MICROSCOPY. 59 
McPherson, Nebraska, and, accompanied by an escort of two 
companies of U. S. Cavalry, proceeded to the Niobrara, and 
worked in that country for several weeks. Owing to hostile In- 
dians, the explorations of the party here were attended with much 
difficulty and danger, but were on the whole quite successful. 
Many new animals were discovered, and ample material secured 
for a full investigation of those previously known from that 
region. ; 
A second expedition was made in August from Fort Bridger, - 
Wyoming, and large collections of Eocene fossil vertebrates were 
obtained, especially of the Dinocerata, Quadrumana and Cheirop- 
tera, which had first been brought to light by the researches of 
the party in previous years. A third trip was made in September 
to the Tertiary beds of Idaho and Oregon, where some interest- 
ing discoveries were made. The party went from Oregon to San 
Francisco by sea, narrowly escaping shipwreck, and then re- 
turned east by rail. On the way, short visits were made to local- 
ities in Colorado and Kansas, to complete investigations begun 
last year. The expedition as a whole was very successful, not 
merely on account of the large number of new animals discovered, 
but also on account of the extensive collections made to complete 
the study of those previously found. All of the collections se- 
cured are now in the museum of Yale College. — 
MICROSCOPY. 
A New Section Currer.—Prof. T. D. Biscoe has contrived a 
new section cutter which is principally adapted for preparing sec- 
tions of soft vegetable tissues and organs, such as leaves, buds, 
ete. It consists essentially of a large glass stage-plate upon which 
the object is fastened, and a movable frame to slide upon this, car- 
rying a razor blade at an adjustable distance from the plate. This 
apparatus cuts sections of objects while they are under observation 
on the stage of the microscope, under powers as high as the 3 inch 
(X 80); and with it Prof. Biscoe has been able to cut series of 
fifteen consecutive sections, each one of which was perfect and the 
average thickness of which was şgyg inch. The following is his 
description of the contrivance. 
“Fig. 41 is a plate that fits on to the stage of the microscope 
with a tight friction, yet so that it has movements of an inch or 
a 
