540 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
poured into a vessel containing the colonies, more than half the polypides 
die protruded. With such reagents as chloral hydrate or cocain chloro- 
liydrate every polypide dies expanded. Some colonies were fixed with 
a saturated solution of corrosive sublimate or a weak (0*1 per cent.) 
solution of chromic acid. Borax-carmine and picrocarmine were chiefly 
used for staining. Sometimes a whole colony was imbedded. 
The development of the polypide within the statoblast was thus 
studied : a statoblast was hardened in alcohol, and its edge was then 
cut between two pieces of elder-pith so as to make an opening in the 
chitinous shell ; it was then stained and kept in alcohol until cut. In 
cutting the statoblast celloidin was indispensable, owing to the hardness 
of the shell. Fresh specimens were put on a slide after stupefying with 
cocain. The habits of the colonies may be studied by keeping them in 
vessels through which water is always flowing. 
Demonstrating Tactile Papillae of Hirudo medicinalis,* — In order 
to show well, says Dr. S. Apathy, the tactile papillae of Hirudo medi- 
cinalis, strong spirituous solutions of sublimate should be added to the 
water in which the starved animal is kept until it moves no longer. 
Having been stretched out with pins, 10 per cent, sublimate or 70 per 
cent, alcohol is poured over it. This makes the tactile papillae stand 
out from the smooth ventral surface. 
Examining Ova of Gordins.-f — In examining the yolk-stalk of Gordius , 
Sig. L. Camerano fixed this animal in one- third alcohol or picric acid. 
Mayer’s carmine stained germinal vesicle and spot well. For ova the 
author recommends as fixative 3 per cent, nitric acid .or a mixture of 
equal parts of absolute alcohol and acetic acid, and as stain, borax-carmine 
or a mixture of malachite-green and vesuvin. 
Study of Nematodes.:}: — Mr. N. A. Cobb recommends the following 
method: — “ On capturing a worm with the medicine-dropper, I eject it 
forcibly into 20 ccm. of concentrated solution of corrosive sublimate, 
kept at 50°-60° C. by floating it in a porcelain dish on the surface of 
hot water. If the sublimate solution is much hotter than 60°, the bodies 
of some species burst. The worms should remain in the hot sublimate 
solution at least an hour, better longer. When a sufficient number of 
worms has been captured, pour the sublimate solution, worms and all, 
into a flat glass dish placed on a black background, and pick out the 
worms with the aid of a magnifying glass and a fine-pointed medicine- 
dropper, and put them into the prepared object-glass of a differentiator. 
Stain and bring into balsam by means of the differentiator. Most of the 
smaller species stain readily in borax-carmine, which is one of the best 
of stains for this work. Oxyuris vermicularis (adults, not the young) and 
a number of other parasitic species, however, do not stain in borax- 
carmine. Mayer’s carmine rarely fails to stain these exceptional species. 
Overstaining is corrected by adding hydrochloric acid to the proper 
differentiator fluids. I can recommend this method very highly, not 
* Zool. Anzeig., viii. (1890) pp. 320-2. See Zeitschr. f. Wiss. Mikr., viii. (1891) 
p. 81 . 
f Mem. della R. Accad. di Torino, xl. (1890) pp. 1-19 (2 pis.). See Zeitschr. f. 
Wiss. Mikr., viii. (1891) pp. 80-1. 
J Proe. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., v. (1890) pp. 451-2. 
