There wHl, therefore, be described rather minutely a well- 

 known, very simple, and rapid method of preparing, stain- 

 ing, and mount- 

 ing a cover-glass 

 preparation. 

 The well-cleaned 



Fig. 2.— Cornet's Double-spring Forcep. glaSS is held be- 



tween the thumb and fore-flnger of the left hand. 

 (A more convenient method is to use a Cornet 

 double-spring forcep (Fig. 2) especially made for hold- 

 ing the cover-glass while staining.) A small drop of water 

 from one of the tumblers is next placed in the centre of 

 the slip with the straight or small-looped needle. (This, of 

 course, is not always necessary, especially if the prepara- 

 tion is being made from a fluid.) The tube (agar we will 

 suppose), containing the culture it is desired to examine, 

 is held also in the left hand between the middle and "ring" 

 fingers, and a very minute portion of the culture is trans- 

 ferred to the drop of water with the sterilized straight 

 needle. If the water becomes slightly turbid, or if a small 

 white speck is seen on the slip after touching the needle- 

 point to the drop, there is sufficient material and the 

 needle should again be sterilized. After cooling the needle 

 return it to the drop and spread the latter about upon the 

 slip. If the drop is small enough evaporation quickly takes 

 place during the spreading, but this may be hastened by 

 holding the glass high above the flame. When the evapo- 

 ration is complete the result is a scarcely visible, whitish 

 film upon the cover-glass. The slip is next grasped with 

 the forceps, held in the right hand, thoroughly dried high 

 above the flame, and then "fixed" as usual by passing the 

 slip three times through the flame. With the left hand 

 quickly lift a pipetteful of the desired stain and flood 

 the glass to its edges; return the pipette and put the cover- 

 glass for a moment in the lower part of the Bunsen flame 

 until a thin, white steam arises from the fluid ; wash in one 

 of the above-mentioned tumblers of water, complete 

 washing in the second and at once invert upon the slide. 

 Pull a strip of filter-paper from the bunch, fold it from end 

 to end, and press it upon the cover-glass and slide, passing 

 the finger-tips over the paper several times. Superfluous 

 water is thus absorbed at once, excepting a very little 

 upon the surface of the cover-slip, which water may 

 quickly be removed with a corner of the folded paper, 

 resting the slide upon the index finger and holding the 

 slip in position with the thumb nail. Finally a drop of 



10 



