IO Short Papers and Notes. 
The Vallisneria Spirals. 
In studying the rotation in the Vadlisneria Spiralis, 1 have 
often noticed that a piece of leaf, about an inch long, has shown 
the circulation ten days or so after it has been cut off from the 
parent plant. That life should be kept up so long afterwards 
seems rather extraordinary, but of course the grains of chlorophyll 
travel more slowly in the stream of protoplasm, round the cells, 
as time goes on. ‘This is a curious and interesting subject, and 
contrary to all laws in the animal world, as a limb dismembered 
directly loses all its circulation. I suppose the leaf, though severed 
from the plant, still, through the stomata, has power to obtain 
nourishment from the water. M. A. HENTY. 
Sncombustible Materials. 
The composition by which the French lace is rendered incom- 
bustible, is equally adapted to render wool and flannel uninflam- 
mable. It isa mixture of eighty parts sulphate of ammonia, twenty- 
five parts carbonate of ammonia, thirty parts boracic acid, 
seventeen parts pure borax, twenty parts starch, and one thousand 
parts distilled or pure water. These ingredients are most 
thoroughly combined ; the materials are dipped in the solution 
when hot, so as to be completely impregnated, after which they 
are dried and ironed as ordinary starch fabrics. 
To Prepare the head of a Flea. 
Having first caught it, immerse for two or three weeks in 
spirit of wine, and then having covered it with a drop of thick 
gum on a slip of glass, to prevent flying under the knife, sever the 
head from the body and legs; press this severely between two 
slips while on the stage of the microscope, and when the parts 
are seen to be fully developed, dip in spirit of turpentine, mount 
at once in balsam under strong pressure, for the integument is 
thick and as hard almost as tortoise-shell. A more transparent 
preparation might be made by using a caustic solution, but this 
will mostly be at the sacrifice of some delicate parts. 
V. A. LATHAM. ° 
A Classical Remedy for iccough. 
Dr. A. Gibson (Edinburgh Med. Journ.) recommends tickling 
the nose in a case of hiccough. It is not necessary always to 
cause sneezing to interrupt the spasm of the diaphragm, but if 
sneezing should occur the hiccough stops at once. ‘This is in 
accordance with the aphorism of Hippocrates :—Y76 Avypod éxopévw 
rrappoi émcyevonevot, Nbovdr Tov Avypov, Which Mr Gibson renders— 
“Sneezing, occurring after hiccough, removes the hiccough.” 
