ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MIOROSOOPY, ETC. 299 



mixture is diluted with water in the proportion of 1 to 60-100, in order 

 to stain the sublimate preparation. In order to stain many sections at 

 once, glass troughs 15 cm. long, 2 • 5 cm. broad, and 5 cm. high were 

 used, and half filled with the staining solution. Herein, the prepara- 

 tions remained for 6 to 24 hours. Excess of the dye was removed with 

 90 per cent, alcohol, and after dehydration in 98 per cent, spirit and 

 clearing up in xylol, the preparations were mounted in xylol balsam. 



It is remarked that in the leucocytes found in the intestinal mucosa 

 black granules become visible after treatment with osmic acid, but as 

 these stained red after the foregoing solution, and were insoluble in 

 ether and xylol, they could not be fat. 



Investigation of Nervous Elements of Adductor Muscles of 

 Lamellibranchs.* — Sig. E. Galeazzi made use of the following method 

 in his investigation of the nervous elements of tho adductor muscles. 

 The muscles were placed in a mixture of one-third formic acid, and two- 

 thirds water, in order to soften the connective tissue which surrounds 

 the muscular bundles. After ten minutes they were washed with dis- 

 tilled water, and then cut into small pieces in the direction of the 

 longitudinal axis of the muscular fibres; then were put into a 1 per 

 cent, solution of chloride of gold, where they were left till they had a 

 yellowish-orange colour. They were then placed in distilled water, to 

 which a third part of formic acid had been added, and were placed in 

 the shade ; after 24 to 36 hours they wero coloured dark violet. They 

 were next placed in a mixture of water, glycerin, and nitric acid, and, 

 after 24 to 36 hours, could be easily isolated in glycerin. This method 

 is much to be preferred to that of making sections. 



Preparing Musca vomitoria.t — For fixing the chrysalides of flies, 

 Dr. J. van Rees coagulated the albumen by means of warm fluids, water, 

 alcohol of 30 to 100 per cent., and weak chromic acid. Imbedding was 

 effected in paraffin with benzin ; sometimes 3 to 5 days were found 

 necessary for saturating with paraffin heated from 52° to 58° C. 

 Eanvier's picrocarmine and Flemming's hsematoxylin did good service 

 singly or combined, also double staining with haematoxylin and eosin, 

 and lithium-carmine. 



The logwood staining is made more effective by washing in slightly 

 acidulated 70 per cent, alcohol, and the acid afterwards neutralized in 

 ammoniated alcohol. 



For examining the cutaneous muscular system of the larva or chrysalis 

 the author belauds eosin dissolved in oil of cloves. 



Examination of Thysanura and Collembola.| — Dr. J. T. Oudemans 

 dissected with needles living specimens of these insects, under the 

 dissecting Microscope, but he examined them in 15-20 per cent, alcohol, 

 and not in water. The tracheal system was studied in specimens 

 opened in dilute glycerin. Other examples were hardened and cut into 

 sections with Jung's microtome. Hardening was effected by warmed 

 dilute picro-sulphuric acid (1 part acid to 5 parts water), and then by 

 80, 90, and 100 per cent, alcohol ; another method, which had some 

 advantages, was the use of 1 part alcohol 80 per cent., and 1 part alcohol 

 80 per cent, saturated with sublimate, and later, alcohol as before. To 



* Arch. Ital. Biol., x. (1888) p. 389. 



t Zool. Jahrb. (Anat. Abth.), iii. (1888) p. 1. 



X Bijdragen tot de Dierkunde, svi. (1888) p. 152. 



X 2 



