78 THE MICROSCOPE. May 



gently forced from yolk particles and the overlying portion of 

 the vitalline membrane. It is then drained until flat and with- 

 out creases, dried with gentle heat until the edges will just ad- 

 here to the slide, then immersed in 1 per cent osmic acid for 

 three minutes or until the preparation begins to turn black ; it 

 must then be thoroughly washed in distilled water, placed 

 for several days in a considerable quantity of Muller's eye fluid, 

 washed again, passed through alcohols of increasing strength, 

 cleaned and mounted. 



Muller's fluid consists of 



Bichromate of potassa 2 grammes. 



Sulphate of soda 1 gramme. 



Distilled water 1 gramme. 



The specimen thus mounted is suitable for low powers, a two 

 inch or one inch objective, and is an exceedingly interesting 

 specimen in embryology which will be explained in any good 

 work devoted to that subject. 



A Good ^A^ay to Mount Mosses. — If the specimen be one 

 that has been gathered for some time, cut a sprig of proper 

 size for mounting, wash the sprig in water, then spread out upon 

 a plain glass slide, wipe away the superfluous water; then 

 cover with another plain slide, bind the two slides with a strong 

 spring clip and set away to dry ; let it thus remain at least a 

 week. The specimen will then be dry and the 23arts will be 

 nicely spread out and displayed. Then place in a shallow cell 

 and mount in balsam. If the moss be green and fresh, first 

 wash in water, then put between the leaves of an old book or in 

 a flower press and leave until dry before mounting. This latter 

 method is good for mounting florets of the Composite or Sun- 

 flower order of plants. 



RECENT PUBLICATIONS. 



Sir Francis Bacon\s Cipher Story. — Discovered and deciphered 

 by Orville W. Owen, M. D. Vol. 1. Detroit and New York. 

 Howard Publishing Co., 8° pp. 198. Paper 50 cents. 



Our author claims to be able to transpose all the plays of 

 Shakespeare, Robert Green, George Peel and Christopher Mar- 

 low; the Fairy Queen, Shepherd's Calendar nnd all the works 

 of Edmund Spencer; the Anatomy of Melancholy of Robert Bur- 



