382 NOTES. 
and is fairly up to its nominal power, giving an amplification of 
4,000 with the lowest ocular. It is said to give sufficient light 
and good definition. Its working properties are little known at 
present. 
Rep BLoop CorruscLES. — Mr. Malassez notices a general ten- 
dency of these bodies to diminish in number and increase in size 
in the lower animals. The following figures indicate the estimated 
number to a cubic millimetre; in the goat, 18,000,000; in the 
camel, 10,000,000; in man, 4,000,000; in the porpoise, 3,600,000 ; 
in birds, 4,000,000 to 1,600,000; in osseous fishes, 2,009,000 to 
700,000, and in cartilaginous fishes, 230,000 to 140,000. 
Nature or Marxtnes.— Dr. Pigott believes the spherules of 
butterflies’ scales to be more difficult of resolution than equally 
separated lines in Nobert’s bands. On the other hand, it has been 
believed that diatom markings were more easily resolved than 
Nobert’s lines of equal fineness; a difference which, if confirmed, 
might give some hint as to the nature of the various markings. 
Microscoric Tors. — Mr. T. Curtiss sent for exhibition at a 
meeting of the Brighton and Sussex Natural History Society, 
slides consisting of a variety of figures of flowers, insects and 
birds, artificially formed of beautifully arranged scales of butter- 
flies and moths. Some of the figures consist of as many as 400 
scales, and all were considered wonderfully perfect and beautiful. 
Tue Varur or ILLUMINATION. — Mr. Hogg stated, at a meeting 
of the Royal Microscopical Society, that with Wenham’s new illu- 
minator he resolved N. rhomboides very satisfactorily with a $ 
objective made by Andrew Ross twenty-five years ago. Probably 
this was a 4 by present nomenclature. 
A New Socrery. — A “ Medical Microscopical Society” has 
been organized in London, under the presidency of Mr. J. Hogg- 
NOTES. 
Tue daily press has made us familiar with the facts, so far as 
known, regarding the death of Capt. Hall of the Polaris. His 
ship penetrated two hundred and sixteen miles (Lat. 82° 16’) 
farther north than Dr. Kane, or in fact any other vessel. Capt. 
Parry attained a more northern point by means of sledges. Hall 
