ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICKOSOOPY, ETC. 139 



Eecently some rings have been attached with liquid marine glue, 

 and the results so far seem very satisfactory ; but as the experience of 

 them does not go far back, no sufficient opinion as to their durability 

 can be expressed. 



As a precaution, the indiarubber rings have not been used too 

 new, and have in most cases been attached to the glass and in stock 

 some time before the object was mounted ; this, it was thought, 

 would minimize the danger of sulphur being deposited on the glass 

 and object ; and those mounted several years ago all remain perfectly 

 clear. 



Carbolic Acid in Mounting.* — Mr. C. M. Vorce finds that an 

 object which has been macerated in potash can be mounted in balsam 

 without drying, by the following procedure : — Take the object from 

 the potash solution, and arrange it on a glass slip, for which purpose 

 a piece of window-glass, 2 in. square, is very convenient. If necessary, 

 wash it with pure water, using a camel's-hair pencil ; then drain away 

 the water, and wipe around the object, add strong potash solution, and 

 after it has been in contact with every part of the object for a few 

 minutes, drain it away, and again wipe the glass as close around the 

 object as practicable. Add carbolic acid (pure) in considerable excess, 

 and warm the slip gently ; this causes the object to become opaque, 

 but do not be disconcerted by this. After a time, say fifteen minutes 

 for a small thin object, warm the slip and pour off the acid, and again 

 wipe. Add more clear acid, and transfer the object to a mounting- 

 slip, which is easily done without injuring the object as follows : — Lay 

 the slip on a box or block of about its own width, and i inch or more in 

 height, pour the acid from the square slip on to the middle of the 

 mounting-slip, and reversing the square slip, bring it down upon the 

 drop of acid so that the object may first touch it, when, with a little 

 care, the object will settle down into the acid without being much, if 

 at all disarranged. If necessary, it is then arranged under the dis- 

 secting Microscope, and when brought into the desired position, if it 

 is clear and quite transparent the acid is drained away, balsam added, 

 and the mount completed. 



If found to require cleaning, it can be done with needles and a 

 brush, as in ordinary cases. If clean but not transparent, warm and 

 set away under a bell-glass until it is fit to mount, making another 

 change of acid if necessary. In all cases it is best to take the last 

 change of acid from a bottle kept specially clean and pure for that 

 purpose. Objects macerated in acetic acid can be treated in the same 

 way. 



Wax Cells. t — The same writer says, that so much has been lately 

 said about wax cells, a little more cannot be amiss. He has some 

 that are utterly destroyed, and more that are very much injured 

 by the deposit on the under side of the cover. The worst of these were 

 mounted by one who was given to using turpentine to soften the wax ; 

 this is probably the cause of the deposit in these slides. His own 



* Amer. Mon. Micr. Journ., i. (1880) p. 207. t Ibid., p. 208. 



