1886.] 



MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 



237 



ing specimens under the microscope. 

 The process occupies about three days 

 from the laying of the egg, and during 

 two nights the observer must not sleep, as 

 constant watching is necessary for about 

 thirty-six hours to follow the changes in 

 the egg. Rotifers that do not survive con- 

 finement must be placed in watch-glasses 

 to deposit their eggs, which are then 

 placed under the microscope. 



— Two new botanical journals have 

 recently made their appearance in Italy, 

 named, according to the fashion of Lin- 

 ticEit, Grevillca and Hedwigia, after two 

 distinguished botanists — De Notaris and 

 Malphighi. Three quarterly numbers 

 have now been published of Xotarisia, a 

 journal devoted to the interests of phycol- 

 ogy, issuing from Venice, and edited by 

 Sigg. De Toni and Levi. A very useful 

 feature in this publication is the list in 

 each number of the phycological litera- 

 ture, and the descriptions of all new spe- 

 cies published during the quarter. ^Ial- 

 pighia, of which the first monthly number 

 is issued, edited by Sigg. Borzi, Penzig, 

 Pirotta, and published at Messina, is of a 

 more general character. Besides reviews, 

 short notices, and a bibliography, it con- 

 tains articles ' On the Atomic Weights of 

 Living Things,' by L. Errera; 'On the 

 Structure of the Nictaries of ErytJu'onium 

 dens Cafiis,' hy S. Caloni ; 'On Soredial 

 Sporidia oi Ainp/iiloina Miiroriim,' by A. 

 Borzi ; and ' Researches on a Species of 

 Aspergilhis,' by F. Morini. — Nature, p. 

 626, Oct. 28, 1886. 



— We note the following announcement 

 in Zoologiescher Aiizeiger, Sept. 27th, 

 1886 : — Lehrbuch der Vergleichenden Mi- 

 croscopischen Anatomie, with reference to 

 comparative histology and histogeny. 

 By Dr. Hermann Fol. Lieferung I — 

 The Technique of Microscopical Anat- 

 omy. Bogen, 1-13, with 1-84 figures in 

 wood-cut. 1884. Price, 5 marks. 



MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETIES. 



San Francisco, Cal. 

 The annual reception tendered by the 

 San Francisco Microscopical Society to 

 its friends at Pioneer Hall, Saturday even- 

 ing, Oct. 16, '86, proved to be a most en- 

 joyable affair. Long lines of tables were 

 ranged along three sides of the hall and on 

 the platform. On these were placed forty- 

 five microscopes (the largest number ever 

 exhibited at any one time on this coast), 



embracing examples of the best work of 

 such renowned opticians as Zentmayer, 

 Ross, Beck, Zeiss, Crouch, Bausch & 

 Lomb, Gundlach, Nachet, Bulloch, Baher, 

 and others. Among the objectives used, 

 in addition to the productions of the 

 makers already named, were choice 

 specimens of the skill of Tolles, Spen- 

 cer, Powell & Leland, Hartnack, and 

 Swift. Nearly all the lamps with the in- 

 struments were screened with Japanese 

 shades, which not only produced a pretty 

 effect, but added to the comfort of visitors 

 and exhibitors by protecting their eyes 

 from a glare of light. The hst of guests 

 comprised many of the prominent names 

 in social and scientific circles of this vicin- 

 ity, and the occasion was evidently a 

 thoroughly enjoyable one to all concerned. 

 I. The first exhibitor on the list, Dr. C. 

 P. Bates, showed an interesting slide of 

 living infusoria, chiefly Monadina. The 

 strange forms and erratic gyrations of 

 these lowly organisms always prove at- 

 tractive to observers. 2. At the next table 

 the circulation of the blood was beauti- 

 fully shown by Dr. J. M. Selfridge, in the 

 mesentery of the living frog. 3. Crystals 

 of gold and silver were displayed by 

 George C. Hickox under his large Beck 

 binocular. Some large fern-like crystals 

 of gold were particularly admired. 4. E. 

 J. Wickson showed a fine series of living 

 scale insects under four excellent instru- 

 ments. As the ravages of insect pests 

 in this State are at present attracting 

 so much attention, this exhibit was re- 

 ceived with peculiar interest. The red 

 orange scale {Aspidwtits aiirantice) was a 

 most striking object. 5. A. H. Brecken- 

 feld exhibited the head of a jumping 

 spider, whose six gleaming eyes gave it a 

 peculiarly ferocious appearance ; the head 

 of a male wasp, showing the beautiful 

 structure of the sucking lingua or tongue, 

 and a slide of young oysters (rolling in 

 fluid) to which polarized light imparted 

 gorgeous hues. 6. The exhibit of Chas. 

 W. Banks was, as usual, a large and varied 

 one. An ingenious apparatus tor showing 

 the combustion of various metals in the 

 electric arc received many admiring com- 

 ments. Under another microscope were 

 shown the brilliant effects produced by the 

 passage of the electric spark through a 

 film of loose carbon. It was one of the 

 most effective displays in the line. A 

 number of other attractive objects were 

 shown by Mr. Banks, notably a fine slide 

 of a brittle star-fish {Op/iiocoina neg/ecfd), 

 beautifully shown under dark-field illumi- 

 nation. 7. At the next table Dr. J. H. 



