58 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



into position on a drop of clear water, remove 

 excess of water with blotting-paper and allow to 

 dry. Then place a drop of thick Canada-balsam 

 near them and heat over a spirit-lamp. Tilt the 

 slide to allow the liquefied balsam to flow over the 

 wings, lower a cover-glass gently into position and 

 allow to cool. On examination the veins will be 

 found red, the depth of colouring varying with the 

 length of time of staining, the thickness of the 

 veins, etc. 



Microscopical Research. — The May number 

 of the ' ' Geological Magazine " contains two articles 

 dealing with microscopic research. Mr. F. 

 Chapman, F.G.S., descants "On the Microscopic 

 Contents of a sample of Bracklesham Clay from 

 the Solent," and Professor Rupert Jones records 

 and figures some "New Entomostraca from 

 Brazil." 



Foraminifera. — Students of the Foraminifera 

 will find much of value and interest in the current 

 number of the " Revistaltaliana di Paleontologia," 

 in which Dr. C. Fornasini summarizes the contents 

 of several recent publications on the Rhisopoda. 

 Among the more noteworthy of these are " Nono 

 contributoallaconoscenradellamicrofauna terriaria 

 Italiana," " Noto micropaleontologiche " and 

 " Foraminiferi pliocenici della provincia di Siena." 



Seeds as Objects. — Those who are seeking 

 objects for slide-making purposes might be re- 

 minded that the seeds of our common garden 

 flowers will furnish an abundance. Foxglove, 

 mignonette, antirrhinum, petunia, larkspur, and 

 bartonia are specially interesting and beautiful. 

 To kill any fungi or insect ova that may be 

 attached, the seeds should be subjected to a heat 

 of about 2oo° Fah., after which they may be 

 mounted in the usual way. 



Marine Microscopic Life. — In the course of 

 an address on "Marine Organisms and the Con- 

 ditions of their Environment," which was recently 

 delivered at the Royal Institution, Dr. John 

 Murray, F.R.S., tells us that the pelagic tropical 

 waters of the ocean team with various forms of 

 liie of which from 70 to So per cent, are plants, 

 converting, under the influences of sunlight, the 

 inorganic constituents of sea-water into organic 

 compounds, thus forming the original source of 

 food of marine animals, both at the surface and at 

 the bottom of the sea. 



Spores of Vaucheria. — Early in May I found 

 an alga in a cattle tank, evidently a Vaucheria. 

 There were interspersed with it a number of 

 spherical bodies, 100-110 mm. in diameter, with 

 either one or two filaments, 30-35 mm. in diameter, 

 running out from them, and which I take to be 

 spores germinating. These filaments branched 

 into larger ones, and on one of the latter, measuring 

 50 mm., there occurred the nearly matured "flowers" 

 similar to those of V. sessilis, the oogonia measuring 

 50 by 70 mm. Now as the mature spores (or oospores) 

 are usually about the same size as the oogonia and 

 threads, the inference seems to be that plants of 

 this genus may fructify at any stage of growth. 

 Otherwise, how is the discrepancy between the 

 presumably last year's spores and the new oogonia 

 to be accounted for ? Then, further, as Cooke 

 gives 70 mm., and not 100 mm., for the size of the 

 spores of V. sessilis, what species is this likely to 

 be ? Or perhaps measurements are cf little use 

 in determination. Some of your readers may be 

 able to offer opinions. — W. P. Hamilton, 1, Underdale 

 Villas, Shrewsbury, June jth, 1897. 



Ringing Mounts. — The name of mediums for 

 ringing mounts is legion, but none gives neater 

 or more satisfactory results than liquid shellac. 

 Dissolve the shellac in naphtha and use without 

 further admixture of any kind. 



Mollusca in County Antrim. — Messrs. Standen 

 and Hardy, of Owens College, Manchester, in 

 company with Mr. Lionel E. Adams, Mr. R. Welch 

 and Mr. Chester, of Southport, have recently been 

 exploring the district about Ballycastle, in North 

 Ireland, and dredging in Church Bay, Rathlin 

 Island. The island was also examined for land 

 and freshwater mollusca, with the result that 

 thirty-four species were found in one day's work. 

 They also explored Whitepark Bay, Glendun and 

 Murlough Bay. The expedition was in continua- 

 tion of one commenced in September last. It is 

 not yet complete. The neighbourhood is a rich 

 one lor naturalists. 



Manganese Deposits. — In reply to Mr. 

 Mclntire's questions (ante p. 25), it is stated in 

 Mr. Whitaker's " Geology of London, etc.," vol. i. 

 1889, p. 300, that the gravel and its associated 

 sand may be of marine origin. This remark 

 appears to apply to the general mass, as there is 

 little doubt that some portions, such as that lying 

 near the Colne at Watford, and that in the dry 

 valley at Harpenden, were of fluviatile origin. 

 With regard to their composition, the gravels at 

 Harpenden and No Man's Land and those of the 

 Watford District differ considerably. The upper 

 chalk and tertiary beds, which have been largely 

 denuded, have supplied materials for both sets of 

 gravels, but whilst the gravels of the Watford 

 District contain numerous erratic blocks and 

 pebbles, those of Harpenden and No Man's Land 

 contain very few, so far as my own experience of 

 them goes. In a general way, it may be said that 

 the gravels referred to may have been laid down 

 by similar agents, but they differ considerably in 

 composition. I cannot say whether erratics from 

 the Nuneaton district have been found in the 

 boulder-clay at Bricket Wood, but boulders of 

 chalk, sandstones and grits (apparently carboni- 

 ferous), septaria (probably from the Oxford clay), 

 and Jurassic fossils have been found. These do 

 not seem to favour the supposition that the erratics 

 came from a north-easterly direction. I have not 

 yet examined the boulder-clay of Bricket Wood in 

 any detail. I am greatly obliged to Mr. Mclntire 

 for mentioning themanganese deposit at Harpenden. 

 The explanation given by me of the origin of the 

 manganese deposits of the Watford and St. Alban's 

 District I intend to put to the test as I continue 

 the examination of the gravel deposits. During 

 the past few weeks I have been fortunate in dis- 

 covering an exposure which is by far the most 

 interesting of the series, and tends greatly to show 

 that the manganese, in this exposure at least, 

 was derived wholly or in part from laminae of 

 manganese 'occurring in the Upper Reading Beds. 

 — T. E. Lones, Rokeby Lodge, St. Alban's Road, 

 Watford. 



