1889.] MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 89 



BIOLOGICAL NOTES.* 



Ventilating Bees. — A correspondent of Nature from Mauritius 

 writes (vol. xxxix, p. 224) that in that as well as in other tropical coun- 

 tries certain bees are delegated to stand at the entrance of the hive, and by 

 the incessant motion of their wings " fan the interior " of the hive, these 

 being i - elieved at intervals by fresh bees, and all kept at their duty by a 

 guard. We venture to question the logic of this statement. The fact 

 being acceded, it is more reasonable to suppose that the fanning bees 

 are luxui'ating in the current of air the motion of their wings produces 

 rather than woiddng for the good of the community without the possi- 

 bility of knowing that there is such a good. We would suggest the 

 importance of observing more accurately with this question in mind. 



Botanical Laboratories. — The Botanical Gazette for January, 

 in continuation of its articles upon this topic, has an illustrated article 

 upon the Laboratory of the University of Pennsylvania. 



Newly Discovered Organ in the Cockroach. — Mr. Edward A. 

 Mierchin, in the ®htar. Jotir. of JSIic. Scie?zce (vol. xxix, p. 229), de- 

 scribes a new organ under the fifth tergite on the back of the cockroach, 

 Periplanita orientalis. It consists of a pair of small glands, which are 

 considered by him as odor producing glands. 



Finger Prints. — Mr. Francis Galton, F. R. S., in an address be- 

 fore the Anthropological Institute, describes an interesting method of 

 identifying individuals when other means are insufficient, by impres- 

 sions made by the ridges on the ends of the fingers and thumbs. These 

 are made either by pressing the thumb or finger upon a copperplate 

 upon which is a very thin film of printer's ink, and then pressing the 

 finger upon white paper, or using a piece of metal or glass with a coat- 

 ing of smoke upon it, and making the impression upon a moistened 

 gummed paper. The impression is said to be very characteristic, and 

 the form to remain constant throusfh life. 



The Common Dodder. — Dr. Henrietta E. Hooker contributes to 

 the Botanical Gazette (vol. xiv, p. 31) a valuable article on the growth 

 and structure of this interesting parasite, which is abundant in many 

 parts of the United States. For the microscopic structure fresh speci- 

 mens were preserved in alcohol and afterwards imbedded in celloidin, 

 and sections made so as to reveal the structure of the plant and its con- 

 nection with its host. 



Cestodes in Marine Fishes. — An abstract of the report of Prof. 

 Edwin Linton on subject in connection with the report of the U. S. 

 Fish Commission for 1886, given in A?n. Journ. Sci., gives the num- 

 ber of those parasites found in marine fishes at forty-two. The full re- 

 port will be of interest to biologists inasmuch as it relates to a group of 

 worms presenting many erratic features. 



*This department is conducted by Prof. J. H. Pillsbury. 



