1877. ] Scientific News. 55 
vestigation to determine what artificial preparation could be made to 
take the place of the natural nectar in these experiments, as a means of 
obtaining and mounting the pollen tubes of flowers. 
AN Francisco Microscopicat Sociery. — This society, one of 
the most prosperous in the country, having outgrown its old quarters, 
has just moved to new rooms in the building known as the Thurlow 
Block, corner of Kearney and Sutter streets. The rooms, which were 
first occupied on occasion of the regular meeting of November 2d, are on 
the fourth floor, approached by means of an elevator, and consist of a 
handsomely furnished meeting-room supplied with book-cases and cab- 
inet to contain the rapidly increasing collections of objects and books 
belonging to the society, and an adjoining room fitted up as a laboratory 
with abundant facilities for microscopical work. 
SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 
— Professor James Orton left home during the middle of October for 
South America, with the intention of exploring the Beni River in the 
interests of geographical science, natural history, and commerce, 
— Under the title Entomologischer Kalender fiir Deutschland, Oes- 
terreich und die Schweiz, Dr. F. Katter, of Putbus, Germany, has pub- 
lished a very useful pamphlet, containing a diary for 1876, a list of Ger- 
man, Austrian, and Swiss entomologists and entomological societies and 
journals. 
— J. Munsell, Albany, announces for 1877 The Indian Miscellany ; 
containing papers on the history, antiquities, arts, inventions, languages, 
religions, traditions, and superstitions of the American aborigines ; with 
descriptions of their domestic life, manners, customs, traits, governments, 
wars, treaties, amusements, exploits, etc. ; also sketches of travel and ex- 
ploration in the Indian country, incidents of border warfare, journals 
of military expeditions, narratives of captivity, anecdotes of pioneer 
adventure, missionary relations, etc. Collected by W. W. Beach. 
— The well-known London house of Macmillan & Co., publishers 
of The Practitioner, have undertaken the publication in England of 
Micro-Photographs in Histology, the monthly work conducted by 
Drs. Seiler, Hunt, and Richardson. A large edition is required by the 
To profession. 
. A. Curtiss, of Jacksonville, Fla., can supply the ornamental 
: Florida grasses and air plant (Tillandsia), so much prized for parlor 
= decorations, sea-weeds, wood encrusted with barnacles or burrowed by 
teredo, coquina rock, river shells, sea-fans, sea-willow, stag’s horn 
and other corals, sea beans, and anything else in the line of Florida cu- 
riosities, including stuffed or live alligators, alligators’ teeth and eggs, — 
stuffed birds, etc. ; also, views of Florida scenery. The first-mentioned _ 
vil be exchanged for Algæ, i: and articles of use to a naturalist. oe : 
