1894.] MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 387 



demonstration fails to demonstrate because of inlierent 

 defects. If the diatom is a protozoan that fact has yet 

 to be determined. 



EDITORIAL. 



A Rare and Valuable Work.-In 1870 and 1871, during the 

 time Dr. Mathias Cook served as a surgeon in the Franco-Prus- 

 sian war, he came across some parts of an interesting work, 

 lablonsky's natural system of all domestic and foreign butter- 

 flies, as also of the same author domestic and foreign Coleopteras. 

 This work was published by Joachim Pauli, in Berlin, 1783 

 to 1806. 



At that time the doctor's hobby was entomology and he made 

 great efforts to obtain the same. Parts of it were found in Colo- 

 gne, Bonn, Leipsig, Manheim, Berlin, etc., and in spite of all 

 efforts it was impossible for him to obtain the whole of it. Only 

 one firm in Nurenberg offered, for the sum of $1,000, to get it 

 together, which was rather a tiifle more than is generally paid 

 for a book. But nearly 25 years' hard work succeeded in accom- 

 plishing a purpose, and with the addition of Mrs. Oberlin's help, 

 who has been fifteen months in Europe, the work was finally 

 obtained from various parties. That part of the work which 

 treats of the day butterflies consists of eleven volumes of read- 

 ing matter and 327 beautifully colored copper plates, with over 

 2,200 illustretions. The Coleoptera part consists of ten vol- 

 umes with 202 colored copper plates, in which are 3,250 illus- 

 trations. The most interesting part of the above work is that 

 these 5,000 illustrations are all painted by hand, and so natural 

 that no other process can produce the like. One hundied and 

 eleven years ago, when the work was publised, only 100 copies 

 of the same were issued. Of them only three copies are yet in 

 existence, of which the doctor has one, and it can be safely said 

 that this is the only work of its kind in America. 



Tuberculosis in Snakes. — Sometime since a snake was 

 found in England which Mr Arthur Stradling, F. Z. S., of Hert- 

 forshire, exhibited before Ihe Natural History Society and which 

 he stated was suffering from consumption or something very 

 analogous to that malady. 



