3o6 



KNOWLEDGE & SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



[Dec, 1904. 



Conducted hy F. Shillingtox Scales, f.r.m s 



Royal Microscopical Society. 



At a meeting held on October 19 at 20, Hanover 

 Square, Dr. Dukinfield H. Scott, F.R.S., President, in 

 the chair, Mr. Rousselet described a Lucernal micro- 

 scope, further portions of which had been presented by 

 Mr. Orfeur. The instrument bore no maker's name, 

 but was built on .Adams' model and was probably of a 

 rather later date than his time. .A description of this 

 maker's " Improved and Universal Lucernal Micro- 

 scope " will be found in Adams' Essays on the Micro- 

 scope, 1787. The Secretary called attention to 

 micro-photographic portraits of Prof. Quekett and two 

 others who were unnamed, but which were identified 

 as being likenesses of Dr. Letheby and Dr. John 

 Millar. A communication from Mr. \V. D. Colver 

 was read describing the antenna of Pnhx irritans, on 

 the terminal joint of which Mr. Wm. Jenkinson, of 

 Sheffield, had discovered a lamellated structure which 

 he believed to have an olfactory function. Mr. Jenkin- 

 son had found similar structures in several other mem- 

 bers of the family of the Pulicidas. A slide showing 

 the entire antenna, and another showing the terminal 

 joint, were exhibited under microscopes, and photo- 

 graphs of the latter slide were also exhibited in the 

 room and on the screen. Part xvii., the concluding 

 part of Mr. Millett's Report on the Recent Foramini- 

 fera of the Malay Archipelago, was taken as read, and 

 will be duly published in the Society's journal. The 

 President then gave a demonstration "on " The Recon- 

 struction of a Fossil Plant." The plant selected was 

 Lygmodendron Oldhamium, and the growth of our 

 knowledge of its structure was illustrated by actual 

 sections and lantern slides shown on the screen. The 

 identification of the stem of a Pinites, the fern-like 

 petiole of Rachndpteris asfcra, and the foliage of 

 Spkenopferis Honinghausi as being corresponding parts 

 of Lyginodendron was demonstrated. It was dis- 

 covered that the stem was frequently branched, and 

 certain fossil .seeds are now, on structural evidence and 

 association, considered to be the fruit of this plant. 

 The reconstruction of the plant is, however, still in- 

 complete, as the male organs have not yet been identi- 

 fied with certainty. The position of Lvginodendron 

 as a seed-bearing plant allied at once to Cvcads and 

 Ferns was now established. A picture of die recon- 

 structed plant was shown on the screen, and models of 

 the seed, kindly lent bv Prof. F. W. Oliver, were 

 exhibited. 



The Quekett Microscopical Club. 



The 416th ordinary meeting of the Club was held 

 on October 21 at 20, Hanover Square, W. There was 

 an unusually large alfendanre of members, and the 

 long list of new members prf)posed for election gave 

 proof of the strong position held bv the Club which 

 will shortly celebrate its fortieth anniversary 



Messrs. W. Watson and Sons exhibited their latest 

 designs and models, both of microscopes and 

 apparatus, together with some very fine slides, princi- 

 pallv of marine life. 



I\ir. F. P. Smith gave a very interesting lecture on 

 the "Spiders of the Erigone group." He described 

 at some length the most striking feature of the sub- 

 Family, viz., the extraordinary formation of the caput 

 in the males. In this sex the caput is almost always 

 of a form different from that of the females, being, as 

 a rule, more or less raised. It was generally thought 

 that such elevation of the caput was intended to extend 

 the field of view, but this seemed doubtful, as the eyes 

 which were placed at the top of the elevation were 

 sometimes so feebly developed that they would gain 

 little or nothing from such elevation. In other species 

 again the eyes were not placed on the summit of the 

 elevation, and in some the elevation was so placed as 

 to obstruct the field of view. 



Mr. Smith then dealt with the classification of the 

 grouo, suggesting a re-arrangement of certain genera 

 and the creation of two new genera for existing species. 



Two very old members of the Club, both well known 

 in the microsconical world, have passed away during 

 the last month. 



C. G. Dunning joined the Quekett Club in October, 

 187J, and was on the Committee from 1876 to 1879. 

 He died on September 29. Being of a mechanical turn 

 of mind, he devoted himself to the improvement of 

 microscopical accessories, and invented an improved 

 form of turntable, a portable microscope lamp, and a 

 trough, all of which bore his name, and were in de- 

 mand in their time, though now superseded by later 

 models. 



Edward Dadswell, F.R.M.S., joined the Club in 

 January, 187s, and with the exception of one year, 

 1882, he served continuously on the Committee from 

 1879 to 1903. As one of the most familiar figures at 

 the Club, and prominent in its social life and 

 excursions, he will be greatly missed, although he had 

 not been able to attend for more than a vear previous 

 to his death. He died on October 6, and the interest 

 which he had always displayed in the Club is marked 

 hy a legfacy of ^^30, which he has bequeathed to it in 

 his will. 



Staining and Preserving Algae. 



J. Q. T. writes from Queensland giving the following 

 particulars of a method of staining and preserving 

 alga;, which he has found very satisfactory. The re- 

 agents required are made up as follows : — Fixing 

 solution: Chromic acid, i oz. ; glacial acetic acid, 4 oz. ; 

 formaldehyde as formalin (Schering's), 4 oz. Pre- 

 serving fluids : Best glycerine, 8 ozs.; glycerine jelly, 



1 oz. Chromo-aceiic acid: Chromic acid, i gramme; 

 acetic acid, i cc. ; water, 100 cc. Formalin {4 per 

 cent.); Schering's formalin, 10 cc. ; water, 90 cc. (for a 



2 per cent, solution take half the quantity of formalin). 

 Stains: — Tlaemaluni (Griibler); Hacmatoxylin solution: 

 Haematoxylin cryst. puriss., i gramme; water, 200 cc. 

 Iron alum solution: Iron alum, 3 grammes; water, 

 100 cc. (The iron alum should lie in pale violet 

 crystals, not yellow or green, and should be kept in an 

 air-tight tube.) Eosin solution (water soluble) : Eosin, 

 I gramme; water 200 cc. 



The material, which may be " fruiting " or sterile, 

 is gathered in jars and brought home in water, or can 

 be placed directly in the fixing solution at the time of 



