﻿442 
  T. 
  Holm 
  — 
  Studies 
  in 
  the 
  Cyperacece. 
  

  

  Fig. 
  4. 
  Utrieuliis 
  of 
  same 
  ; 
  enlarged. 
  

  

  Fig. 
  5. 
  Carex 
  salina 
  Wahleab. 
  forma 
  pumila 
  M. 
  X. 
  Blytt 
  (/3 
  borealis 
  

   Almq.) 
  from 
  Lapland; 
  natural 
  size. 
  

  

  Fig. 
  6. 
  Carex 
  subspathacea 
  Wormskj. 
  /3 
  curvata 
  Drej. 
  from 
  Bernard 
  

   Harbour 
  (Lat. 
  68° 
  47' 
  X. 
  Long. 
  114° 
  46 
  W.) 
  ; 
  natural 
  size. 
  

  

  Fig. 
  7. 
  C. 
  subspathacea 
  "Wormskj. 
  a 
  stricta 
  Drej. 
  from 
  St. 
  Paul 
  Island, 
  

   Behring 
  Sea; 
  the 
  pistillate 
  scale; 
  enlarged. 
  

  

  Fig. 
  8. 
  Utrieulus 
  of 
  same; 
  enlarged. 
  

  

  Clinton, 
  Md., 
  February, 
  1920. 
  

  

  SCIENTIFIC 
  INTELLIGENCE. 
  

  

  I. 
  Chemistry 
  axd 
  Physics. 
  

  

  1. 
  Substitutes 
  for 
  Platinum 
  Wire 
  in 
  Bead 
  and 
  Flame 
  Tests. 
  — 
  

   C. 
  C. 
  Kiplixger, 
  of 
  Mt. 
  Union 
  College, 
  calling 
  attention 
  to 
  the 
  

   waste 
  in 
  platinum 
  arising 
  from 
  its 
  extensive 
  use 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  

   wire 
  for 
  qualitative 
  tests, 
  states 
  that 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  found 
  feasible 
  

   to 
  use 
  the 
  rod 
  of 
  graphite 
  from 
  a 
  lead 
  pencil 
  for 
  making 
  bead 
  

   tests. 
  A 
  piece 
  of 
  the 
  "lead" 
  5 
  to 
  6 
  cm. 
  in 
  length 
  is 
  held 
  by 
  

   tongs 
  in 
  the 
  Bunsen 
  flame 
  until 
  the 
  end 
  is 
  red-hot, 
  then 
  dipped 
  

   in 
  borax 
  and 
  returned 
  to 
  the 
  flame 
  and 
  then 
  held 
  at 
  such 
  an 
  angle 
  

   that 
  the 
  borax 
  glass 
  forms 
  a 
  hanging 
  drop 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  rod. 
  

   The 
  tests 
  are 
  made 
  as 
  usual 
  in 
  this 
  drop. 
  A 
  piece 
  of 
  the 
  rod 
  will 
  

   serve 
  for 
  two 
  tests 
  at 
  least, 
  and 
  often 
  the 
  graphite 
  can 
  be 
  scraped 
  

   clean 
  enough 
  to 
  permit 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  several 
  beads 
  with 
  one 
  piece. 
  

   The 
  borax 
  bead 
  adheres 
  firmly 
  to 
  the 
  graphite, 
  yet 
  the 
  cold 
  glass 
  

   may 
  be 
  readily 
  removed 
  with 
  a 
  knife. 
  The 
  reducing 
  action 
  of 
  

   the 
  carbon 
  does 
  not 
  appear 
  to 
  interfere 
  materially 
  with 
  the 
  usual 
  

   tests. 
  

  

  For 
  flame 
  tests 
  the 
  method 
  of 
  Ehringhaus 
  is 
  mentioned, 
  where 
  

   a 
  glass 
  tube 
  15 
  cm. 
  long 
  and 
  6 
  mm. 
  internal 
  diameter 
  is 
  bent 
  at 
  

   an 
  angle 
  of 
  about 
  45° 
  rather 
  near 
  one 
  end. 
  the 
  opening 
  of 
  the 
  

   shorter 
  end 
  is 
  reduced 
  to 
  about 
  3 
  mm. 
  by 
  heating, 
  a 
  slip 
  of 
  filter 
  

   paper 
  is 
  rolled 
  up 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  fit 
  this 
  opening 
  tightly, 
  and 
  is 
  intro- 
  

   duced 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  project 
  about 
  3 
  cm., 
  then 
  the 
  longer 
  arm 
  of 
  the 
  

   tube 
  is 
  filled 
  with 
  the 
  solution 
  to 
  be 
  tested, 
  or 
  with 
  dilute 
  hydro- 
  

   chloric 
  acid 
  if 
  a 
  powder 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  tested 
  on 
  the 
  paper. 
  The 
  paper 
  

   wick 
  is 
  finally 
  inserted 
  into 
  the 
  flame, 
  but 
  the 
  burning 
  paper 
  

   tends 
  to 
  mask 
  the 
  color 
  of 
  the 
  flame, 
  although 
  it 
  is 
  possible 
  to 
  

   eliminate 
  this 
  difficulty 
  partly 
  by 
  using 
  a 
  horizontal 
  flame 
  and 
  

   bringing 
  the 
  upper 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  paper 
  wick 
  barely 
  within 
  the 
  

   bottom 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  flame. 
  

  

  The 
  author 
  has 
  found 
  that 
  a 
  clean 
  iron 
  nail 
  not 
  less 
  than 
  3 
  mm. 
  

   in 
  diameter 
  is 
  useful 
  for 
  flame 
  tests. 
  The 
  head 
  of 
  the 
  nail 
  is 
  best 
  

   adapted 
  for 
  the 
  purpose. 
  The 
  nail 
  can 
  be 
  cleaned 
  and 
  burned 
  

  

  