28 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [February, 



the nephridia are therefore unquestionably ectoblastic structures. Prof. 

 Wilson believes this to establish two interesting homologies : — i, that between 

 the nephridial row of humbricus and the Wolffian duct of vertebrates ; and, 2, 

 that between the annelid nephridium and the vertebrate head-kidney or 

 pronephros. 



o 



Tumor of the oyster. — Prof. John A. Ryder* examined an oyster into 

 whose pericardiac cavity a large tumor had grown. This growth measured 

 an inch in length and one-half that in thickness, the animal being about three 

 inches long. The tumor was soft and yielding ; consisted of eighteen dis- 

 tinct lobes of irregular size fastened to the tissue which surrounds the rec- 

 tum. The histological examination of the tumor showed it traversed by ves- 

 sels and made up of connective tissue somewhat similar to molluscan con- 

 nective tissue ; large, thin-walled cells with a complex central mass of proto- 

 plasm suspended by a radiating network fastened to the wall. The tumor 

 was of interest as showing that lower animals are not exempt from morbid 

 growths. 



o 



Notes on the Umbelliferae of the United States. — J. M. Coulter and 

 J. N. Rosef have presented a scheme for the identification of the species of 

 UmbelliferEB by means of the study of sections of the fruit and its surface 

 characters. The ribs of the carpels, whether connected by reticulations or 

 not, whether developed into wings or cork}- ridges or not, the outline of 

 seed, nature of pericarp and sub-section, size and situation of all ducts, vary- 

 ing numbers are found to he among the most valuable diagnostic characters. 

 The series of papers, which, in December, had reached number viii, will, 

 when complete, have discussed every species east of the looth meridian and 

 illustrated all by at least a transverse section of the carpel. 



The staining of animal and vegetable tissues.J — II- 



By ARTHUR J. DOHERTY. 



MANCHESTER, ENGLAND. 



(^Continued fro7n fage 12). 



KLEINENBERG S ALCOHOLIC H.EMATOXYLIN. 



§ ' Prepare a saturated solution of calcium chloride in 70% alcohol, with 

 the addition of a little alum ; after having filtered mix one volume of this vsnth 

 from six to eight volumes of 70% alcohol. At the time of using the liquid 

 pour into it as many drops of a concentrated solution of hsematoxylin in ab- 

 solute alcohol as are sufficient to give the required color to the preparation, 

 of greater or less intensity, according to desire.' 



Place the piece of tissue in this solution for from six to eighteen hours, or 

 until the stain has penetrated to the verv centre ; then transfer it to 90% alco- 

 hol, which must be changed time after time until it is no longer colored by 

 the hasmatoxylin. The tissue may then be infiltrated with parafin wax and 

 spermaceti mixture, cut into sections, and mounted in the usual manner. 



The method is also applicable to the preparations of many soft or spongy 

 vegetable tissues, e. g.., stellate parenchyma, the tissue being afterwards im- 



*Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci , Philada., 1887, p. 25. 



t Bot. Gazette, 1887, January, etc. 



X Reprinted from Transactions of Manchester Microscopical Society, 1886. 



§ The ' Microtomist's Vade-Mecum.' 



