MICROSCOPY. 



Spencer Microscopes.— Charles A. Spencer & Sons of Can- 

 astota, N. Y., announce the transfer of their enterprise to the 

 Geneva Optical Co., of Geneva, N. Y., and state that almost un- 

 limited facilities will enable them to supply customers with genu- 



promise which will prove attractive to those who have learned In- 

 experience that microscope-work, on the average, can be more 

 safely ordered as a legacy for one's heirs than with any reasonable 

 expectation of its being received in time to be of any use to him- 

 self. Besides their usual forms of stand, and the more useful ac- 

 cessories, the Spencers announce two series of objectives, — a series 

 of from 4 inch to -fe inch focus, of extremely large angle and 

 price to match, and a series of. very judiciously chosen low angles 

 at a very moderate price. The name of Spencer is connected, 

 more radically Mian any other, with the development of the modern 

 high-angled objective, and it is interesting, though of course not 

 decisive, to know that the distinguished workers bearing this name, 

 so far from having lost faith in the fact or the utility of extreme 

 angles, continue to announce the almost incredible angles of '>0° 

 for the 1 inch, and 175° for nearly everything from the { upwards. 

 The acceptance of the term ocular in place of eye-piece is a nota- 

 ble contribution to an improved nomenclature. 



Mounting Stained Leaves— Mr. G. Pirn exhibited, at the 

 January meeting of the Dublin Microscopical Club, leaves mounted 

 in Deane's Gelatine, which were so transparent that the tissues 

 throughout could be readily examined by merely focussing down 

 to the required level. They were bleached in a solution of chlo- 



nitric acid, and after washing stained with carmine solution. 



Coloring Matter of "Red snow."— This minute vegetable 

 organism, P,otococrus nivalis, whose growing form is green, but 

 whose bright red resting spores have given to it its familiar name, 

 has been recently examined under the micro-spectroscope by Dr. 

 J. G. Hunt, who states that its coloring matter leaves unchanged 

 the red, orange and yellow portions of the spectrum, but entirely 

 absorbs the violet portion. 



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