80 



THE AMERICAN MONTHLY 



[April, 1882. 



quinia by this method is far from com- 

 plete, and unless present in large propor- 

 tion, all the cinchonidia is likely to be 

 precipitated along with the quinia. On 

 recrystallizing from alcohol, however, the 

 two salts separate and can be dis- 

 tinguished by the microscope, although 

 not very readily. After crystallization, the 

 shape of the crystals becomes definite, 

 mostly appearing in thin rhombic prisms. 

 Mr. Wm. Hoskins spoke of the differ- 

 ences between the crystallization of the fat 

 of butter and that of lard, tallow, and 

 other fats. The speaker stated that upon 

 melting, and then cooling the clarified 

 fats slowly, the differences in the crystalli- 

 zation of the various fats were very mark- 

 ed, and that he was enabled in this way 

 to distinguish positively, adulterations of 

 suene, oleomargarine, etc., in butter. 



On February 17th, the microscopists of 

 Danville, 111., organized a microscopi- 

 cal society and named it the Griffith Mi- 

 croscopical Society of Danville. Rev, F. 

 W. Taylor, President ; J. C. Leavitt, M. 

 D., Vice-President ; Miss Sophia Andros, 

 Secretary and Treasurer. 



NOTICES OF BOOKS. 



A Synopsis of the North Amerzcan Li- 

 chens, Part I., Comprising the Parme- 

 liacei, Cladoniei, and Coenogoniei. By 

 Edward Tuckerman, M. A., Author of 

 Genera Lichenum. Boston : S. E. Cas- 

 sino, 1881. (Pp. 362. $3.50). 



For the student of lichens, this is almost 

 the only book now to be obtained for a 

 reasonable price. The two valuable Eng- 

 lish works " Lichen Flora of Great Brit- 

 ain " and the " Popular History of British 

 Lichens," are out of print, and can only 

 be found second-hand. It is to be hoped 

 the second part of the work before us will 

 be issued soon. 



The lichens, according to the views of 

 the author, are intermediate between the 

 algas and the fungi. In general, lichens are 

 aerial thallophytes, vegetating under the 

 influence of moisture, hence of slow and 

 interrupted growth. The book opens with 

 a concise description of the form, struc- 

 ture, the mode of growth and the fructifi- 

 cation of lichens. This part, although 

 condensed into only sixteen pages, is well 

 worth careful reading. 



The remainder of the book is devoted 

 to the description of the genera and spe- 

 cies, beginning with a key to the arrange- 



ment, similar to what is found in works* 

 on systematic botany. 



We wish to urge upon our readers the 

 examination and- study of lichens. Al- 

 though we cannot claim for ourselves an^ 

 special familiarity with those plants, \yi 

 have seen enough of their structure, aii^ 

 have read enough about them to be fully* 

 aware of the interest that must be attach- 

 ed to their study. Many readers have m 

 special subject of study, and if some r 

 them would take up the lichens, tht^l 

 would find far more pleasure in the in- 

 timate knowledge of these plants thus 

 obtained, than can ever be found in gen' 

 ral and superficial examination of the er., 

 tire vegetal kingdom. . .^ 



Exchanges. ;' 



[Exchanges are inserted in this column witho^ 

 charge. They will be strictly limited to mountcu 

 objects, and material for mounting.] 



Unmounted Foraminifera from the north of IrelarH 

 for mounted objects. T. B. JENNINGS, 



Signal Office, Springfield, Ills 



Diatoms, recent, fossil and in situ ; algae, ferns, ' 

 much other first-class material to exchange for fii 

 cla.ss material of any kind, prepared material, ai ' 

 particularly foreign diatoms, recent and foss 

 preferred. M. A. BOOTH, Longmeadow, Ma.ss. 



Having secured a supply of the microphotographii 

 films used for transmitting news by pigeon-post during 

 the siege of Paris, I will take pleasure in sending an 

 unmounted specimen, suitable for micro.scopic use, to 

 any person who will send me a stamped and directed 

 envelope for that purpose. R. H. WARD, M. D., 

 53 Fourth Street, Troy, N. Y. 



Well-mounted slides of Patholojjical and Histologi- 

 cal specimens, injected and otherwise, in exchange for 

 Insects, Polariscopic or Pathological slides. 



FRANK P. HUDNUT, Orange, N. J. 



A slide of well-cleaned Epitkejuia turgida offered 

 for any other well-mounted object or material. 

 H. S. WOODMAN, 

 P. O. Box 87, Brooklyn, E. D., New York. 



A beautiful collection of wild seeds of Central Ohio 

 to exchange. List furnished on application. 



F. O. JACOBS, Newark, Ohio. 



Well mounted Diatoms, etc., in exchange for first- 

 class slides, or material. W. H. TIVY, 



6th and Olive Streets,- St. '• Louis, Mo. 



Well mounted Diatoms on Alga, Polycistina, Zoo- 

 phytes various, and other miscellaneous objects for 

 other well mounted objects. Mounted Insects or parts 

 of Insects preferred. W. FARNELL, 



125 Walnut Street, Macon, Ga. 



For a packet of frustules of Biddulphia leevis^ send 

 slide, or unmounted specimen to 



K. M. CUNNINGHAM, 



Box 874, Mobile, Ala. 



