58 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [Feb 
fungi Ascomycetes, popularly known as “Sac fungi,” and 
these particular ones are probably Uncinule mecator, or 
an ally, others similar are found on Virginia creeper and 
lilac leaves, If the cover-glass be pressed a little, asci 
with ascospores may be forced out. Some suppose the 
black spots on the leaf are due to a fungus; this may be 
so. Ihave carefully examined these spots for years, and 
have never been able to connect the one with the other, 
and shall be glad to hear more about this interesting mi- 
croscopical subject.— W.H.D.M. 
MICROCHEMICAL DEMONSTRATION OF THE PRESENCE OF 
CoprpER.—For the demonstration of the presence of cop- 
per by microchemical means, according to Pozzi-Escot in 
the Chemische Zeitung, two compounds of copper iodide 
and ammonia are especially suited. An ammoniacal cop- 
per oxy-salt solution, decomposed by the addition of po- 
tassium iodide, yields a crop of minute blue tetrahedric 
erystals, with the formula Culy, NH;, H,O. If to an 
ammoniacal copper oxy-salt solution, sufficient ammonia 
be added to dissolve the copper salt by aid of heat,and the 
same be heated about 40° C., under the addition of sodium 
or ammonium iodide, the liquid becomes yellowish green, 
and brown-black rhombic tablets, whose composition has 
not yet been established, are thrown down. The sub- 
stance is probably Cul, NH;. Itis very easily decom- 
posed—disappearing fully within 10 minutes, leaving on- 
ly yellowish green prismatic tablets to be seen. 
| NEW PUBLICATIONS. 
The Microscopy of Dicnking * Water.—By Gsoite Chan- 
dler Whipple. New York, John Wiley & Sons. 1899. pp. 
292, Plates xix. 3 
In this work, the historical matters are given, besides a 
very excellent account of the object of the microscopical ex- 
amination of water, and the different methods in vogue such 
