274 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [December, 



Detection of Adulterated Honey. — The amount of pollen contained 

 and the presence of crystals is not a sure test for adulteration. Pure 

 granulated honey is made up more than half of crystals. I send you a 

 slide of honey not yet granulated, in which little pollen is seen but 

 many crystals. This is absolutely genuine honey, taken from the comb 

 ten minutes before mounting. 



Albino Bees. — The so-called Albino hive bee has four very light- 

 colored segments of abdomen, but the rest of the body is black, or a 

 very dark brown, as in the ordinary Italian bee. The first queen of 

 this variety was a •• sport" from the pure Italian, and was bred bv the 

 Rev. H. A. King in Ohio over fifteen years ago. 



November 2, 1889. 



Microscopic Examination of Paper. — Mr. Herzberg. who has 

 charge of the examinations of paper at Charlottenburg. has just pub- 

 lished a very exhaustive work upon the subject, with numerous repro- 

 ductions of microscopic preparations. He brings especially into promi- 

 nence the peculiarities of certain fibres for rendering them easily dis- 

 tinguished. 



The author uses a solution of iodine for recognizing the various fibres, 

 which, according to their origin, assume various colors: (i) Wood- 

 wool and jute are colored yellow ; (2) straw, '• cellulose," and alfa do 

 not change ; (3) cotton, flax, and hemp are colored brown. 



For disintegrating the paper Mr. Herzberg does not emplo\- the 

 processes in common use. JSIechanical appliances, either needles or a 

 mortar, do not remove the size, starch, and weighing substances which 

 in part conceal the structure of the fibres and render the examination 

 of them difficult. He recommends that a small quantity of the paper 

 to be examined be submitted to ebullition for a quarter of an hour in a 

 I to 2 per cent, solution of soda. In this way the foreign substances 

 are got rid of and the fibres set free. The presence of wood-wool will 

 be ascertained, during the boiling, by the paper becoming yellow. 



After this treatment the whole is poured upon a brass strainer with 

 fine meshes and is washed with pure water. The washed residuum is 

 reduced to a homogeneous paste in a porcelain mortar. 



In the case of colored paper the coloring matter must be removed if 

 the boiling does not efiect the removal. To this end. hydrochloric acid, 

 chloride of lime, etc. is used according to the chemical nature of the 

 coloring matter. When the paper is not sized nothing but ^vater is 

 used for the boiling. If the presence of wool in the paper is suspected 

 an alcoholic solution, instead of an alkaline one. is used, as the latter 

 would dissolve the wool. 



The solution of iodine in iodide of potassium may be moi^e or less 

 concentrated. The color produced varies in depth according to the 

 concentration. The author generally uses the following formula : 

 Iodine, . . . . . . iS grains. 



Iodide of potassium, . . . .30 grains. 



Water. ...... 5 drachms. 



For spreading the paste upon the object-holder of the microscope he 

 employs two platimmi needles. The object-holder is placed upon a 

 white ground, so that the fibres will stand in relief more prominently. 

 The paste is covered with a glass, and the excess of Avater is removed 



