Miscellaneous, 111 



Processes for the Preservation of the Lower Marine Animals. 

 By M, Maueice Bedot. 



The author particularly describes a new process which he has 

 invented bj* means of which Siphonophora may be preserved without 

 the separation of a single appendage of the colony from the stem. 

 To obtain good results the following method is to be adopted : — 



A solution of sulphate of copper of 15-20 per cent, is made in 

 distilled water (the strength may vary a little accoi'ding to the 

 species to be operated upon). Then the colony to be fixed is thrown 

 quickly into this solution, and in doing this a considerable quantity 

 of sea- water is at the same time poured in. The solution of sulphate 

 of copper must therefore be of about ten times the volume of the 

 sea-water. When the Siphouophore is fixed (which is effected in a 

 few minutes) some drops of nitric acid are added to the solution, 

 and it is stirred very gently with a glass rod, to prevent the forma- 

 tion of a precipitate. 



The Siphonophore is left for four or five hours in this solution, 

 and then hardened before placing it in alcohol. For the latter pur- 

 pose several hardening reagents may be employed. The best results 

 are obtained by employing Flemming's liquid, composed of 15 parts 

 of chromic acid of 1 per cent., 4 parts of osmic acid of 2 per cent., 

 and 1 part of glacial aoetic acid. As it is desirable as much as 

 possible to avoid touching the Siphonophore or changing its vessel 

 before it is completely hardened, the following is the mode of 

 operation : — Part of the solution of sulphate of copper is removed, 

 leaving only sufficient to cover the Siphonophore. Then the 

 Flemming's liquid is gently poured in and left to act for twenty- 

 four hours at least. The volume of this liquid employed must be 

 about double that of the solution of sulphate of copper. 



The most important operation in the preservation of these animals 

 is the transfer into alcohol, which must be very slow and gradual. 

 First there are added to the liquid containing the Siphonophore a 

 few drops of alcohol of 25 per cent., introduced by means of a 

 pipette as far as possible from the colony. Then the dose and the 

 concentration of the alcohol are gradually increased. This operation 

 must go on at least for a fortnight before alcohol of 70 per cent, can 

 be employed. The final preservation is made in alcohol of 90 per 

 cent. The results obtained are better in proportion as the transfer 

 into the alcohol has been slow. This rule is a general one in the 

 preservation of all pelagic animals. Chloride and acetate of copper 

 may also be employed ; but they do not give such good results. 



The solution of sulphate of copper may also be employed with 

 success in fixing a number of pelagic animals, such as certain Cteno- 

 phora, Medusae, Pteropoda, Heteropoda, Tunicata, &c. ; but it is 

 always well to harden them after fixation. — Bibl. Univ., Archives 

 des Sciences Physiques et Naturelles, June 15, 1889, p. 556. 



