ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY. MICROSCOPY, ETC. 301 



by this method he obtained bands consisting of perfect series. The 

 sections were, almost without exception, treated by Schallibaum's 

 method. Double-staining with hsematoxylin and eosin sometimes gave 

 good results, as did also those reagents with osmic acid added. The 

 last reagent may be recommended for the nervous system, borax-carmine 

 for the generative organs, gold chloride and hsematoxylin with eosin for 

 the cuticle. The reagents performed their work best when the prepara- 

 tions were placed in the warm oven. For the careful examination of 

 the cuticle, and in the study of the ova, the author made use of a 2 mm. 

 apochromatic immersion lens by Zeiss, the use of which he strongly 

 recommends. 



Preparing the Brain of Somomya erythrocephala.* — In order to 

 harden the brain of Somomya erythrocephala Dr. J. Cuccati uses Flem- 

 ming's mixture for 24 hours, or Eabl's fluid. In order that these may 

 penetrate the head quickly he cuts away part of the cuticle and of the 

 front of the mouth, and thus exposes the air-spaces in the head. In 

 order to keep the heads immersed they were placed in test-tubes plugged 

 with perforated discs of elder-pith. After hardening they were washed 

 for a quarter of an hour, and then transferred to spirit of 36 and 40 per 

 cent, for half an hour. This was followed by a mixture of spirit and 

 chloroform for 12 hours. They were then imbedded in paraffin, and the 

 chloroform slowly evaporated. The sections were stuck on with Meyer's 

 albumen, then transferred to alcohol and water, and next stained with 

 the following solution : — acid fuchsin, 3 grm. ; distilled water, 100 ccm. ; 

 chloral hydrate, 1 grm. In half an hour they were stained, and then 

 washed for 10 minutes in water, and having been dehydrated in alcohol 

 were passed through oil of cloves and mounted in Canada balsam. 



Preparing Megastoma entericum.| — Dr. B. Grassi and W. 

 Schewiakoff, on examining Megastoma enter-icum, found that these endo- 

 parasitic Flagellata became detached from the epithelial cells of the 

 small intestine (rats and mice), swam about, and died. They avoided 

 this by scraping off the villi and teasing them out in an artificial serum 

 composed of albumen 20 ccm., water 200 ccm., salt 1 gr. The animals 

 were then killed in the vapour of osmic acid slightly warmed, and treated 

 with a 10 per cent, soda solution, in order to examine the cilia, flagella, 

 and undulating membranes. Staining of the nuclei was difficult, the 

 best results being from Brass's acid carmine and hsematoxjlin. Previous 

 treatment with Flemming's chrom- osmium-acetic acid was found to be 

 advantageous. 



Preparation of Muscinese.^ — M. Amann prepares the peristome and 

 leaves in the following manner. The two halves of the moistened 

 capsule divided longitudinally are placed in a drop of a mixture of 

 equal parts pure glycerin and strong carbolic acid. A cover-glass is 

 imposed, and the slide heated with a spirit-lamp until the fluid boils 

 and all the air-bubbles have disappeared. 



Preparations thus mounted in carbolated glycerin may be preserved 

 for years if kept in a dust-tight box, and the liquid which evaporates in 

 the course of the first few days replaced. 



* Zeitschr. f. Wiss. ZooL, xlvi. (1888) pp. 240- (2 pis.). See this Journal, 

 1888, p. 944. 



t Zeitschr. f. Wiss. Zool., xlvi. (1888) pp. 143-54 (1 pi.). Cf. this Journal, 1888, 

 p. 599. 



X Journ. de Micrographie, xii. (1888) pp. 527-9. Rev. Bryol., xv. (1888) pp. 81-.S. 



