122 SUMMARY OF CUERENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



preparation out with a pencil or scalpel, in order to transfer it at 

 once into a larger quantity of alcohol, wliicli must not be too strong. 

 Half an hour is usually enough to withdraw the fixing fluid and 

 replace it by alcohol, in which it may remain a longer time without 

 damage. For removing the chlorophyll colouring-matter of many 

 Infusoria, and also the Algas in the preparation, a longer stay in 

 alcohol is of course necessary, replacing it by clear alcohol when it 

 has become coloured. 



" Microscopical organisms thus treated are ready to be at once 

 mounted in dilute glycerine (1 part of distilled water to 1 of 

 glycerine). But colouring must not be neglected. Among the 

 colouring materials commonly used (carmine, htematoxylin, and various 

 aniline dyes), carmine certainly is to be preferred, because it is 

 not bleached in glycerine, and moreover does not colour everything 

 with one tint like the aniline dyes, but principally the nuclear ele- 

 ments. Prejiarations transferred from alcohol to carmine are mostly 

 coloured sufiiciently in 10-20 minutes, only loricated forms as 

 Euglena, Spirogyra and species of Phacus, the Peridineae, &c., require 

 several hours to make their nuclei sufficiently prominent. Before 

 being transferred into dilute glycerine, the preparations must of 

 course be put into distilled water, and remain until the yellow picric 

 acid is drawn out, and the preparation shows a nice rose colour. 



" By the above process beautiful and instructive preparations are 

 obtained, which when carefully mounted show no further change. I 

 have a fairly considerable collection of different Protozoa which have 

 not altered in the least for 6-7 months, and are adapted both for 

 demonstration and for detailed study." 



Preparing Anthers.* — J. Eataboul proposes an improved method 

 for preparing anthers, to show the fibrous cells of their walls. 



The ordinary method of j^reparation is to leave the anthers in 

 water until the walls swell, and by triturating with a quill to loosen 

 some shreds of tissue. If any cells are found the tissue must be 

 washed with care to remove pollen-grains and air-bubbles. These 

 manipulations are long, delicate, and difficult, and are not always 

 successful ; and the author's method is to place the anthers in 90° or 

 100° alcohol for 4-5 minutes, triturating grosso modo, and immediately 

 putting it in distilled water. The cells open as if by enchantment, 

 the pollen-grains are readily detached, the alcohol dissipates the 

 air-bubbles, and by this process a much larger portion of the anthers 

 can be obtained for examination. 



Herpell's Method of Preparing Fungi for the Herbarium.! — 

 G. Herpell announces some improvements on his method previously 

 published, and which we have already described. f 



In the method proposed for the preservation of the fleshy parts he 

 has no improvement to sixggest ; but in the preparation of the spores 

 various slight emendations have presented themselves. 



* Bull. Soc. Belg. Micr., vii. (1881) pp. cxliv-v. 

 t SB. Bot. Ver. Prov. Brandenburg, June 24, 1881. 

 X See this Journal, i. (1881) p. 136. 



