208 THE MICROSCOPE. [October, 



EDITOR'S^ 



DEPARTMENT 



QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 



Questions of all sorts relating to microscopy will be received by the publisher and referred 

 to Dr. S. G. Shanks, of Albany, N. Y., whose replies will be given in this department. Each 

 question is numbered for future reference. 



76. H01V should the ?nicroscope and MS. be managed in an 

 exa?ni7iation to detect a forgery ? — Opaque. 



Employ a low power ; sometimes a hand lens will be sufficient. 

 Known genuine writing should be examined for peculiarities in 

 the flow of the lines and loops, hesitations at certain letters or 

 parts of words, etc. An imitation will show more hesitancy and 

 less firmness of line than the natural, habitual, mechanical run 

 of the genuine script. Much patient study may be required to 

 form an opinion in a given case. 



77. Can the fats of other anitnals be detected by the micro- 

 scope like the fats in oleojfiargari7ie ? — E. C. Hoyt. 



There has been no particular incentive to study fats, other than 

 lard and beef, but the soft or oily fats probably differ from the lard 

 or tallow fats as lard has been ^und to differ from beef tallow. 



78. Is an animal hair a hollow tube ? — Paraboloid. 



A hair is not really a hollow tube but has a cellular pith, 

 which may contain air, probably as a result of drying. 



79. How are silk., flax., and cotton distinguished ? — C. A. B. 

 These fibres are very easily obtained for study and should be 



mounted and examined by every one w^ho has a microscope. 



Silk is a solid glass-like fibre, has no markings. Flax is a solid 

 fibre with numerous transverse markings, and usually a central or 

 longitudinal mark. Cotton is a smooth, flat, twisted fibre, really 

 a flattened tube with prominent edges ; no markings except those 

 due to folds or twists ; air entangled in the fibre may simulate a 

 pith. 



80. Is the wax found in the human ear a fungus.^ as has 

 been clai?7ied ? — Histology. 



The wax or cerumen of the external canal of the ear is a natural 

 excretion produced by certain glands ; it is acrid and offensive 

 to insects and deters them from voluntarily entering ; this is sup- 

 posed to be one of the functions of cerumen. Fungi in this canal 

 are always the result of disease. 



