NATURAL HISTORY MISCELLANY. 733 
time there does not appear to be any good reason for separating 
from the system the Gulf Stream, as is done by Dr. Carpenter.” 
Prof. Dana also seems to agree with Croll as to the thermal work 
of the Gulf Stream. 
New CARBONIFEROUS Sprper.—Mr. Woodward describes, as 
stated in ‘“ Nature,” from the Dudley coal field, a Phrynus-like 
spider which he named Hophrynus Prestvicii. A fossil Lycosa-like 
spider had previously been found, also a Phalangium-like species 
from the same formation. The present animal represents a third 
group of Arachnids which lived during the Coal period. 
SINGULAR ALBIno.—The Museum of the Agricultural Depart- 
ment at Washington, contains an “albino” Bob-o’-link (Dolicho- 
nyx oryzivorus), shot in that vicinity, illustrating a rare and curi- 
ous condition. It is of a uniform clear pale yellow, exactly like a 
canary-bird.— ELLIOTT Cours. 
MICROSCOPY. 
PROCEEDINGS OF THE SECTION OF Microscopy OF THE BOSTON 
Socrery or Narurat History, Oct. 11, 1871.— Mr. Greenleaf 
stated in reference to the living Amcebze shown at the last meet- 
ing, that he had not found the slightest trace of any return move- 
ment in those organisms. He had seen a central forward current, 
but never the two return side currents, so often described. He 
considered these merely optical. 
Mr. Stodder said he had tried collecting germs from the atmos- 
phere. He had always found great difficulty in obtaining micro- 
scopically pure distilled water. This last summer he had used a 
glass vessel filled with ice, on which the moisture of the air con- 
densed outside. In this manner nothing not in the air was 
obtained. In his examinations he had followed the method given 
Dr. Maddox in the Feb. (1871) number of the “ Monthly 
Microscopical Journal.” 
He first placed his germs in molasses, but subsequent examina- 
tions showed that this contained germs of its own. He next took 
pure crystals of sugar dissolved in the water collected, and placed 
on a slide. To keep the moisture present he had used the method 
given by Dr. Maddox. 
