HA R D WICKK S S CIENCE- G O SSI P. 



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one such station endowed and superintended by the 

 munificence of one man, and yet our agriculturists 

 are nearly all Conservatives. 



It has been found that, practically, the fat globules 

 which float in milk are of three different sizes. The 

 Continental agriculturists attach a great deal of 

 importance to this fact, for it has a good deal to do 

 with the manufacture of butter. The larger globules 

 ascend to the surface first to form cream, pushing 

 the smaller ones aside in the process. When the 

 milk is skimmed, the smaller globules have a chance, 

 and ascend to form a second and a thinner surface 

 layer. These different-sized fat-globules have been 

 found to vary in different breeds of cows. Some 

 yield an excess of larger globules, and others of 

 medium-size, and the third of small globules. There 

 is consequently isome reason in the old query ad- 

 dressed to country boys, as to which cow it is which 

 gives the cream? Jersey and Durham cows yield 

 the largest fat-globules in their milk, Swiss and 

 Brittany cows a preponderance of middle-sized ones, 

 and Dutch and Flemish cows the smallest. Never- 

 theless, it would appear that the smallest-sized 

 globules are richest in fat, and the milk containing 

 them is therefore the best for butter-making. In the 

 latter process, however, it is found convenient to add 

 milk containing large globules on account of their 

 causing the butter to gather together all the quicker 

 during the process of churning. 



The western part of the United States is a happy 

 hunting-ground for the geologist. The United States 

 Government, with characteristic generosity, com- 

 missioned Professor Marsh to have the fossil vertebrate 

 animals collected. One of the favourite geological 

 hunting-grounds is the region lying between the 

 Rocky and the Wasatch mountains. Professor 

 Marsh speaks of one valley where he saw no fewer 

 than six entire skeletons of the fossil sea-serpent 

 (Mososaurus) averaging eighteen feet in length. It is 

 millions of years since these fossil reptiles swam the 

 ancient seas. 



The uses to which photography can be applied 

 are multiplying every day. It is only seven years 

 since it was applied to astronomy, and behold the 

 number of known stars has increased thereby to 

 millions. Instantaneous photography has taught us 

 the real origin of animal locomotion, whereas before 

 we only knew the apparent. Now it has just been 

 applied to record the movements of the growing 

 parts of plants. Some curious results are recorded, 

 especially with such climbing plants as the hop- 

 convolvulus, ipomcea, etc. The movement of the 

 young stems consists of a succession of irregular, 

 circular, or elliptical curves, which vary every 

 moment, even in their direction. They are caused 

 by unequal growth in different parts of the stem. 

 The sleep movements of plants have also been pho- 



tographed. They are not interrupted, as was sup- 

 posed, but consist of alternate upward and downward 

 movements, which become smaller in the space 

 they move in and of greater frequency as they pro- 

 gress. 



We have entered into the "Age of Steel," thanks 

 to Sir Henry Bessemer. In an article on "The 

 World's Shipwrecks," published in Engineering, 

 there is a remarkable tribute to the superiority of 

 steel over iron in the construction of vessels. More 

 than a thousand ships are wrecked every year, total- 

 ling 650,000 tons. Nevertheless this only amounts 

 to between three and four per cent, of the shipping 

 afloat. It is in favour of steel that of the total 

 tonnage annually lost only 12 per cent, of the 

 vessels were constructed of this metal, against 41 of 

 iron and 47 of wood. 



We strongly recommend our microscopical readers 

 and students generally to use the Electro-lacquerine, 

 brought out by Mr. C. H. Hesketh Walker, 12 

 Church Street, Liverpool. It is a most valuable aid 

 to a working microscopist, as the slightest varnish of 

 it prevents rust and tarnish of all kinds of metal 

 work. It is easily used, and the preparation is 

 remarkably cheap. 



MICROSCOPY. 



We have received the July number of the " Journal 

 of the Quekett Microscopical Club," which contains 

 the following papers : — E. M. Nelson " On Striped 

 Muscle of a Pig;" H. Morland, "On Mounting 

 Selected Diatoms ;" E. M. Nelson, "On Finding 

 Refractive Indexes of Mounting Media;" R. T. 

 Lewis, "Notes on a Species of Ixodes ;" D. Bryce, 

 " On the Macrotrachelous Callidince ; " T. H. Buff- 

 ham. "On Chantransia Trifila;" T. H. Buffham, 

 "On the Conjugation of Orthoneis Binotata;" Dr. 

 W. H. Dallinger, "President's Address, 1892;" 

 E. M. Nelson, "On Binoculars;" E. J. Scourfield, 

 "On British Cladocera."— F. II. Ward. 



Restoration of Slides attacked by Fungus- 

 growths. — Doubtless many have noted with regret 

 the spoiling of many an opaque or dry slide by 

 Fungus-growths. It occurred to me to try whether I 

 could not restore these by means of carbolic acid : I 

 think I have succeeded. My plan is this. I take off 

 the glass cover, and put the object, whether vegetable, 

 or Polyzoa, into pure carbolic acid. I leave it there 

 for some three seconds ; then plunge it into pure 

 water, to get rid of the carbolic, for about ten 

 seconds ; then take it out and dry it as well as 

 possible, and put it into a little book of blotting- 

 paper till all moisture is gone, and it is perfectly dry 

 again. I have been well satisfied with the results so 

 far, and should be glad if some of your readers would 



