132 Bibliographical Xotices. 



BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 



Recent Foramiuiftra. A Descnptive Catalogue of Specimens dredjed 

 bi/ ilie U.S. Fish Coinmissioa Steamer '■Albatross.' By James M, 

 Flint, M.D., U.S.X., &c., Smithsooiim Iii&titution, U.S. National 

 Museum. Trora the Report of the U.S. National Museum for 

 1897, pp. 249-349, with 80 plates. Svo. Washington: Govern- 

 ment rrintiiig Office, 1899. 



The author, who is the " Honorary Curator, Division of Medicine, 

 U.S. National Museum," proves himself to be a genuine naturalist 

 by his able treatment of these Foraminifera, their specific identifi- 

 cation and tlie relative value of their varieties. For some years he 

 has been collecting from the bottom material brouglit up by the 

 ' Albatross ' at about '22o stations, chiefly in the North Atlantic, 

 with others from the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, and a few 

 from the Pacific. 



The abundance and excellence of the illustrMtion^, which are 

 wonderfully arranged with artistic neatness and scientific exactness, 

 present an important feature in opening the volume. " A uniform 

 enlargement of about 15 diameters has been maintained in the 

 figures .... useful to mark distinctly the relative size of the 

 objects." 



In the Museum the specimens are described as being mounted 

 with an arrangement admirably suited for the convenience of 

 microscopists and others. It is thus described at pages 2ol and 

 252:— 



" The exhibition series has been mounted expressly for public 

 display. The individuals of each species are attached in various 

 attitudes to the bottom of the shallow cavity of a concave blackened 

 disk of brass. For security each disk is provided with a removable 

 fenestrated brass cap having a top of thin glass. These disks are 

 arranged in concentric rows upon a large circular metal plate, 

 which occupies the place of the stage of an ordinary microscope. 

 The circular plate is given both a rotary and a too-and-fro move- 

 ment by means of a friction-roller and a rack-and-pinion, so that all 

 Ihe mounts may be successively brought under the microscope. The 

 specimens thus arranged are enclosed in a box having a glass top, 

 through which the objective of a microscope projects." Each of the 

 illustrative plates contains from one to seven of these mounts very 

 carefully photographed. 



The concise and yet satisfactory definitions of families, sub- 

 families, genera, and 231 species (pages 258-264) are ably designed 

 to assist the student in learning the history of these beautiful and 

 truly interesting protozoans. 



The structure and development of these Microzoa are briefly 

 described (pages 252-256), and at page 257 details are given of the 

 methods of sorting and arranging the specimens and more especially 

 of making and mounting sections of such as are required. 



