ee 
106 Gencral Notes. | January, 
question of the decipherment of the mysterious hieroglyphs of 
Yucatan was broached, but it was agreed that little progress had 
the kind. To be sure, there were a few threatening symptoms 0 
such an outbreak. The Celtomaniac was heard’ from who wanted 
to identify some American language with the Welsh, the ancient 
Atlantis was not wholly submerged out of sight, and the mis 
sionary journey of the Apostle St. Thomas to Mexico in A, D. 
50 would come up for a little while; but the good sense of the 
majority soon suppressed these wasters of time. 
The occasion was a fine one for practice in languages. The | 
congress has no official tongue, and though most of the proceed: 
ings were in French the papers and debates were alternately i 
that language and in German, English, Spanish and Danish. 
The sessions closed with an excursion in the picturesque Jan 
scapes around Copenhagen, and it is safe to say that every mem- 
ber of the body returned to his home enriched with information 
on the subject of his studies, and with a sentiment of warm friend- 
liness to the hospitable and intelligent Danish people. 
The next meeting of the congress will be at Turin, in 1885.— 
rs, 
MICROSCOPY .! 
METHODS OF PREVENTING THE ROLLING oF MICROTOMIC w 
TIONs.— The section-smoother described in the last number 0 
the NATURALIST appears to be the best instrument yet devised ad 
the prevention of section-rolling, not excepting the ingenious 
device of Schulze, described below. ` A 
Besides the section-smoother, there are other means by which 
the rolling of sections may be prevented. It may be effected bY 
rendering the paraffine softer and less elastic through the additio® 
of a small quantity’ of vaseline, by the aid of brush or $ it | 
held over the object by the left hand during the process of pi 
ting, and lastly—and most’ effectively—by placing the knife 4 
right angles to the carrier. The discovery of the fact that s€ we 
may be cut without rolling by giving the knife a transverse 
stead of an oblique position, was made by Mr. Caldwell, ant i 
about the same time by Professor Mark. Since the discovery 
this meth 5d, it has come very rapidly into general use, and 1 ay 
Jung’s microtome is supplied with “transverse” as W® with 
“ oblique knives.” This method, excellent as it is, especially ee 
small objects, does not suffice in all cases, and does not the the | 
remove the necessity of a section-smoother. Even with © | 
: 
1 Edited by Dr, C. O. WHITMAN, Mus. Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, 
