236 CORRESPONDENCE, [eat ee 
group of diatoms which had been bought at a considerable price, he 
found the thin glass cover supported at its four corners by little pieces 
of pasteboard, and fastened down by pasting over its edges the hand- 
some paper cover of the slide. He has not yet seen any of Bicknell’s 
beautiful specimens prepared in this slovenly manner, but scarcely 
any maker seems to be entirely exempt. He knows of no cure for 
this state of things except for microscopists to refuse to buy any 
specimens except those mounted in balsam, which are on paper-covered 
slides. Working microscopists can, and often do, preserve dry objects 
in cells of paper and pasteboard, an arrangement which is both conve- 
nient and economical ; but such preparations should always be carefully 
protected by Brunswick black or some other impervious varnish. 
CORRESPONDENCE. 
Freres oF THE Preanant UTErvs. 
To the Editor of the *‘ Monthly Microscopical Journal, London. 
Caracas (VENEZUELA), July 28, 1870. 
Sir,—I beg leave to send you the following answer to Mr. Benga- 
field’s query referring to the fibres of the pregnant uterus.* 
There is undoubtedly a misprint in Kolliker’s original work,t 
0:002—0-003"" being given as normal length of the cells of the con- 
tractile fibres of the uterus. It ought to be 0:02—0:'03'", as may be 
seen by reading on page 570, line 9. On the other hand, in the 
English translation of the passus in question, as quoted by Mr. Ben- 
gafield, an important line of the original text is omitted, which runs 
thus:—“The former (the enlargement) is so considerable, that the 
cells of the contractile fibres, instead of a length of 0:02—0:03', 
and width of 0:002'", as before, attain in the fifth month a length of 
0:-06—0:12'", a width of 0°0025— 0-006, and even of 0°01""; in the 
second half of the sixth month a length of 0:1—0-25'", a width of 
0:004—0-006, and a thickness of 0:002—0-0028'"; so that conse- 
quently their length is increased from seven to eleven times, and their 
width from twice to five times.” 
Now, an enlargement in length from 0°03 or 0°02’” to 0°25” is 
certainly equal to being increased from seven to eleven times. As 
the normal width is increased from 0°002'" to 0:006 or even 0:01" 
(fifth month), Kélliker should have written from twice to four times 
(instead of five times). 
I am, dear Sir, | 
Most truly yours, 
A. Ernst. 
* “Monthly Microscopical Journal,’ July, p. 43. 
+ Fourth edition. Leipzig, 1863. P. 567, last line. 
