18 



THE AMERICAN MONTHLY 



[January, 



numerous desmids, diatoms and other 

 organisms. Sphagnutn is the generic 

 name of a kind of moss which grows in 

 bogs — it is often called bog-moss. The 

 moss which Prof. Leidy examined was 

 found in a cedar swamp in New Jersey. 

 We need hardly add that it would be well 

 for collectors to take home bunches of 

 moss which they find in marshy places, as 

 it is quite likely to furnish, not only such 

 organisms as Prof. Leidy describes, but 

 also the most beautiful and delicate 

 rotifers. 



— A circular to the members of the 

 American Postal Microscopical Club has 

 been issued by the Managers, requesting 

 immediate renewals of membership, in or- 

 der that the circuits may be arranged and 

 boxes put in circulation. No new circuits 

 will be established, but applications for 

 membership will be " entertained to the 

 extent of filling vacancies." Such appli- 

 cations should be sent to the managers 

 at Troy, N. Y. The officers for the en- 

 suing year are the following : President, 

 Rev. Samuel Lockwood ; Secretary, Rev. 

 A. B. Hervey; Ass't Secretary and Treas- 

 urer, Joseph McKay ; Managers, R. H. 

 Ward, M. D., and C. M. Vorce, Esq. We 

 would urge the members to reply to the 

 circular immediately, for by doing so they 

 will hasten the time of starting the boxes 

 on their circuits. 



— In the Third Annual Report of the 

 Department of Public Works, of Chicago, 

 a few pages are devoted to some remarks 

 of Mr. B. W. Thomas, who has subjected 

 the water of that city to microscopical ex- 

 amination. A full-page lithograph plate 

 accompanies the article, and shows the 

 more common forms of plant and animal 

 life that are found in the Chicago water. 



The remarks of Mr. Thomas can hardly 

 possess more than a local interest ; there- 

 fore, we cannot give space to a lengthy 

 notice of his work. It is unfortunate that 

 the specific names of the inhabitants of 

 the water were not carefully determined, 

 and given in the report, for its intrinsic 

 value would have been thus greatly en- 

 hanced. 



QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 



[This column is freeljr open to all who desire in- 

 formation upon any subject connected with micros- 

 copy. It is hoped that the readers will reply promptly 

 to the questions which are asked.] 



I. Can any reader inform me, what is 

 the highest magnifying power that has 

 been obtained by a microscope ? 



This is a question that was asked in 

 the Quarterly and I have waited patiently 

 for some one to reply, but have not re- 

 ceived any satisfactor}' answer yet. 



W. M. 



New York. 



2. I would Hke to be informed, why 

 objectives made for the resolution of test- 

 objects are more under-corrected than 

 those intended for ordinary Work } 



J. W. 



New York, Dec. 15, 1879. 



MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETIES 



CAMDEN, N, J. 



One of the most active of our Societies 

 appears to be the Microscopical Society of 

 Camden, N. J., of which Mr, A. P. Brown 

 is the President. This Society has a room 

 of its own, which the members have fitted 

 up with a neat floor of narrow boards, 

 finished in oil, suitable furniture, a hand- 

 some case containing an herbarium, in 

 which almost all the plants of New Jersey 

 are represented, and another case of the 

 minerals of New Jersey and the adjacent 

 States. Among the interesting objects 

 exhibited at a recent meeting may be 

 mentioned, living Stentors and a mounted 

 Melicerta by A. P. Brown ; a handsome 

 preparation of the foot of a garden spider 

 by A. W. Vail, showing the beautiful 

 " combs" by which the insect manages its 

 web, was shown by the Secretary Mr. J. 

 L. De LaCour ; the circulation in a sala- 

 mander by Dr. Geo. P. Fortiner. The 

 Society seems to be in a very prosperous 

 condition. 



NEW YORK. 



We have a very full report of the pro- 

 ceedings of this Society, furnished by the 

 Recording Secretary, dating from the 

 meeting of September 5th, but it was re- 

 ceived too late to be published entire. 

 We extract the more interesting parts as 

 follows : 



Sept. 5th. Mr. Hitchcock read a short 

 paper, on the conjugation of the Zygne- 

 maceae, which was illustrated by black- 

 board drawings. Mr. Van Brunt then 

 discussed some facts relating to the 

 subject, which he had also observed in 

 these plants ; and both gentlemen after- 

 wards showed some of the specimens, as 

 found in different stages of their exis- 

 tence. President Hyatt stated that he 

 and the Recording Secretary, Mr. Shultz, 



