86 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



• ' Si-W 1 



M1CR05C0PY 



CONDUCTED BY J. H. COOKE, F.L.S., F.G.S. 



To whom Notes, Articles and material relating to Microscopy, 



and intended for Science-Gossip, are, in the first instance, to 



be sent, addressed "/- H- Cooke, Thorndale, Lincoln." 



The Senses of Insects. — " The Senses of 

 Insects " formed the subject of one of the last 

 addresses to the Columbian University that was 

 delivered by the late Professor V. C. Riley. After 



distances. The highly-developed and delicate 

 antennae in the male Chironomus, for instance, may 

 be likened to an external brain, its ramifying fibres 

 corresponding to the highly complicated processes 

 that ramify from the nerve-cells in the internal 

 brains of higher animals, and responding in a 

 similar way to external impressions." 



British Freshwater Mites. — In mounting 

 these and other minute Acarids it will be found 

 best to kill the insects in hot water, which causes 

 them to expand their legs, so that when mounted 

 these appendages can readily be studied. If 

 mounted living the legs are almost invariably 

 curled up under the body and cannot be seen. 

 This method may also be used in the case of other 

 minute insects. 



Preserving Pond Gatherings. — Those who 

 are desirous of preserving their pond gatherings 

 for examination during the winter months may be 



Some Antennae of Insects. 



a, Tele i polyphetntis, male, x 3 ; b and c, tip of rays of same, still more enlarged ; d, Chironomus, x 6 ; 

 e, section of same, still more enlarged (original).— Insect Life. 



dealing elaborately with the more obvious senses 

 of hearing, sight, smell, taste and touch, he pro- 

 ceeded to speculate on their possession of a sixth 

 sense, an intuition, essentially psychical, by means 

 of which insects make arrangements for the govern- 

 ment and safety of their colonies and communicate 

 one with another even when separated by con- 

 siderable distances. This sense he considers 

 to be a vibratory one, and it is located in the 

 antennae. " No one," he says, " can study the 

 wonderfully diversified structure of the antennae 

 in insects without feeling that they have been 

 developed in obedience to, and as a result of, 

 some such subtle and intuitive power as this of 

 telepathy. Every minute ramification of the 

 wonderfully delicate feelers of the male mosquito 

 in all probability pulsates in response to the 

 piping sounds which the female is known to 

 produce, and doubtless through considerable 



interested to know that rotifers retain their vitality 

 for many months if carefully dried. To do this 

 they should be placed on paper and slowly heated 

 in an oven, the temperature of which may be 

 raised to as much as 200 degrees F. without doing 

 them harm. When required for use they may be 

 revived by placing them in water. 



Mounting Wings. — The following method of 

 mounting wings for studying venation is described 

 by Mr. Howard in "Insect Life." The wing is 

 removed and mounted upon a slide in Canada- 

 balsam, which should be preferably rather thick. 

 The slide is then held over the flame of an alcohol 

 lamp until the balsam spreads well over the wing. 

 Just as it is about to enter the veins, however, the 

 slide is placed upon ice. This thickens the balsam 

 immediately and prevents it from entering the 

 veins, which remain permanently filled with air, 

 and appear black by transmitted light. 



