1889.] MICK0SC0P1CAL JOURNAL. 131 



Report upon the Postal Club Boxes — VII. 



By QUEEN MAB. 



Box D. A prominent member of the Club over his initials characterizes 

 slide No. i as an example of how not to do a thing. The information 

 imparted by the preparer concerning this slide is thus concisely given 

 under the head of "How prepared :" ''Pretty poorly, I fear." No. 2 

 is prepai-ed by F. T. Ascham, of Sharon, Pa., in order to study 

 the characteristic structure of the tobacco leaf, with a view to detecting 

 the alleged adulterations in commercial tobacco, being a transverse 

 section of tobacco leaf showing midrib, veins, etc. Mr. Ascham finds, 

 at most, an undue proportion of powdered stems, and seeks the experi- 

 ence of his brother members as to finding cabbage leaves, paper, etc., 

 which are said to be among the adulterants used. F. F. Colwell, M. 

 D., Urbana, Ohio, in No. 3, contributes epidermal layer from foot of 

 horse. Chain cocci were numerous in the pus from the abscess. No. 

 4 is contributed by C. K. Wells, Marietta, Ohio. S. M. Mosgrove, 

 M. D., contributes No. 5, Trichina spiralis in biceps muscle, stating 

 that while the subject is old, the slide is of interest because of the pro- 

 fuseness of the occurrence of this parasite. E. L. Cheesman, of 

 Knowlesville, N. Y., sends out in No. 6 pollen of evening primrose, 

 CEnothera, stained with one of the aniline dyes and mounted in 

 benzole balsam. 



Box C. No. 1, prepared and contributed by W. C. Weymouth, of 

 Renovo, Pa., is a transverse section of stem of potato, stained with 

 carmine and aniline green, mounted in balsam, and ringed with shellac, 

 which is followed by white zinc. No. 2 is by E. L. Hewitt, of Bur- 

 lington, N. J., the sting of wasp, Vesfia vulgaris, showing "sting 

 drawn out of sheath for better display, and the palpi and poison glands." 

 No. 3 is contributed by Edward Pennock, of .Philadelphia, and is a 

 section of rock, ground down to show horizontal sections of fossil dia- 

 toms in their matrix, being a section of the famous " Cementstein," of 

 Jutland, Isle of Mors, Denmark. Objectives recommended, T 4 F to \ in. 

 No. 4 is the work of Dr. Geo. A. Rex, of Philadelphia, and the subject 

 one to which he has given much study, the Myxomycetes. This par- 

 ticular slide is a mount of " lattice fungus," Stemonitis morgani 

 Pk., showing the thready frame or net-work of two sporangia. 

 Glycerine jelly cell, gold size with lead oxides, cover fixed with 

 shellac and ringed with asphalt. Objectives, \ to \ in. The object of 

 this mount — for it is not one of the desultory class too freely represented 

 in the Club boxes — is to show an unusual amount of variation within 

 specific limits, even for the very variable group of Myxomycetes. But 

 for careful watching of these plants during two seasons, which proved 

 the development of intermediate stages between the two extreme forms, 

 a new species would have been added to the list, so great is the vari- 

 ation between these two forms. To appreciate the description the 

 slide must be seen. Of Slide No. 5, L. Brewer Hall, M. D., is the 

 preparer and contributor. It is the prothallus and young frond of a 

 maiden-hair fern, a species of Adiantum, stained with aniline green 

 and mounted in thick glycerine, ringed with gold size and lead oxides. 

 These prothallia, Dr. Hall says, he finds abundant on the tops and 

 sides of pots in green-houses in early spring, a fact which those who 

 would like to study prothallia will do well to note. 



