916 General Notes. [September, 
ple skin of otter, seal or guanaco, imperfectly serving as a protec- 
tion from cold. Bracelets, necklaces of shell, etc., are also worn 
by the women ; and the men often wear a band of feathers or 
down, usually of Bernicla antarctica. The only cutting instru- 
ment of the Fuegians is a knife of the Mytilus shell fastened to a 
stone handle with shreds of sealskin. The fishing lines, made of 
the stems of Macrocystis pyrifera, or of whalebone fibers, end in 
a running knot furnished with a hook made from a feather. - Fire 
is obtained by striking together two pieces of pyrites, and with 
the spark enkindling a mixture of the down of birds and fine 
scrapings from Berberis or Drimys. These scrapings are used 
also as sponges or napkins. 
MICROSCOPY .' 
Some Histotocicat Metuops sy Dr. C. S. Minot [continued]. 
—Dripping apparatus for cutting under alcohol—We use the form 
constructed by Dr. W. 
W. Gannett, as shown in 
the sketch. A liter bot- 
tle is convenient in size; 
the height of the stand 
should be such as to 
bring the end of the 
dripping tube about one ~ 
inch above the blade of 
the microtome knife, on 
which the alcohol is al- 
flow, an eighth inch 
Fic, 1.—Dripping apparatus. be the most convenient. 
Benzole—I find replaces xylol perfectly and is much pE 
Balsam.—Use filtered Canada balsam diluted with pure ben- 
zole. 
Alcohol—I never use absolute alcohol. I have never found ay 
use for which alcohol of ninety-six per cent is not sufficient, cn 
have employed it for many mon successfully for which absolu 
` alcohol was stated to be necessary. E 
Oil—for microtome. After many trials of various oils, we ha 
settled on “ pure paraffine oil, specific gravity 25. 
_ Paraffine—1, Hard commercial paraffine melting at 55°-56° C. 
2. Soft “ chewing-gum ” paraffine melting at 50°. ay 
_ Twenty parts of 1 + nine parts of 2 makes a good nn ure, 
melting about 55°, and cutting well at 20 o_22° C., the ordinary 
ture. 
T T SE Acid Carmine, —Boil one gramme best powdered oe 
with 200 c.c. of water, plus an excess of picric acid, for ha 
Edited n Dr. C. O. >. Warran, Mus. Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, Mass. 
