60 



THE AMERICAN MONTHLY. 



[March. 



stores, but the American clothes-pin, my 

 favorite, blossoms in every country store. 

 I believe it is more readily to be had. 

 After adopting the following plan, 1 have 

 not lost more than two per cent, of covers. 

 I cut squares of glass a little smaller than 

 the covers, to put on the cover before ap- 

 plying the clothes-pin. This distributes 

 the pressure as evenly as a bullet can ; be- 

 sides the pin forms a convenient handle, 

 quite an advantage in handling slow-dry- 

 ing mounts. I also make the handles do 

 as temporary labels by writing the name 

 of object on them. I enclose the best 

 envelope I have, and shall be much ob- 

 liged for a little material for mounting. 

 Please command me if I can ever be of 

 service to you, and accept my best wishes 

 for yourself and the new volume. I for 

 one never yet made the acquaintance of 

 the man that pleased everybody and 

 amounted to much himself. 



F. DiENELT. 



Microscopic Specimens about Mobile 

 To THE Editor : — During the course 

 of the past year the following novelties 

 for the microscope have been found tribu- 

 tary to Mobile, Ala., by the writer. A 

 limestone or chalk formation from which 

 the microscopic foraminifera may be 

 brushed out in water, or worked into 

 semi-transparent sections ; microscopic 

 fossil, resinous pollen-grains ; fossil car- 

 bonized woods ; petrified woods, and 

 wood changed into iron pyrites, found in 

 a seam of Quaternary lignite ; fossil 

 sponge spicules and diatoms composing a 

 seam of material of close texture resem- 

 bling bituminous coal ; a dense foraminif- 

 erous limestone containing very minute 

 dark foraminifera in a transparent, white, 

 crystalline matrix, very pretty and unique. 

 Dredgings from lower channel, Moljile 

 Bay, furnished spines of minute sea ur- 

 chins, transparent foraminifera, and va- 

 rious specimens of marine diatoms as 

 Eupodiscus, Triceratiion, etc. A compact 

 Tripoli stone, showing casts of hollow spic- 

 ules, when examined in very thin sections. 

 K. M. Cunningham. 

 Mobile, Ala. 



NOTICES OF BOOKS. 



SmitJi s Diagram of Parliametitary Rules. 

 By Uriah Smith. Second edition — re- 

 vised. Battle Creek, Mich.: Review and 

 Herald Publishing Association. 1883. 

 (Price 50 cents.) 

 This is an invaluable aid to any person 



who has occasion to preside over meet- 

 ings. The diagram is of convenient size 

 for use, and folds in a book containing 

 the key to the diagram, which can be 

 carried in the pocket. On the diagram 

 the relations of various motions to each 

 other are shown at a glance. 



Outline of Vegetable Histology. By Mrs. 

 William Streeter, President section of 

 botany, R. A. S. Rochester, N. Y.: 

 Davis & Leyden. (Pamphlet, pp. 11, 

 with 5 plates ; price 50 cents.) 

 This is a very concise outline of vege- 

 table histology, which may be read with 

 profit by those who have not time or in- 

 clination to take up larger works. 

 The Geological and Natural History .Sur- 

 vey of Minnesota. The first annual re- 

 port, for the year 1872. By N. H. Win- 

 chell. State Geologist. Second edition. 

 Minneapolis. 1881. (Pamphlet, 8vo, 

 pp. 130.) 

 T/ie Geological and Natural History Sur- 

 vey of Minnesota. The eleventh annual 

 report, for the year 1882. N. H. Win- 

 chell. State Geologist. Minneapolis. 

 1884. (Pamphlet, 8vo, pp. 220.) 

 The Geological and Natural History Sur- 

 vey of Minnesota. The twelfth annual 

 report, for the year 1883. N. H. Win- 

 chell, State Geologist. Minneapolis. 

 1884. (Pamphlet, 8vo, pp. 196, with 

 numerous plates.) 



This volume is of special interest to 

 naturalists since it includes an extended 

 report on Minnesota Crustacea, by C. L. 

 Herrick, with a synopsis of the species 

 described in North America and keys to 

 the known species of the more important 

 genera. It is fully illustrated. 



There is also a catalogue of the flora of 

 Minnesota by Warren Upham, which is 

 rendered particularly useful by a good 

 index. 



Exchanges. 



[Exchanges are inserted in this cohimn without 

 charge. They will be strictly limited to mounted ob- 

 jects, and material for mounting] 



Will exchange very fine unmounted material for sin- 

 gle numbers or volumes of Microscopical Journal. 

 A. LAHR, 

 73 West 3d St., New York City. 



Wanted — A clean copy of the January 1884 number 

 of this Journal ; will give mounted slides in exchange , 

 or pay cash 



C. M. VORCE, 



Cleveland, O. 



Wanted good Diatomaceous material ; will give in 

 exchange unmounted A Peltucida very pure ; or first- 

 class mounts of diatoms. 



EDWARD S NOTT, 



Hamburg, Erie Co., N. Y. 



