124 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



'iJI£sk7$>\ 



MICROSCOPY 



■CONDUCTED BY F. SHILLINGTON SCALES, F.R.M.S. 



Parasites of House Fly.— In regard to the 

 note in Science-Gossip on parasites of house flies 

 and birds (ante p. S7), a parasite which may be 

 identical with the one mentioned was extremely 

 common on the house flies in Bermuda. It is, I 

 believe, a species of Trombidium. Those that I 

 noticed could move rapidly over the body of the fly, 

 and when disturbed concealed themselves under the 

 halteres. At other times they appeared to usually 

 attach themselves to the abdomen of the host. The 

 parasite was of a red colour. Another curious parasite 

 which I observed on the house fly in Bermuda was a 

 small red ant. This creature attaches itself to the 

 tarsus of the fly by means of its mandibles. It was a 

 matter of common observation to see flies on the wing 

 with these small ants attached. On one occasion I 

 disengaged the ant and placed it on a table. It 

 remained quiet until a fly came within suitable 

 distance, when it made a rush, and was carried off 

 clinging to the leg of the fly. I believe the. reason- of- 

 attack was made for the purpose of finally eating the 

 fly. The ant hung on until its host became 

 exhausted, and then attacked a more ! vital -spot than 

 the foot, and killed it. These ants eat the soft parts out- 

 of adead cockroach in a very short time. The Empusa 

 muscae is a well-known fungoid parasite of the house- 

 fly. The fungus " rests " during the hot weather in 

 Bermuda, but during the cool weather it decimates 

 these insects. ' I believe that I succeeded in reducing 

 the numbers of flies in my house by placing bodies 

 of some dead from Empusa in a suitable cage. I then 

 introduced many healthy ones. In a few days these 

 became injected, and I let them out in order to 

 communicate the disease to others. The result was 

 that the walls of the rooms were soon covered by flies 

 dead from the Empusa disease. Mr. A. D. Michael, 

 F.R.M.S., etc., if 1 remember rightly, once told me 

 that it was his custom to style the common house-fly a 

 '.' menagerie in miniature," because of the number of 

 parasites to which it acts as host. — H. A. Cummins, 

 Major R.A.M.C., 29, Nightingale Place, Woolwich. 



Microscopical Preparations. — Mr. Abraham 

 Flatters, of 16-1S, Church Road, Longsight, Man- 

 chester, has sent us new catalogues of his well-known 

 microscopical and lantern slides. The catalogue of 

 microscopical slides includes both botanical and 

 -zoological subjects, and we would call attention to a 

 series of 48 slides, especially arranged to meet the 

 requirements of pharmaceutical students, and sold at 

 the very moderate price of a guinea. We have had an 

 opportunity of examining these, and found them 

 uniformly good, while some are really excellent, 

 such as slides showing karyokinetic division 

 in developing tissue, a section of the root of 

 Phajus grandifolius, showing cell contents, sections of 

 the male cone of Finns silvestris, and of the fertile 

 spike of Sclaginella martcnsii. Many of the sections 

 are double stained, and one of potato is worthy of 

 notice as being stained with Mr. Flatters' " Gossy- 

 pimine " stain, which differentiates starch granules 

 mcst beautifully, and appears to be practically per- 



manent. The stain itselr can be obtained from Mr. 

 Flatters direct, as well as other mounting stains, 

 cements, and requisites, amongst which we may 

 mention a new elastic black cement for finishing 

 slides with one ring. The catalogue of lantern slides 

 represents very fully zoology, botany, geology, 

 physical geography, and such special subjects as 

 insect metamorphoses, evolution, mimicry, etc. It is 

 unusually complete. The slides, both lantern and 

 microscopical, are sold at the modest price of 6s. per 

 dozen, and are in no way inferior to those at double 

 the price elsewhere. 



Mr. J. J. Browning's Catalogue. — Mr. 

 Browning's catalogue contains many things of interest 

 to micioscopists. His micro-spectroscopic apparatus 

 is well-known and requires no detailed notice here, 

 but amongst the now 

 numerous pocket 

 aplanatic lenses in the 

 market we may men- 

 tion' his Platyscopic 

 lenses which were 

 amongst the earliest 

 in the field, and 

 still hold their own. 

 A useful novelty 

 is Mr. Browning's 

 small micro-camera, 

 concerning which we 

 hope to give our 

 readers further infor- 

 ..mation afterapractical 

 trial of its efficiency. 

 Amongst microscopes 

 we may mention the 

 "Iris," fitted with 

 sliding coarse adjust- 

 ment, micrometer 

 screw fine adjustment, 

 draw-tube, diaphragm 

 plate, and .tube for 

 sub-stage apparatus. 



The "Iris' 



Microscope. 

 It is soFd with one eye-piece for the modest sum of 

 £2 17s. 6d. 



Zeiss' New Catalogue. —Carl Zeiss' Cata- 

 logue for 189S is worthy of the reputation of the 

 firm. Beautifully printed and bound, excellently 

 arranged, and completely illustrated, it is more than 

 a catalogue in virtue of the practical explanatory 

 remarks interspersed in the text. Of the eminence of 

 -this firm, pre-eminent as makers of the famous 

 apo-chromatic objectives, it is unnecessary to speak, 

 but their catalogue gives detailed information with 

 regard to their stands, objectives, eyepieces, and 

 accessories, and should be in every worker's hands. 



Mr. J. J. Hicks' Catalogue.— Mr. Hicks, of 

 Hatton Garden, is well known as a maker both of 

 microscopes and objectives, and his catalogue there- 

 fore scarcely requires detailed notice. Microscopes 

 ranging from ^22 10s. to ^3 17s. 6d. are listed. We 

 may mention what appears to be a comparatively 

 new model in his " Histological " microscope, which is 

 fitted with rack-work coarse adjustment and 

 micrometer-screw fine adjustment, stage with the 

 Nelson type of horse-shoe opening, swinging under- 

 state fitment for condenser, and claw-shaped stand. 

 It is sold at a price that brings it well within the 

 reach of students. 



Note. — In consequence of pressure on our space, 

 upwards of a column of "Microscopy Notes" have 

 unavoidably to stand over until next month. These 

 include one upon pond life at Richmond Park and 

 others of interest. 



