132 



SCIEXCE-GOSSIP. 



^ MICROSCOPY f 



A New Seaweed. — ^It was annonnced at the 

 meetiiig of August 6th, of the Dublin Microscopical 

 Club, as reported in the September " Irish 

 Naturalist," that Asperococcus compressus had been 

 dredged off Go Island, co. Don^al, by Miss R. 

 Hensman and Professor T. Johnson. This brown 

 alga is an addition to the marine flora of Ireland. 

 Bang a southern type, its occurrence so far north 

 is remarkable. A microscopic section vras exhibited 

 at the meeting. 



Popui..\R Microscopy. — The influence of a 

 popularly written article on any subject has 

 seldom been more clearly shown than in the results 

 of one on " The Microscope," which appeared in a 

 recent number of the " Strand Magazine." The 

 writer gave some amusing instances of the pleasures 

 to be obtained from the use of the instrument. We 

 hear from the manager of the firm of makers of 

 microscopes and their accessories whose name was 

 incidentally mentioned in the article, that since its 

 appearance their staff has been occupied in clearing 

 off orders traceable to readers of that magazine. 



MotTNTiNG Medium. — Could you tell me through 

 your valuable paper what is the very best medium 

 that you know for mounting desmids, algae, etc., in, 

 so that the original colour may be definitely and 

 permanently retained "r — R. Tnst Searell, Christ- 

 church, New Zealand. 



[Mounting medium. — Acetate of copper solution is 

 the best medium for mounting desmids and all 

 green algae. 



Acetate of Copper . . 15 grains 



Camphor Water . . . . 8 ounces 



Glycerine . . . . . . S ounces 



Glacial acetic acid . . 20 drops 



Corrosive Sublimate . . i grain 

 The above solution can be used as a preserving 

 and mounting fluid. It keeps the colour of green 

 chlorophyll perfectly. Motmt in a shallow cell of 

 \Tilcanite. Metal cells must not be used. "When 

 the specimens are very delicate, leave out the 

 glycerine. — Martin Cole.l 



Hygroscopic Hairs of Wood-rtjshes. — ^The 

 curiously energetic movements of the elaters of 

 the spores of horsetails (Equiseium), when gently 

 breathed upon, are probably familiar to all users of 

 the microscope; also, the similar movements of 

 the teeth of the peristome of the capsules of mosses. 

 In these cases it is not difficult to see that the 

 hygroscopic movements of the organs in question 

 are of great importance to the plants concerned. 

 Hygroscopic movements take place among the 

 hairs of wood-rushes (Luzuia), where, however, it 

 is not easy to say of what use these movements are 

 to the plants that exhibit them. If a portion of a 

 living or dried wood-rush is taken, and the breath 

 gently falls upon the hairs clothing the stems and 

 leaves, these are immediately violently agitated, 

 and twist and writhe in all directions. So ener- 

 getic are these movements that they continue 

 sometimes for two or three minutes after the dis- 

 turbing cause has ceased. — C. E Britton, 189, 

 Beresford Street, Camieruell. 



KOTICES BY ;OHX T. C.^RRINGTON". 



Plants of Manitoba. Forty coloured plates of flower- 

 ing plants, 10 inches by 7 inches, in portfolio. 

 (Belfast, London and New York : Marcus Ward 

 and Co., Limited, 1896.) Price los. 6d. 



This portfoho contains fortj- beautiful examples 

 of the colour printing for which the publishers are 

 so justly celebrated. It is a great pity there is no 

 letterpress explaining the plants, or even the artist's 

 name. They are admirably drawn and, v,-ith one 

 or two exceptions, the colovu-ing is most Hfe-Iike. 

 For instance, the wild bergamot {Monaida fistulosa) 

 should be rather darker and richer in colour of the 

 flower, for it is the variety mollis of this species 

 which occurs in Manitoba. This plant, by the way, 

 is, we think, more generally known as ' ' Osvi^go tea. ' ' 

 The flowers of the frmged gentian [Geiniana 

 crisiaia) should be a much richer blue. The plate 

 of golden-rod {Solidago seroiina) is admirable, and 

 reflects the highest credit on both artist and colour- 

 printers. Nearly as successful is the drawing of 

 the wild rose {Rosa hlanda, var. setigera), wHch, 

 by the way, is hardly the wild rose of Manitoba 

 prairies, where the type is R. arkansana. It occurs 

 in magnificent profusion, even to becoming one of 

 the farmers' troublesome com- weeds. Among the 

 illustrations are two of the Russian thistle in 

 its green and autumnal states. This plant, our 

 familiar sea-side denizen Salsola kali, is native to 

 Canadian and North-American shores. It is the 

 Eastern variety tragus that has been introduced b}- 

 Russian immigrants, and has not only become 

 colonised and improved, like its introducers, but 

 unlike them, has grown to be a curse to some of 

 the more northern of the United States, such as 

 North and South Dakota, where the soil is alkaline. 

 So far it has not done much harm. in Manitoba, 

 where it does not appear to thrive so well as in the 

 States south of that province. Of course, a coUection 

 of forty plates gives but a small idea of the mag- 

 nificence and abundance of the flora of the prairie 

 province of Manitoba, where, from early spring to 

 late autumn, there is a succession of flowers in such 

 profusion as often to brilliantly light up the 

 landscape with blues or yellows in rich patches of 

 colour. As an example of flie number of species to 

 be found there, in one month — September, 1894 — 

 the writer gathered, while assisting a friend, no less 

 than 360 species of flowers in bloom. Those now 

 under notice were collected in an earlier month of 

 the summer, when many more species flower, 

 though they contain several which were found with 

 late, or second flowering, in September. The 

 Canadian Government and the Canadian Pacific 

 Railway Company would do well to exhibit this 

 handsome Uttle portfolio among the inducements 

 to settlers, who caimot fail to think the land which 

 produces these flowers must grow other crops for 

 their benefit. We hope the publishers of this 

 portfolio will receive sufficient support by its sale 

 to induce them to publish a further series, when 

 letterpress descriptions and title-page might be 

 issued for both series. 



