1878. ] ) Microscopy. i 573 
Merriman’s scientific work during a recent visit to the Bermudas, 
and were prepared with some originality of method, and with 
exquisite workmanship. After study of the objects, a vote of 
thanks was passed to Mr. Merriman for his donation. 
Mr. C. E. Hanaman made some remarks in regard to 
methods he had found most convenient for cleaning and owas 
slides and cover-glasses. 
For cleaning slides as received from the hands of the dealers, 
a solution which has long been used by photographers for clean- 
ing their ENDS, plates and glass vessels, is as efficacious as the 
nitric acid bat wholly free from its disagreeable odors. The 
mixture este ‘of a cold saturated solution of bichromate of 
potash in water, to hare about one-eighth its bulk of strong 
sulphuric acid is a the mixture being made in a porcelain 
or thin glass vessel, as ae heat evolved would be likely to break 
a bottle, “and the vessel See kept outside a window until the 
mixture is cool, after which no more injurious vapor will be 
given off, and the liquor will be ready for use. A gross or two 
of slides may be cleaned in an incredibly short time by sliding 
them one by one into a porcelain vessel containing some of this 
liquid, tilting the vessel about a few moments to cause the liquid 
to flow through the mass, and then pouring off the liquid and 
placing the vessel under the stream from an open tap for a few 
minutes. They are then wiped dry with soft linen cloths, and 
spread upon a clean sheet of paper, each slide being gently 
breathed upon on both sides, and the most perfect surface, which 
exhibits the most perfect film of moisture, being placed down- 
wards. They are then centered on a self-centering turn table, 
upon the upper or poorest side, by a dot and a ring of india ink; 
they may then be placed on their edges in a box or drawer, an nd 
aes ee contact by little strips of blotting paper placed between 
their en 
The cover glasses, after being treated with the cleaning liquid 
and thoroughly washed with distilled or filtered water, are picked 
out with the forceps, one by one, and dried by laying each on one 
corner of a soft linen cloth on the table, and gently rubbing first 
one side and then the other with another part of .the cloth. 
The cloths (worn out handkerchiefs, &c.), used for this purpose 
should be first cleaned by boiling with carbonate of soda and 
rinsing in hot filtered or distilled water. If the covers are finally 
arranged, edge upwards, in a box or drawer between strips of 
thick white blotting paper, they will be kept clean and the selec- 
tion of any desired thickness will be greatly facilitated. The 
strips of blotting paper should be cut two thirds as wide as the 
cover, should reach from side to side of the drawer, and should be © 
separated at the ends by squares of the same paper, thus forming _ 
which they can be readily picked out. 
a rack in which the covers can stand, edge upwards, and from oe 
