128 JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 
tail presented the same pecularity as No. 1., the peculiar 
notch in the lower part of the upper lobe and the relative pro- 
portions of the lobes. The upper edge of the caudal fin 
measured 2ft. loin. from the notch at root, and the lower edge 
2ft. 4in. The distance in a straight line between tip and tip 3ft. 
6in. Two small fins were present close to the tail. one dorsal and 
one ventral. The liver was of incredible size. Several small 
crustaceans were firmly affixed to the tongue and lips, apparently 
closely allied to those obtained from the previous specimen. 
Other fishes taken here lately are—Coridodaxpullus, Callorhynchus 
australis, and Nolidanus (fleptanchus) Indicus. The fishermen 
also reported capturing a “ Swordfish,” but unfortunately it was 
not preserved, so I am unable to confirm it—A.H. 
ANTS.—On Sunday April 6th, I was walking on the hills 
near the mouth of the Petane River, near Napier, when I became 
covered with thousands of winged ants. Little shining black 
fellows formed the bulk of the swarm, but there were many much 
larger with a large fuscous body with dark rings, and a few of an 
intermediate size, black or dark brown. By the two nodes in the 
petole of the abdomen I presume they are A¢ta antarctica, Sm. 
or Aphenogaster antarctica, No. 39. of Mr. Kirby’s revised list. 
Very few were to be seen on the low grounds, but every spider’s 
web and every thistle on the tops of the hills was covered with 
them. A person who has just arrived from Fort Galatea, between 
Taupo and Tauranga, reports dense swarms of flying ants on 
Friday, April 10th ; so that there must have been a general 
swarming about that date. He also says that fowls which fed 
on them suffered severely, and that some died. Although my 
hands and face were covered with them I did not feel any bites 
or stings.—A.H. 
PURE CARMINIC ACID FOR COLOURING MICROSCOPICAL 
PREPARATIONS.—Since Gerlach first called attention to carmin 
as a colouring matter for histological purposes, many methods 
of preparing the carmin solutions have been published, but so 
far as J am aware none which result in anything but mixtures 
of various carmin salts with undetermined and undesirable im- 
purities, such as fatty matter, tyrosin, sugar, and salts of alkaline 
metals. Of course the coloration produced by these mixtures 
has been sometimes good, sometimes bad, and the solutions have 
easily spoiled or decomposed, while their preparation often re- 
quired considerable time and trouble. Several years ago I 
studied carmin, chiefly from a chemical standpoint, and since 
then I have often wondered why naturalists usually used carmin 
solutions in which water, with some caustic or destructive mate- 
rial added, was the principal solvent. Carmin of commerce, it 
is true, is not readily soluble, even in water, until ammonia, 
borax, or some other aid to solution is added ; but carminic acid, 
the basis of the coloring matter of carmin, has long been stated 
ae TT 2 
