1884.] 



MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 



95 



then draw it oft' and pour throuo^h 

 sufficient water to make a solution of 

 twelve ounces. Add four drachms of 

 glycerin and preserve in a bottle. 



By this method it is claimed that 

 the tannin is nearly all removed from 

 the logwood by the first washing with 

 water. We are not prepared to be- 

 lieve, however, that the solution as 

 thus prepared can be much if at all 

 superior to that used long ago by Dr. 

 Geo. D. Beatty, of Baltimore, for our 

 own recollection of Dr. Beatty's so- 

 lution is that it kept very well indeed. 

 His method was to take half an ounce 

 of ground logwood and one ounce of 

 alum, grind them together in a mor- 

 tar, then add five ounces of hot water, 

 and after two days filter, and add two 

 drachms of alcohol. In twenty-four 

 hours the solution was again filtered, 

 when it would keep, with occasional 

 filterings, for two months. 



If there is a decided advantage in 

 removing the tannin matters by the 

 preliminary treatment of the wood 

 with water, this could be done and 

 Dr. Beatty's method, which is prac- 

 tically the same as Dr. Mitchell's, 

 but more easily carried out, could be 

 then followed. 



Neglected Opportunities. — For 

 some reason microscopists, and, in- 

 deed, naturalists generally in Amer- 

 ica, seem to prefer work at home 

 rather than searching the fields and 

 woods and streams for their ti'easures 

 of animal and vegetable life. It is 

 different in England, where nature is 

 studied out of doors by naturalists of 

 all degrees of attainment, and there 

 is no doubt the frequent field-days of 

 the clubs and associations greatly add 

 to the success and profit of the regu- 

 lar meetings. If we are not mistaken, 

 there is a gradual change in this 

 respect coming over microscopists 

 here. Interest in pond-life seems to 

 be growing. This is doubtless due 

 in part to the fact that a few collect- 

 ors have taken the lead and enabled 

 others to become familiar with some 



of the forms of infusorial life so 

 abundant in all localities. The pub- 

 lication of Mr. Saville Kent's 'Man- 

 ual of the Infusoria' has doubtless 

 done much to increase the interest in 

 this subject here as well as abroad. 

 While Mr. Balen was sending out 

 specimens in tubes by mail, many 

 persons were enabled to study or- 

 ganisms they had never before seen. 

 Mr. Bolton, in England, has greatly 

 aided observers in the same way, and 

 he has discovered many new forms 

 which have been figured and de- 

 scribed in his portfolio of drawings. 

 Dr. A. C. Stokes has already, in the 

 short time he has devoted to this sub- 

 ject, described several new species of 

 the collared infusoria. 



No words of ours are needed to 

 point out the rich fields open for in- 

 vestigation to any one who will estab- 

 lish small aquaria at home and stock 

 them with a few alga; and weeds from 

 the ponds about, occasionally replen- 

 ishing the supply with fresh collec- 

 tions. Nevertheless it seems that 

 some urging is necessary to induce 

 those who are capable of undertaking 

 such investigations to give thought to 

 the subject and to begin work. Al- 

 most nothing is known about the in- 

 fusoria of any locality of the United 

 States. Botanists are studying the 

 phaenogamous flora and the fungi of 

 certain localities, and publishing lists 

 of species found ; but who are study- 

 ing the algcE or the infusoria.-' Yet 

 this Journal, devoted to microscopy 

 alone, has a circulation that is prob- 

 ably double that of any botanical 

 journal published in this country. 



What are microscopists doing in 

 the way of useful observation ? The 

 pages of this Journal show that 

 some of them are at work to a good 

 purpose, but the inass of them are 

 neglecting the attractive fields now 

 offered for valuable original obser\^a- 

 tions. Considering the number of 

 microscopists, it is strange that so 

 little is known of the microscopic life 

 of the country. It is to be hoped 

 that these few words will serve to 



