66 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [Feb. 



(three grains of celloidin to half an ounce of equal parts of 

 absolute alcohol and ether). This solution is colored red 

 by the addition of fuchsine, the stain being- added to the 

 alcohol before the celloidin is dissolved. The specimen is 

 allowed to remain in the solution for two or three days, 

 after which it is removed and placed on paper to dry. 

 The section is then ground to the desired tenuity and 

 mounted on balsam. The advantag-es of the process are 

 (1) the cavernous and tubular structures in dentine and 

 bone are filled with a colored medium, which prevents 

 the balsam from running" into such spaces and so obliterat- 

 ing them ; and (2) the section is rendered less brittle and 

 can, therefore, be easily ground down without much fear 

 of fracture. — English Mechanic. 



BIOLOGICAL NOTES. 



An international botanical g-arden is to be established at 

 Palermo, under the direction of Prof. Borzi, of the Univer- 

 sity. It is hoped that the favorable position of the g-arden 

 may attract foreig-n students. 



It seems certain now that the late Dr. Alfred Nobel has 

 made a munificent bequest to science. According- to the 

 terms of his will, so it is said, a fund is to be formed from 

 all his realisable property, the yearly interest from which 

 is to be divided into five equal portions, the first of which 

 is- to be allotted as a prize for the most important discov- 

 ery in the domain of physics; the second for the principal 

 chemical discovery or improvement; the third for the 

 chief discovery in physiolog-y or medicine; the fourth for 

 the most disting-uished literary contribution in the 

 same field; and the fifth is to be allotted to whomsoever 

 may have achieved the most or done the best to promote 

 the cause of peace. All these prizes are open to the world. 

 After deducting a few bequests to individuals, . it is ex- 

 pected that the fund thus devised to the cause of progress 

 will amount to the sum of nearly two millions sterling. — 

 English Mechanic. 



