650 General Notes. 
are made to this science. Indeed, there is not a single depart 
ment of anthropology that is not well represented in Washi 
The Patent Office, the Census Bureau, the Roard of Health, the 
Department of Agriculture, the Signal Office, the Indian Office 
are only a few of these. Further reference to some of these 
stitutions and their operations will be made in future numbers of 
the NATURALIST. 
MICROSCOPY AND HISTOLOGY! 
Metuops oF InvesTicaTinc ANIMAL Cexts.—Dr, Brass Ms 
devoted several years of close study to the structure and lif of 
animal cells, and a detailed account of his methods appears in the | 
first number of a new journal of microscopy. The following a 
some of the more important of these methods: _ 
1. Protozoa-—As most Protozoa move very rapidly ee 
ery, it is well to feed them before attempting to study them roll 
the microscope. If well fed with powdered pieces of plants, aC, 
they usually remain quiet after a short time, and begin to assim 
late the food-material which they have appropriated. ie : 
dition of comparative quiet they can be easily examined pe 
powers. For this purpose they may be placed under a 
glass with considerable water and a number of small green 
to keep the water supplied with oxygen. a 
For higher eg Abbe’s illuminating apparatus aia 
useful. In some cases it is desirable to have a comp 
sided illumination, and this is best effected by pee | 
the illuminating apparatus a circular diaphragm-P re 
with a slit 3™™ wide that runs parallel to the edge 0 edoe of OF 
is best to have about 2™" between the slit and the hich = 
plate. Several diaphragm plates should be pr rant or mow | 
slit varies in extent from a half to a whole of a quadr 
The following mixture, which is Meckel’s fluid he oie | 
tion of a little acetic acid, is recommended above l 
agents as a preservative medium: g 
kcid - 
Platinum-chloride 
Unicellular animals die very slowly in this ie in ost 4 
acid or picro-sulphuric acid. ed with opm 
A special method is required for Protozoa i3 ee ctractare l 
i any cases the nucleus ane, as Me i 
foreign a 
method adopted in such cases is as follows : aa 
(1) Placed in picro-sulphuric acid 3-4 mm ‘lea 
1 Edited by Dr. C. O. WHITMAN, Mus. Comp. Zool.» Coe)? 
2 Zeitschr. fir wiss. Mikroskopie, 1, No. 1, PP» 39-5 a 
