998 Scientific News. [September, 
is necessary to use more complicated procedure. For example, 
the normal human lung hardened in alcohol and prepared as 
above, will perhaps admit of sections of 0.030™' a human lung 
affected by acute pneumonia may perhaps be cut to 0.015™™ but 
if greater delicacy is required, the tissue must be soaked in gum 
arabic, or other substance which admits of a more solid harden- 
ing. In this case human lung will allow of sections down to 
0.001% Objects of very small dimensions, like embryos, small 
animals, leaves of plants, &c., must be imbedded in suitable masses, 
which may be adapted to a cork, as above, before they are cut— 
[To be continued.) 
Oy 
SCIENTIFIC NEWS. | p 
— In closing his second lecture on whales Professor Flower : 
argues against the theory of the derivation of the whales from 
the Carnivora, and the idea that whales are an extreme modifica- ie 
tion of the seals and sea-lion, calling attention to the fact that the — 
hind-limbs are aborted and the tail developed into a powerful om 
swimming organ. He thinks it more reasonable to suppose that CS 
whales were derived from animals with large tails, which were 
used in swimming, eventually with such effect that the hind 
limbs became no longer necessary, and so gradually disappeared. 
“The powerful tail, with lateral cutaneous flanges, of an Amer- 
can species of otter (Pteronura sandbachii), or the still more 
familiar tail of the beaver, may give some idea of this member im 
ees 
the primitive Cetacea.” He therefore suggests the derivation 
of whales from the lower Ungulates, and that the earliest forms 
were fresh-water types; the fresh-water origin of the group ac 
counting for their otherwise inexplicable absence from the 
taceous seas. 
_—The Chinese and Japanese exhibits at the International 
Fisheries exhibition must be novel and striking. 
at the exhibition mark the Chinese as the most ingenious 
accomplished fishermen in the world. ue 
— In his notice of MM. Carl Vogt and Emil Yung's t 
ce i 
