1064 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



"Berry's Hard Finish" as a Cement and Mounting Medium.* — 

 Prof. W. H. Seaman writes that early last winter Dr. Taylor suggested that 

 a varnish known as Berry's hard finish (substantially Zanzibar copal dis- 

 solved in turpentine) might serve as a cement. This varnish is in very 

 extensive use for coating wood in its natural colours, in the method now so 

 common, and hence easily got everywhere. Dr. C. T. Caldwell took up the 

 subject, and in the course of mounting a few slides, found he had a material 

 which was not only useful as a cement, but also as an imbedding or mount- 

 ing substance proper. Since his trials a number have used it, all with the 

 most favourable results. Prof. Seaman has slides showing insects imbedded 

 in it that have cleared up well without any previous preparation. Numerous 

 other mounts have been made by other persons of different kinds, and he 

 " has no hesitation in recommending it for trial as the most promising thing 

 in this line he knows." It is so common it may be obtained at any paint 

 store, and may be thinned with turpentine if too thick. One of its advan- 

 tages is that it does not precipitate when brought in contact with aqueous 

 solutions to anything like the extent that balsam does. 



King's Cement.f — Under the heading " a thoroughly reliable cement," 

 Miss M. A. Booth says that after an extended and critical experience she 

 thinks that the cement prepared by the Kev. J. D. King possesses all the 

 desirable qualities of a universally useful cement. To lovers of the 

 beautiful, King's scarlet or blue cement is pleasing to the eye, while that 

 large class of microscopists to whom such beauty is a blemish will find in 

 his amber cement reliability shorn of any objectionable features. In every 

 instance in which she has known where King's cements have not proved 

 fully satisfactory the fault has been with the user. 



In using Mr. King's cements, four points are to be observed : — 



(1) Keep your cement of the right consistency ; if too thick, thin it 

 with alcohol. 



(2) Use a Winsor and Newton Eigger brush No. 2 ; have its handle put 

 through rubber cork, and keep the brush when not in use in a corked 

 vial of alcohol. 



(3) While using the brush wash it frequently in alcohol. 



(4) Use no cement cells until they are thoroughly dry. 



" Observing these precautions, we have an infallible cement." 



H OLDEN, A. L. — A New Material CaMnet. 



["A very artistic and inexpensive material cabinet can easily be constructed in the 

 following manner : — It consists of three tin or wooden boxes, of equal height, 

 with flat covers, varying in diameter from 1 J to 3| in. Take the largest, and 

 fasten to the bottom a circle of wood or metal, 4J in. in diameter and 1/2 in. in 

 thickness. The projection will form a rest for the vials, which are held in 

 position by a rubber band placed around each box. The next smaller box, 

 2| in, in diameter, should be fastened to the cover of the largest, and so on. 

 The interiors of the boxes form a receptacle for packets of dry material. If 

 painted a light colour, the objects in the vials will be easily seen, and when 

 finished, it makes a useful ornament for the microscopist's table."] 



Microscope, VII. (1887) p. 293 (1 fig.). 

 [M A N T ON, W. P., and others.] — Elementary Department. Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth 

 Lessons. [Mounting media. — Sealing and cements. — Cells. — Cell-building.] 



Microscope, VII. (1887) pp. 277-80, 302-4, 337-9. 



(6) Miscellaneous. 

 Crystallization by Cold.| — Dr. F. L. James makes geometrically perfect 

 crystals in the following manner: — Provide two watch-glasses of nearly 

 iequal size and shape, so that they fit snugly into each other. Into one of 



* Queen's Micr. Bulletin, iv. (1887) p. 33. 



t Microscope, vii. (1887) pp. 297-8. J Ibid., pp. 166-8. 



