g^ The West American Scientist. 



Dr. James, who is attending the convention of the American 

 Pharmaceutical Association in this city is well known to all mi- 

 croscopists by his able contributions to this branch of science. 

 He gave an interesting account of a phenomenal class of cry- 

 stals produced from salicine by the extreme cold method as dis- 

 covered by him several years ago, and exhibited a series of 

 slides with the polariscope, which were pronounced by all to be 

 the most beautiful crystallizations ever seen. The process de- 

 pends on bringing a saturated solution of salicine made with dis- 

 tilled water in contact with cold below the freezing point, and Dr. 

 James' explanation is, that the rapid congelation of the water in- 

 terferes with the usual arrangement of the crystals, producing the 

 wonderful series before alluded to, which are entirely unlike any 

 forms resulting from crystallization at the ordinary temperature. 

 The proper manner of making white zinc cement and permanent 

 oxydized enamels for ringing slides formed a portion of his inter- 

 esting contribution to the meeting. 



H. M. Whelpley of the St. Louis Microscopical Club also 

 addressed the society on the subject ot the microscope in its 

 relation to pharmacy, pointing out the rapid progress being 

 made in the detection of adulterations and the interest manifested 

 generally among pharmaceutists in studying the character and 

 acquiring a correct knowledge of the crude constituents of the 

 7nateria medica. 



Pond life was illustrated by numerous specimens of Ceratium 

 longlcornis, and the beautiful little organism, Artemia salina, or 

 brine shrimp. Entomology was represented by prepared slides 

 of the larva of several varieties of the Papilio family. 



Professor Hanks presented for examination a venerable edition 

 of a work on Pharmaceutics published by Robert Lowell in 1661. 



Mr. Riedy donated a copy of Trembley's work on fresh water 

 Polypes, an exceedingly rare and valuable book, published in 

 1744. C. P. Bates, Rec- Sec. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY. 



Anthony Woodward. — Preliminery list of foraminiferae from 

 the post-pliocene sand at Santa Barbara, Calif., Journal of the 

 N. Y. Micro. Soc, Jan, 1889. Twenty-eight species are given. 



Wyoming's Resources.— An official publication, compiled by 

 the Secretary of the Territory, has been issued as a guide for 

 home seekers to the vacant public lands and contains descriptions 

 of soil, climate, productions, topography, minerals, etc. Chey- 

 enne, Wyo. T., 1889. 78 pp. 8 vo. ill. 



R. W. Shufeldt. — Observations upon the development of 

 the skull in Neotoma fuscipes; a contribution to the morphology 

 of the rodentia. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. of Phil. 1889. pp. 14-28. 

 two colored plates. From the author. 



