21)2 THE AMKRITAN MONTHLY [Oct., 



KKTPKHS TO THK KDITOH. 



SoTK.— Tki'f foiMuiH is open to all corrrsfomlfuts -aAo wn'/f upon ihc 

 topics rrnHmfnttnl Htnler " Problrms" or ivho give othrr itiformalion of 

 inter rst. The ftii-t t/iiit ii pi ohletn hits been attswertd once need not deter our 

 fi tends from mukiiis; itddiliomxl comments. To facilitate reference, corre- 

 spondents shonid cite the nnmbcr as -.veil as the pai:^e oil uhich hai<e ap- 

 pealed letters and i/neries to -.ihirh reference is made. The editor is not 

 responsible fcr the r/>:i> ,)/ others published in this periodical. 



Strasburger's Botany. — In re" Titles of Microscopicul Pub- 

 licatidi s "' IV. Journiil lor June. I eall attention to "Hand Book 

 of I'raetieal Hotany '' Ity E. Strasburger, edited from theCJernian 

 witb additions by W. Hillbou.'^e, M. A. F. L. S., 2nd edition re- 

 vised by aiitborand editor, published in London by Swan Son- 

 nenscbein ct Co., in N. Y., by Macniillan tfc Co., 1889. 



The above is far superior in every respect to the translation 

 by Hervey whieli you list, it I am ri<ibt in thinking they are 

 translations of the same orijiinal. 1 have the first, and the sec- 

 ond I saw and examined carefully, but I do not now recol- 

 leet tlie exaet title. Hillhouse and Hervey however liave botli 

 translated the same German work and the former ih decidedly 

 the better. 



CiKo. Whitfield Bkow.n, Jr. 



Proboscis of the Blow-fly. — In reply to an enquiry as to 

 tlie liest method of making the well known preparation of the 

 Proboscis of tlie Blow-fly {Mxisca vomitoria Linn.) I would not 

 advise any one to make the attempt. Topping had a great suc- 

 cess and made a specialty of this slide, which was one of singu- 

 lar beauty, and a valuable test for the performance of low powers, 

 but it is undoubtedly a great feat to reduce to an almost per- 

 fect plane, an organ so thick and full of muscle, and having a 

 complicated endo- and exo-skeleton ofchitine. 



If the attempt is made, the proboscis should be soaked for 

 some time in a solvent, and then most carefully pressed in 

 glycerine. 



For the purpose of study, a very good preparation can be 

 made by allowing the parts to take their own position, and if 

 several preparations are made, all the structural peculiarities 

 and beauties will be well exhibited. 



If chloroform is used as a means of death, the proboscis is 

 is almost invariably extended. John Michkls. 



