78 
Supplement  to  the  “ Tropical  Agriculturist. 
IJuljri,  1892. 
which  were  attributed  by  eminent  autho- 
rities to  the  action  of  Coccidia.  Coccidian  diseases 
occur  most  largely  in  the  rabbit,  and  its  lesions 
are  most  generally  observed  in  the  liver  ; they 
resemble  in  a marked  degree  the  nodular  lesions 
of  tuberculosis,  and  their  existence  gives  rise 
to  emaciation  and  anoemia,  the  abdomen  becoming 
enlarged  owing  to  enlargements  of  the  liver. 
80  per  cent,  of  the  rabbits  in  Tasmania  were 
found  to  be  affected  with  Coccidian  disease  in 
1884,  and  Coccidia  were  found  abundantly  in 
N.  S.  Wales  in  1889.  Prof.  Brown  considers  it 
unwise  to  allow  the  organs  and  even  the  bodies 
of  animals  (poultry  included)  to  be  used  for 
the  purpose  of  human  food. 
Meischer’s  or  Rainy’s  tubes  were  discovered 
by  Meisclier  in  1843,  and  by  Rainy  in  1857. 
They  were  found  in  the  muscular  fibres  of 
various  animals,  according  to  Leuckart  in  the 
pig,  ox,  sheep,  and  goat.  The  boundary  walls 
of  these  bodies  consist  of  a somewhat  thick 
and  firm  cuticle,  perforated  by  numerous  pores : 
inside  are  found  embedded  in  a tough  and  some- 
what homogeneous  matrix  a number  of  kidney- 
shaped bodies.  The  presence  of  these  psoros*- 
perms  causes  difficulty  in  breathing,  and  symp- 
toms allied  to  paraplegia. 
Class  II. — Rhizopoda.  (Gr.  rhiza  root,  and  pons 
foot)  or  “root-footed”  animalcules,  are  Proto- 
zoans which  are  simple  or  compound,  and  have 
the  power  of  throwing  out  and  retracting  tem- 
porary prolongations  of  the  body  substance  ; a 
month  is  generally  if  not  always  absent. 
In  the  order  foraminifera,  the  body  is  pro- 
tected by  a shell  generally  composed  of  car- 
bonate of  lime.  At  great  depths  in  the  Atlantic 
and  Pacific  exists  a mud  or  “ooze”  found  al- 
most entirely  of  the  remains  of  foraminiferal 
shells.  This  ooze  is  found  to  a depth  of  3,000 
fathoms  and  may  be  regarded  as  the  modern 
analogue  of  the  white  chalk  of  the  cretaceous 
period.  Chalk  itself  is,  in  fact  very  largely 
composed  of  the  tests  or  shells  of  foraminifera. 
Nummulitic  limestone  is  to  a large  degree  com- 
posed of  the  tests  of  the  nummulite,  a fora- 
minifer.  Carboniferous  limestone  is  often  whole- 
ly  composed  of  the  shells  of  a foraminifer  known 
as  Fusulina.  In  the  order  Radiolaria,  the  or- 
ganisms have  a siliceous  test  or  siliceous  spicules, 
and  large  areas  of  the  sea  floor,  up  to  a 
depth  of  4,500  fathoms  are  composed  of  their 
shells.  The  well-known  “ Barbadoes  earth  ” 
consists  almost  entirely  of  the  minute  flinty 
shells  of  a Radiolarian  known  as  Polycystina. 
To  the  Foraminifera  and  Radiolaria,  are  thus 
traceable  the  origin  of  certain  organic  geological 
deposits.  Apart  from  the  possibility  of  both 
these  deposits  forming  the  constituents  of 
agricultural  soils,  is  the  fact  that  lime, 
which  is  prepared  from  the  carbonate,  is  a 
most  important  and  useful  agent  in  the  art 
of  Agriculture. 
There  is  one  other  order  of  this  class,  viz., 
Spongida,  which  deserves  a passing  note.  The 
sponges  live  in  colonies  supported  by  a common 
framework  of  horny,  siliceous  or  calcareous 
spicules.  The  softer  horny  frameworks  are  the 
sponges  of  commerce  and  of  economic  value. 
The  siliceous  sponges  are  held  by  geologists  to 
have  been  in  most  cases  the  origin  of  flint. 
Class  III. — Infusoria,  or  infusorian  animalcules, 
so  called  because  they  are  generated  in  organic 
infusious.  They  possess  a mouth  and  short 
gullet : are  able  to  put  forth  pseudopodia : are 
furnished  with  vibrating  hair-like  processes  (cilia); 
body  composed  of  three  distinct  layers,  Ex.  bell- 
animalcule.  What  is  known  as  “ infusorial  earth” 
or  “Tripoli  powder”  is  sometimes  thought  to 
have  some  connection  with  the  Infusoria,  but 
this  is  a mistake.  These  deposits,  the  finer 
varieties  of  which  contain  over  90  per  cent,  of 
silica,  are  composed  of  the  siliceous  frustules  of 
diatoms,  which  are  minute  aquatic  plants. 
(To  be  continued.) 
GENERAL  ITEMS. 
The  Port-of-Spain  Gazette  of  April  29th, 
contains  an  account  of  a cocoa-drying  exhibition 
by  means  of  the  “Torrido  Dryer,”  the  invention 
of  Mr.  Ilemans.  I11  the  words  of  the  inventor  “ it 
enables  one  to  save  his  crops  independent  of  sun 
and  in  spite  of  rain,  and  at  an  almost  incredible 
short  period  of  5 to  7 hours,  according  to  the 
more  or  less  efficacious  mode  of  fermenting.”  The 
machine  is  said  to  be  so  simple  in  construction, 
that  any  ordinary  intelligent  unskilled  labourer 
could  work  it,  and  no  more  than  two  persons 
are  required  to  manipulate  the  article  to  be  dried. 
Other  advantages  of  using  the  “Torrido  Dryer” 
are  that  the  aroma  and  quality  of  the  cocoa 
dried  by  it  are  far  superior  to  those  of  cocoa 
dried  in  the  sun,  the  value  of  the  cocoa  rising 
5 to  7 per  cent;  the  loss  in  weight  is  reduced 
from  50  to  37  per  cent  owing  to  the  rapid 
evaporation,  thus  increasing  the  profits  by  9s. 
per  cwt.,  taking  the  mean  price  of  cocoa  at 
65s.  per  cwt.  The  “ Torrido  Dryer  ” is  also 
suitable  for  drying  fruit,  such  as  plantains  and 
figs.  The  Director  of  the  Botanical  Gardens, 
Trinidad,  himself  recommends  Mr.  Heman’s 
machine,  which  is  manufactured  in  different  sizes, 
and  costs  from  £125  to  £300.  The  address  of  the 
inventor  is:  Henry  Ilemans,  of  Henry  Hemans 
6 Co.,  38,  Queen  Victoria  Street,  London,  E.  C. 
Creolin  which  is  antiseptic,  disinfectant, 
deodorant,  parasiticide,  and  astringent  is  now 
being  largely  used  in  Veterinary  Surgery  and 
Medicine.  It  is  a coal-tar  product  of  complex 
composition,  of  an  oily  consistency  and  dark 
brown  in  colour,  with  a tarry  odour  and  taste, 
and  forming  an  emulsion  when  mixed  with  40 
parts  of  water.  Bacteriological  tests  prove  it 
to  be  more  prompt  and  effective  than  carbolic 
acid  in  the  destruction  of  the  microbes  of 
anthrax,  fowl  cholera,  glanders,  &c.  A one  per 
cent  solution  is  stated  by  Esmarch  and  Frohner 
to  kill  cholera  bacteria  in  ten  minutes,  and 
arrest  devlopment  of  typhus  bacilli  in  half  an 
hour ; while  a one  per  cent  solution  of  carbolic 
acid  requires  four  days  to  kill  cholera  bacilli,  and 
had  110  effect  on  typhus  bacilli  in  twenty-one 
days.  Kauffmann  states  that  as  a bactericide 
it  is  ten  times  as  powerful  as  carbolic  acid. 
Unlike  carbolic  acid  and  creosote,  10  per  cent 
solutions  do  not  irritate  the  skin,  the  mucous 
or  abraided  surfaces. 
The  Horticultural  Times  says  that  the  edible 
and  poisonous  mushroom  may  be  distinguished 
in  the  following  ways;— 1.  The  table  mushroom, 
