228 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [Aug 
that are under examination ; fora Jarge amount of work 
a cone of -9 would be quite sufficient for a lens of 1°40. 
Directions for the regressive stainiug methods are con- 
tained fully in the ‘‘Microtomist’s Vade Mecum,” by Lee. 
Several pages are devoted to the subject. The process 
could not be briefly described in these columns. 
CELL ConTENTS.— When it is desired to show the con- 
tents of cells and vessels in woods, the sections must be 
cut, and mounted, dry. The best tools for making large 
sections of hard wood, are a carpenter’s bench and a good 
plane. Longitudinal sections of almost any size can be. 
cut in this way, and they can be trimmed up and the ends 
cut square with a pair of scissors. Then, if desired, they 
may be soaked in water and mounted in glycerine jelly. 
If the cell contents, viz., oils, turpentine, or resin are re- 
quired. to be shown, the sections must not be placed in 
alcohol because it would dissolve such contents; they 
consequently cannot be mounted in Canada balsam, I 
do not know of any microtome that will cut transverse 
sections of hsrd tissues of alargesize. The one referred 
to—Cole’s pattern—is a very good one, but I am afraid 
that paraffin would not do for embedding, especially in 
India; a good firm piece of carrot is the only thing I 
know of. For instructions in staining and mounting, I 
would recommend Lee’s ‘“Microtomist’s Vade Mecum,” 
and for practical botanical histology Strasburger’s “Prac- 
tical Botany. "— Knowledge. ) 
Notes on Microscopy. 
_F. SHILLINGTON SCALES, F.R.M.S. 
’ Microarapuic Fry CAaE.—The “Journal of the Royal 
Microscopical Society” describes and illustrates the ap- 
paratus exhibited at the meeting of the Society on Feb- 
ruary 20th, devised by Mr. G. H. Rogers, and made by 
Mr. ©. Baker, of High Holborn, for exhibiting the pro- 
boscis of the common house-fly as an opaque object. It 
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