Answers to Quertes. 231 
of light, chlorophyll, and transpiration. He shows that the salt is 
capable of passing from one cell to another. It does not appear 
to be connected with the assimilation of carbon, but it would 
appear from experiments made that oxalate of calcium was indis- 
pensable for the transfer of starch. He further shows that the 
phosphate, sulphate, and nitrate of calcium which frequently 
occur in leaves, especially in the parenchyma of the veins where 
they are frequently deposited, are split up under the influence of 
light by the green cells, the nitrogen, sulphur, and phosphorus 
being used up in the manufacture of proteids. J. Av Hoge: 
379 —Sections of Flower and Leaf-Buds.—The method des- 
cribed by Miss Latham on page 69 of the present volume gives 
very satisfactory results. J. A. Hoee. 
391.—Mounting Parasites.—Objects should not be transferred 
directly from spirit to Canada balsam, but should be soaked in oil 
of cloves and then in turpentine. Spirit is not a complete solvent 
of the resin of Canada balsam. J. Aw Hoe. 
392.—-Snow-Crystals.—Any means by which snow-crystals 
could be preserved in a room at ordinary temperature must of 
necessity be of a somewhat complicated nature. However, 
although it is difficult to bring in the snow, it is not so difficult to 
take out the friends and the microscope. J. A. Hoce. 
400.—Abbe Condenser.—In my reply to the above in the 
Scientific Engutrer of October, there are a couple of printer’s 
errors which ought to be corrected. In one case a semicolon is 
displaced. It ought to read :—“ With a lens of 75°, like Zeiss D 
(16"), it will give it; with large angles, the oblique rays enter the 
objective.” That is to say that the Abbé condenser will give dark- 
ground illumination up to 600 diameters with a low-angle lens like 
Zeiss %" (75°), but with the ordinary high angles it will not.—— 
Secondly, the name “ Leitz” is misprinted “ Leith,” an unknown 
maker. J. G. P. VEREKER. 
401.—Poison of Bees, Wasps, ete.—The poison of wasps, ants, 
etc., is generally supposed to be more or less concentrated formic 
acid ; but recently a large number of animal alkaloids have been 
discovered whose existence was not before suspected. It is quite 
possible that something of the kind existsin wasps. J. A. Hoce. 
413.—Opacity.—Possibly, a prolonged soaking in oil of cloves 
or turps would make them transparent. Why not use a solution 
for bleaching, liquor potasse, or a bleaching liquid made by 
adding ten drops of strong hydrochloric acid to half a drachm of 
chlorate of potash, and adding, after fifteen minutes, one ounce of 
water? When clear wash, transfer to spirit, oil of cloves, turps, 
or balsam. J. A. Hoce. 
