1882.J 



MICROSCOPICAL JOUENAL. 



153 



cuciibito, C. margaritiferinn, Desmi- 

 diujn Swartzii, Didy}nopriuni Grevillu, 

 Hyalotheca disiliens, Stmirastriim mac- 

 rocerum, Xanthidium armatum, Clos- 

 terium rostratmn, C. Leibleinit, C. Di- 

 ance, C. stfiolatufn, C. setaceutn, Tet- 

 memorus Brebissonii, Micrasterias 

 truncata, M. arcuata, M. furcata^ M. 

 denticulata, M. radiosa {M. oscitans .?) 

 (J/, quadrata ?), Fleurotanhnn bacu- 

 lum, SphcBrozos7na serrattnn, S. pul- 

 chmm, Spirotcenia cojidensata, Trip- 

 loceras verticiilatiwi, and several spe- 

 cies of Euastrnm. 



Infusoria were not absent. Proba- 

 bly the most note-worthy were Rhi- 

 pidodendron splendidum and Spongo- 

 monas ifitestitialis which were abun- 

 dant,while Spojigomonas discus was not 

 infrequent, and since the vessel has 

 been standing on my table many 

 large colonies of the curious Spo?tgo- 

 monas sacciilus, discovered in Eng- 

 land by W. Saville Kent, have ap- 

 peared and made themselves at home. 



The shallow water below the flood- 

 gates to this Jersey mill-pond was lit- 

 erally alive with young eels from 

 three to four inches in length. An 

 occurrence which had never be- 

 fore come to my notice was that they 

 were swarming out of the water and 

 up one of the gate-posts. The wet, 

 perpendicular surface of the wood, 

 for a foot above the water, was cov- 

 ered by a writhing mass of eels, and 

 when one fell back two seemed ready 

 to take the place. What could have 

 been the probable cause of the aerial 

 gymnastics of these aquatic creatures ? 

 A. C. Stokes. 



The Preparation of Diatoms. 



Dr. R. S. Warren complains that 

 directions for the preparation of dia- 

 toms are rather meagre in books. On 

 perusing his article, I do not find that 

 he has added anything new to our 

 previous knowledge. In Science Gos- 

 sip, 1877, pp. 145 and 217, he will 

 find that all, or nearly all, his methods 

 are fully described. Filtered water 

 may be used in the preliminary wash- 



ings, but before and after using sul- 

 phuric acid the material must be well 

 washed with distilled water, in order 

 to get rid of any lime that may be 

 present, otherwise minute crystals of 

 sulphate of lime attach themselves to 

 the diatoms to their great disfigure- 

 ment. His plan for eliminating sand 

 is identically the same as given by me 

 in the above named work. Whilst 

 calling attention to my papers in ^S^'- 

 ence Gossip, I do not claim to be the 

 inventor of the plans therein propos- 

 ed, many of them were suggestions of 

 correspondents. The use of liquor 

 potassse was suggested some five and 

 thirty years ago, by Professor Bailey. 

 Liquor ammonise by Dr. Arnott, of 

 Glasgow, but the plan of placing a 

 drop of the sandy diatom material on 

 a glass slide, as described in my pa- 

 per, was, I think, new. 



Query — What diatomaceous depo- 

 sits are sub plu tonic ? 



Fred. Kitton, Hon'y f. r. m. s. 

 Norwich, Eng. 



Staining and Preservation of 

 Tube-casts. 



To stain and preserve tube-casts, 

 I have found a logwood staining 

 solution, better than any other. This 

 solution is made by adding 5 grammes 

 of the extract of logwood, and the 

 same quantity of alum, to 100 c. c. of 

 water. The extract and alum should 

 be thoroughly triturated before the 

 water is added, and the whole then 

 left to stand until the extract is 

 completely taken up by the water, 

 which requires several hours, and. 

 then filtered. The best course to 

 pursue in staining, is to shake the 

 bottle containing the urine, then pour 

 it into a conical flask ; after several 

 hours, when the deposit is complete, 

 either draw or pour off the superna- 

 tant fluid, and add to the deposit 

 about an equal quantity of the stain- 

 ing fluid. At the end of one or two 

 days, the casts will be stained a 

 beautiful reddish-purple. I have 

 casts prepared in this manner over 



