64 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [Apr. 



beat the shores where the lakes now flow. The diatom is 

 light and frequently floats on the surface. 



Cetraria Islandica.— This is a striking lichen from- 

 the fact that the margin of the thallus is beset with 

 pretty little spines. It is found in arctic and mountain- 

 ous regions. It is commonly known as Iceland moss and 

 the arctic plant is sold in all drug stores. It is gener- 

 ally found in fruit. It has been found in shady glens in 

 Ohio and in New England, but away from its native 

 home in a sterile condition. The fact of its presence in 

 Ohio is a proof of the ancient glacier which once covered 

 a large portion of Northern Ohio and brought this lichen, 

 with it to grow as a present monument of the distant 

 past. The color of the plant is olivaceous-chestnut and 

 the disk is dark-chestnut. The spores are simple, small, 

 and colorless. The spinules are interesting as they con- 

 tain the spermogones. 



EDITORIAL. 



General Index. — We can still supply copies of the gen- 

 eral index (16 years) to this journal to those who have use 

 for them. 



Apparatus. — The micromotoscope is a combination of 

 the microscope and the vitascope. It is an invention of 

 Dr. R. S. Watkins, and by its aid bacilli can be unerringly 

 discovered. 



Insurance.— At length the insurance companies, which 

 have always made medical examinations of applicants for 

 insurance, have begun to make microscopical examinations 

 of sputum and urine as aids to determining the health con- 

 ditions of applicants. They have, however, found it diffi- 

 cult to get satisfactory service in this respect from ordi- 

 nary medical examiners. They can perhaps waive it 

 where the amount of money bet on one's life is small, but 



