of which creep about aquatic plants.—Tuos. Bourton, 17, Ann 
Street, Birmingham.” 
