190 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [August, 



of filaments bearing ripe spores ready to be thrown off and carry on 

 their work of inoculation. 



It was suggested that here might be found a remedy for these annoy- 

 ing pests by systematically inoculating Aphis colonies when existing 

 epidemically, and Mr. Wickson stated that such a course had been 

 spoken of, but could not- say that it had ever been carried out. Unfor- 

 tunately, the more destructive of the fruit and grain pests do not seem 

 to be seriously attacked by this fungus, although the chinch bug has an 

 inveterate enemy in an allied fungus termed JEntofnophthora, which 

 also carries off the larvas of certain butterflies. 



The donations to the library were current numbers of the monthly 

 journal of the Royal Microscopical Society, and a copy of the annual 

 report of the Alameda Board of Health, donated by Dr. Rhiel. Sam- 

 ples of the Redondo beach diatomaceous earth have been forwarded to 

 various kindred societies at home and abroad, and the Corresponding 

 Secretary stated that a sample of the interesting gem sand would be 

 sent to the Royal Microscopical Society. 



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Leavenworth Microscopical Society. 



June 4, i88g. — One of the great pleasures of the evening, at the 

 residence of Prof. Lighton, was a visit to the Society by Dr. Theo. G. 

 Stanley, of Kansas City, Mo. 



This gentleman brought with him a complete series of slides of his 

 own preparation, illustrating the growth and development of the tooth. 

 Very many of the slides were worth their weight in gold, and were 

 described by Dr. Stanley in such a full and complete manner as to place 

 the Society under great obligations to him. 



Prof. Lighton exhibited a fine collection of teeth of his own prepara- 

 tion, containing several specimens of recent and fossil shark's teeth, 

 teeth of the snail, tooth of the horse, and human teeth. One of the 

 sections of human teeth was cut to a thickness of only one tvventy-four- 

 hundredth of an inch thick, mounted in styrax, exhibiting in a highly 

 interesting manner the union of enamel and dentine. 



Dr. Bidwell exhibited some very fine sections of human teeth and 

 some highly interesting vegetable sections. 



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San Francisco, Cal. — C. P. Bates, Secy. 



June 12, i88g. — The semi-monthly meeting was held at its rooms, 

 President Payzant in the chair. A. H. Breckenfeld, the Vice-President, 

 was present for the first time since recovering from his severe illness, 

 and exhibited some fine specimens of Melacerta ringens, a tube-build- 

 ing rotifer, belonging to the family of wheel animalcules. This variety 

 is considered the most beautiful of the species, and builds for its pro- 

 tection an ingenious tube, which it forms of round pellets that are elabo- 

 rated in the interior of the animalcule, and securely gummed together 

 with a secretion derived from the same source. This rotifer, when 

 feeding, extends itself partly from its tube and by means of several rows 

 of cilia produces a rapid rotary motion, one set of cilia drawing a 

 current of water containing food to its mouth, while another row ejects 

 the debris by a current produced in an opposite direction. The tube 

 and occupant are highly transparent and viewed by dark-ground illum- 

 ination never fails to excite astonishment and wonder at the sagacity 



