1894 THE MICROSCOPE. 13 



ical Journal and is a quick and efficient way of staining blood, 

 and of double-staining nucleated blood. 



The blood is evenly spread, in a thin film on the slide, and 

 dried in the usual manner. It is then covered with a solution 

 containing eosin 5 grs, water 4 drachms, alcohol 4 drachms. In 

 about three minutes this is washed off in a glass of water ; and, 

 without drying, a solution containing methyl green 5 grs., and 

 one oz. of water is flowed over the slide. In about two min- 

 utes the slide is washed, dried and the corpuscle preserved in 

 Canada balsam. 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Amoeba. — This organism has been sectioned and stained in 

 such various ways as to exhibit the organism of its minute 

 structure far better than ever before understood. Amoeba was 

 believed to be very near to simple protoplasm, now it is found 

 to contain an excretory system. One man has seen striations 

 by means of which contraction takes place. Further research 

 is going on in the Huxley Laboratory at South Kensington, 

 London. 



Scientific Work in Illinois. — Dr. Josua Lindalil has been 

 dismissed from the post of State Geologist by political influence 

 and an obscure collector of fossils put in his place. The late 

 Prof. Worthen, while state geologist collected 2871 fine speci- 

 mens which the state has purchased from his estate. In Eng- 

 land, the making of private collections by a public official 

 would be considered very improper and in our own country, 

 the Smithsonian Institution emphatically prohibits every em- 

 ployee, even its messenger boys, from making private collections. 



Mechanical Finger. — Occasionally one wishes to pick up a 

 diatom or other small object in mounting, and the mechanical 

 finger is about the only thing with which it can be done suc- 

 cessfully. A slip of wood is held in place on the side of the 

 tube by rubber bands. The end of this slip is split, and in the 

 split is placed a cat's whisker. This is so pointed and stifl' 

 that it makes a good implement for the purpose. Arrange the 

 whisker so that the point of it is in focus, and then spread your 

 material on a slip. Pick out a diatom, and after moistening 



