/ 
1887.] MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 53 
steward at the U. S. Arsenal at Frankford, Penna. He died on February 
3d at about the age of 35 years, of typhoid pneumonia. He was a member 
of the American ‘Society of Microscopists and also a fellow of the American 
Association for the Advancement of Science. A German by birth, he served 
in the late war. 
Dr. Persh was a most amiable, painstaking, and unselfish man, an expert 
bacteriologist, microscopist, and photographer. He contributed, from slides 
prepared by Dr. Thomas Taylor, sixty finely executed negatives and photo- 
graphs of the crystals of butter and various animal fats in illustration of dis- 
coveries relating to the morphology of fats, which will, be published in}the 
forthcoming report of the U. S. Department of Agriculture. 
Many of these photographs have been seen by us and are most admirable. 
We feel that in the death of Dr. Persh science has to regret the loss of one 
of its faithful followers and supporters. 
. O 
Tue Trenton Natural History Society has recently published a second 
number of its Journal (January, 1887), which contains several papers of 
general interest and great worth. Among these’we make mention of Key 
to the Rotifera, by Ore I. S. Stevens, and a key to the Fresh-water Polyzoa. 
Both of these papers are of general interest, and we hope to be allowed to 
present them at some future dose to our tendons, 
; O 
Tue Swiss Cross, numbers 1 and 2, have reached us. The magazine is 
a monthly one, the publication of.the Agassiz Association. The Association 
is now well known as a young people’s natural history society. It has done 
a great deal of good among foe boys and girls by directing them into useful 
lines of collecting and observing natural objects. The er Gweth of the society 
is evidenced by the appearance of the magazine, hen will be read with 
interest and profit by the young people, rival perhaps direct some surplus en- 
ergy from the tales of the borders to less exciting but more healthy topics than 
the adventures of youthful prodigies among oe. Indians, etc. The magazine 
appeals to older readers as well, “see is primarily for the youth, and we trust 
it may meet with a hearty reception from them, for, if they read it, it will do 
them good. 
O 
American Naturatist.—The January number of this leading American 
magazine in this department has been greatly delayed, but has at length 
reached us. The Waturalzst, as it enters upon volume xxi, changes both 
editorship and publishers. Prof. Packard, who has so long conducted it, 
and done so much to bring it to its present successful estate, has relinquished 
its editorial management to Profs. E. D. Cope and J. S. Kingsley, who are 
both of its former staff and known through this country as among our ablest 
scientists. We have no hesitation in expecting increased success for the 
magazine. Lippincott, of Philadelphia, has taken charge of it, and begun 
. by giving it the handsomest cover it has ever had. Within the covers there 
are ihe usual contents, among others a most interesting article by Julius Nel- 
son, of Johns Hopkins University, upon the significance of sex. 
oie 
Dr. Tuomas Tay tor, in his official report as microscopist to the Com- 
missioner of Agriculture, which has been recently submitted, presents a mono- 
graph upon butter and fats, containing 114 micro- photographic illustrations. 
The photographs, very handsomely executed, comprise ‘ primary,’ ‘ second- 
ary,’ and ‘ tertiary’ forms of the butter crystal, as well as beautiful types of 
lard, beef, oleomargarine, oleo, etc., and are the work of W. H. Walmsley 
and the late Dr. Bernard Persh, of Philadelphia—gratuitous labor in the 
interests of science. 
