West, on the Egg in Scatophaga, 
67 
straight line^ and cutoff the portion held by the pliers about a 
quarter inch or so ; withdraw the wires a, b, remove the clips, 
and finish by turning up the narrow end at half an inch over 
one of the stout wires, and double it on itself, to form a 
fulcrum from the spring (see side view/.) The wire part may 
require a little pressing together to set nicely on the slide. 
One suffices for holding a cover to the slide, two when placed 
one above and one below a pierced side for a live trap. If 
the nicks are conveniently chosen the slide, when reversed, 
will be in the same plane from the object-glass. 
As a growing slide, or for keeping Confervse or Algse a 
short time, use a full-sized square cover, and with it attached 
by one of the clips, the end of which should be platinized, 
place the slide on a weighted bung, which has a hole bored 
or burnt through its diameter about midway, and a small 
hole from above to below through the centre of the cork ; 
with a saw cut two slightly slanting saw cuts through the 
cork into the large cross hole, less than a quarter of an inch 
apart ; set two pieces of glass about one inch by half an inch 
into these cuts, so that they nearly touch at the top, then 
place the slide and object between them and float the bung 
on a basin of water, seeing that the liquid can enter at the 
side holes as well as from the smaller one below. The water 
rises by capillary attraction, and keeps up a supply to the 
cover. 
Trusting the above may be found useful to others, may it 
form an apology for trespassing on your notice ? 
On the Structure of the Egg in Scatophaga* 
By TuFFEN West, F.L.S., &c. 
(Read March 14tb, 1866.) 
The leg of the yellowish-brown fly, Scatophaga stercoraria^ 
is a favourite object with microscopists, on account of the 
large size of the pulvilli, the transparency of the cushions, 
and the distinctness and exquisite regularity of arrangement 
of the tenent hairs. 
The egg of the same fly has, I believe, not been minutely 
described, though the remarkable structure presently to be 
named, has been briefly alluded to by Mr. Westwood in the 
following terms'^ : 
* Introduction to Modern Classification of Insects,' vol. ii, p. 572. 
