206 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [Jul 



their labors, we may look for an interesting report. It 

 may be noted, in conclusion, that only one member of the 

 expedition, Mr. E. Austin, Assistant in Diptera, British 

 Museum, became infected with malaria, through sleeping 

 one night without mosquito curtains. 



Naids. — The annelid Nais proboscidea is so called 

 from its long and contractile prostomium. It is common 

 amongst Lemnse, and its wonderful transparency makes it 

 a most interesting microscopic object when living. The 

 contractions and dilations of the vascular trunk can be 

 easily observed, as also the constant movement of the 

 prostomium, which though contractile, is not ret 'actile. 

 During the summer months the Naids frequently repro- 

 duce themselves by fission, a new individual being; form- 

 ed by constriction at one of the segments. 



Nomenclature of Nummulttes Perforata. — I have 

 received a note from Mr. Fortescue W. Millett, the emi- 

 nent authority on Foraminifera, with regard to the no- 

 menclature of Nummulites perforata, which will be in- 

 teresting to your readers studying these forms. He says: 

 — "I have seen your paper in Science-Gossip on the forams 

 of the Tocha Valley. N. perforata was not so named for 

 the reason you suggest (ante, p. 165). The rude figure of 

 Egeon perforatus being the xlii. genre of Montfort's 

 Conch. Syst. 808, p. 167, is either a copy, or an imita- 

 tion of Fichlel and Moll's figure of Nautilus lenticularis 

 var. Test. Micr. 1798, p*. 5*7. pi. vii. fig. h. It represents 

 a shell with sinuous strias, between which are tubercules 

 or perforations, hence Montfort's name." — Arthur Ear- 

 land, 28 Glenwood Road, Catford. 



Preparing and Mounting Wood Sections. — Mr. J. D. 

 King lays stress upon the necessity of using a good knife 

 of the finest steel and the finest edge, as well as a thorough- 

 ly satisfactory microtome. We have found the ordinary 

 English section-knife or razor barely strong enough for 



