1884.] 



MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 



235 



the kind? Has the evolution ever 

 been traced, or are tlie intermediate 

 stages entirely lost? These and sim- 

 ilar questions present themselves to 

 our mind ; and unless some of our 

 botanists will come forward and at 

 least indicate in a general way the 

 nature of the evidence which is so 

 strong that present researches on this 

 subject are superfluous, there will be 

 some persons who will be led out of 

 the beaten path by Mr. Kruttschnitt's 

 observations. 



It is well known that competent 

 observers claim to have traced the 

 pollen tubes through the styles of 

 certain plants. This, however, does 

 not prove that this process of fertiliza- 

 tion is universal. 



Box E* came to hand Nov. 3d. It 

 contains some very good specimens 

 for study. 



1. Scales of Lepidocyrtus curvi- 

 collis. Louis H. Noe. This slide of 

 the test-podura scale, mounted by 

 Mr. Wahnsley, is a very good one. 

 Unlike most test-objects, the larger 

 and more distinctly marked scales are 

 regarded as most desirable for testing 

 objectives, and on this slide there are 

 a number of them. (Conf. Vol. IV, 

 p. lOI ) 



2. Larval Oysters. Rev. S. Lock- 

 wood. This is a specimen mounted 

 in balsam. The shells are much bet- 

 ter seen as opaque, dry-mounted ob- 

 jects. 



3. Lingual Ribbon of Natica. E. 

 A. Apgar. J. D. King thinks it is 

 not correctly named, and suggests 

 that it may be the linal ribbon of 

 young Fulgus carica^ with central 

 teeth longer and narrower than usual 

 in the specimens found on the coast 

 of New England. 



4. Small intestine of Rabbit. R. 

 H. Chase. Injected. 



5. Spiracle of Blow-fly. T. D. 

 Hodges. 



6. Asterosporium Hoffmani, Star 

 Fungus. E. A. Rau. The stellate 

 spores are quite remarkable and 

 abundant. This specimen is de- 

 scribed in the letter. 



Box Cj. arrived Nov. 19th with 

 two of Cole's preparations, viz., a 

 transverse section of stem of maple, 

 and a similar section of petiole of 

 Limnanthemum. 



Material for Distribution. — 

 After considerable delay we are at 

 last able to offer a few specimens of 

 material for mounting for distribution 

 among those subscribers who may 

 desire them. 



It will afford us pleasure to share 

 this material with those who will 

 prepare it for study ; but it may well 

 be understood that the preparation of 

 two or three hundred or more pack- 

 ages of various kinds of material in- 

 volves considerable expenditure of 

 time, and we would therefore request 

 all who desire to receive material 

 which is liable to injury in an envel- 

 ope, such as polycystina or foramin- 

 ifera, to send us small boxes of wood 

 or pasteboard, inclosing a stamped 

 tag, addressed for return. We can 

 then put in the material desired with- 

 out undue expenditure of time. 



Those who wish diatomaceous ma- 

 terial can enclose a stamped and ad- 

 dressed envelope, made of tough pa- 

 per, so that the hard lumps will not 

 break through. We cannot under- 

 take to provide the mailing packages 

 and do all the addressing, but must 

 request those who desire material to 

 assist in its preparation to the extent 

 mentioned above. 



The following named specimens 

 are now ready for distribution on the 

 terms mentioned below : 



Diatomaceous material from Toome 

 Bridge, Ireland, Port Hope, Can., 

 Monterey, Cal., San Gregorio, Cal., 

 Richmond, Va., Virginia City, Nev. 



Foraminiferal material from Can- 

 ada, Gravesend chalk, England. 



In a few cases we can send some 

 Barbadoes earth, containing Polycys- 

 tina, some spines of echini, suitable 

 for sections, and possibly some other 

 specimens. 



While we wish to accommodate 

 every one in the distribution of spe- 



