98 



THE AMERICAN MONTHLY 



[May, 



with entomostraca, they will flourish 

 in an aquarium for an indefinite 

 length of time. 



The hydras, as first observed, all 

 belonged to the common green spe- 

 cies, Hydra viridis. Later, however, 

 we were able to find a flesh-colored 

 hydra among them, belonging to a 

 different species. These flesh-colored 

 forms were rather larger than the 

 green ones, and the tentacles were 

 much longer, and more slender and 

 graceful. They belong to a different 

 species, Hydra vulgaris. In another 

 jar, in which an abundance of 

 Nitella had been vigorously growing 

 all winter, a small, feathery, olive- 

 green ball was observed, the nature 

 of which was quite unknown until it 

 was examined under a microscope. 

 It floated free in the water, and was 

 readily drawn up in a dipping tube. 

 A glance through the microscope re- 

 vealed its nature. It was a young Toly- 

 pothrix., which, upon further study, 

 proved to be T. muscicola, a common 

 form. The characteristic feature of this 

 genus of algae is the peculiar manner 

 of branching. The filaments are 

 straight through the greater part of 

 their course, but where they branch, 

 the lateral filament runs along for a 

 short distance almost parallel with the 

 main filament, and then diverges from 

 it. The color is dark-green, or olive- 

 green as it is usually called. How it 

 ever came to grow in the jar is a mys- 

 tery ; for it is long since we found that 

 plant in any of our collections. The 

 spore must have remained latent in 

 the jar for months before it began to 

 grow. 



o 



Newspaper Science. — What is the 

 irresistible force which seems to per- 

 vade the editorial sanctums of nine- 

 tenths of our newspapers, and impels 

 them to select the absurd nonsense of 

 ignorant and sensational writers for 

 publication as scientific knowledge, 

 when they might, at the same cost 

 and with no more trouble, fulfil 

 their true mission as public educa- 

 tors? It seems as though there was 



some baneful influence at work which, 

 with a strong and unfortunate fatality, 

 leads our journalists to select the false 

 in preference to the true. Is it pos- 

 sible that such "news" is more at- 

 tractive to the public ? Or do Editors 

 think it is ? Our own experience 

 leads us to believe that in New York 

 City, the editors of our best newspa- 

 pers will publish absolutely erroneous 

 articles upon scientific subjects, ra- 

 ther than submit such articles to 

 the perusal of persons competent and 

 willing to criticise them. So long as 

 the sale of the paper is not injured 

 by them, the public must have such 

 articles foisted upon it as " scientific 

 news." 



We are led to say all this because 

 we happened to notice an article 

 from the Mechanical News, headed, 

 " Power of the Microscope," the fol- 

 lowing quotations from which are too 

 absurd for criticism: 



" There is a difficulty in determining the 

 exact degree of magnifying power." " It 

 has been found that in microscopic obser- 

 vations the use of the electric light makes 

 it possible to illumine at least 500 times 

 stronger than with gas. ' ' "By what is known 

 as Chevalier's method, the light is sepa- 

 rated by its difference in refrangibility so 

 that the heat rays are almost excluded." 

 " Bold as the attempt may seem, micro- 

 scopists have undertaken * * * ^q 

 estimate the size of the ultimate elemental 

 particles or atoms of which all matter is 

 composed." " The startling belief is ex- 

 pressed that the common house-fly is able 

 to see and distinctly recognize these in- 

 conceivably minute particles, its eye hav- 

 ing been found equipped with a peculiar 

 circular muscle, unknown to early ento- 

 mologists, which enables it to so change 

 its focus and apply its lenses as to attain 

 this incredible visual power." 



What a conglomeration of error 

 and deliberate falsehood is revealed 

 in these quotations! We only know 

 of one man who would be likely to 

 write such an article, even for pay, 

 and we strongly suspect this is only 

 another of his indiscretions. But is 

 not the Mechanical News ashamed of 

 itself for printing such nonsense, and 

 Good Health also for copying it ? 



