^18 



THP: AMERICAN MONTHLY 



[November, 



Trichina Spiralis," which is printed 

 in the Bulletin and illustrated with 

 three plates. The worms figured are 

 Trichina spiralis, Spiroptera strurnosa, 

 Rud., .5". Abbreviata, Rud., Disphara- 



gus ? Comb., Spiroptera clausa, 



Rud., Spiroptera ? These are 



also described in the text. 



Prof. Tuttle's Address. — In- 

 stead of giving a short abstract of this 

 address, as we at first intended, we 

 found it necessary to print nearly the 

 whole of it, in order to do full jus- 

 tice to the views of its able author. 

 Prof. Tuttle very modestly asks that 

 any weakness in his arguments be at- 

 tributed to himself, rather than to 

 the cause. Taking one view of the 

 subject, the view so well maintained 

 by Prof. Tuttle, it must be admitted 

 that the establishmenrt of an inde- 

 pendent section of microscopy seems 

 to confer upon microscopy the digni- 

 ty of a science which it scarcely de- 

 serves. Yet there are other consid- 

 erations which, it seems to us, fully 

 justify the formation of the section. 

 Certain subjects will always come be- 

 fore the Association which could not 

 be appropriately presented before 

 any of the other sections. As an in- 

 stance of this, the address of Dr. Car- 

 penter, published last month. Many 

 subjects pertaining to the microscope 

 belong as well to the physical and 

 biological sections ; but as both of 

 those sections have as much as they 

 can do already, it is well to afford an 

 opportunity for the presentation of 

 such subjects before a special section. 



On the whole, we think the estab- 

 lishment of the section of " Histology 

 and Microscopy " was a commenda- 

 ble action on the part of the Standing 

 Committee. 



NOTES. 



— According to Dr. T. J. Stuart the fol- 

 lowing method of mounting gizzards of 

 insects is a good one. Kill the insect, 

 a cricket is mentioned particularly, with 



benzine, cut off the extreme tail and pull 

 off the head which will bring out the in- 

 testine with the pyloric teeth. Cut off the 

 intestine and digest it half an hour in solu- 

 tion of caustic potash. Wash it well by 

 shaking it up with water to detach the 

 muscular coat and the tracheae; then slit 

 it up and mount in balsam by the carbolic 

 acid process. The so-called gizzards of 

 insects if well prepared make beautiful 

 objects, and we are surprised that they 

 are not more frequently seen in cabinets. 



— The third number of the Journal of 

 the Postal Microscopical Society (Lon- 

 don) contains much interesting reading. 

 There is an article on the adulteration of 

 coffee, an exceptionally good article de- 

 scribing the structure and habits of spiders, 

 a second paper on preparing loraminifera, 

 which treats of the methods of obtaining 

 the fossil forms, and some very good 

 notes by Mr, Tufhn West, besides other 

 matter, This number has five excellent 

 plates. 



— The seventh edition of Messrs. 

 Bausch and Lomb's " Price-list of Micro- 

 scopes, Objectives and Accessories" is a 

 neat pamphlet of 48 pages well printed 

 and fully illustrated with excellent wood- 

 cuts. All their microscopes except the 

 new " Professional " stand are figured, 

 and that is fully described. The micro- 

 scopes made by this firm are well di- 

 signed and carefully constructed, and are 

 deservedly popular. 



— According to Herr Chr. Stunbuch 

 the presence of any particular kind of 

 grain in a mixture is not to be recognized 

 by measurement of the starch-granules. 

 It is generally necessary to examine the 

 debris of tissues contained in the farina, 

 such as the pericarp and the albumen, the 

 gluten cells, etc. This examination is 

 very difficult for the reason that the 

 debris is lost in the great excess of 

 starch and albumenous matters. Leviga- 

 tion only imperfectly separates the latter, 

 so the author proposes to dissolve them 

 chemically. For this purpose the farina 

 is first treated, at 50° — 60°, with a solu- 

 tion of limpid malt, then washed several 

 times with water and then digested for 

 some time with a i per cent, solution of 

 caustic soda et 40° — 50*^. The debris of 

 tissues accumulates in the insoluble por- 

 tion, and may be easily recognized. 



— The Scovill Manufacturing Company 

 have devised an admirable apparatus for 

 photographing microscopic objects. It is 



