160 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [Sept 



EDITORIAL. 



The Zoological Bulletin, — Under the editorial direction 

 of Professors C. O. Whitman and W. M. Wheeler, is pub- 

 lished as a companion serial to t\:^^ Journal of Morphology ^ 

 and is desig-ned for shorter contributions in animal mor- 

 pholog"y and g-eneral biologfy, with no illustrations beyond 

 text-figures. 



Slides. — We have received two very interesting- slides 

 from W. A. Terry, Bristol, Conn. They represent the 

 artificial culture of diatoms ; one a two-year culture and 

 the other a 2^-year culture. He says he has nearly suc- 

 ceeded in convincing Prof, H. L. Smith that they are pro- 

 duced from spores. 



Spiders. — Many spiders use their rope-making power in 

 seizing their prey. They not only stab and poison their 

 victim, but tie it, wing and leg, rapidly throwing- over it 

 coil after coil of sticky ligament, which soon not only 

 render it helpless, but convert it into mummy, thoroughly 

 wrapped, and not only easy to carry, but put up for pre- 

 servation, should the spider not desire an immediate meal. 



The Gape Worm. — Dr. H. D. Walker, of Franklinville, 

 N. Y., has for many years given attention to that disease 

 which carries off so many fowls and has demonstrated 

 that the earth worm is the intermediate host through 

 which the parasite is communicated to hens and chickens. 

 The obvious remedy is not to allow them to eat earth- 

 worms. His first paper was read before the Buffalo 

 Microscopical Society, Nov. 11, 1884. Further study has 

 resulted in an illustrated pamphlet of 30 pages, published 

 Nov. 1897. Dr. Walker has had the cooperation of Dr. 

 Joseph Leidy and of Lord Wolsingham of England, to 

 whom he sent slides. Those who are interested in the 

 details of his twenty-two experiments would write to 

 him at Franklinville, N. Y. 



Laboratory Work. — From July 5 to August 27, 1898, 

 there was opportunity at Cold Spring Harbor, Long 

 Island, to study biology practically. There was apparatus 



