IO 
SCIENCE. 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
The Eggs of Eels. — We direct attention to an alleged dis- 
covery of eggs in eels, and also to the fact that both sexes 
had been observed nearly two hundred years ago. The fol- 
lowing extracts are made from the Proceedings of the Royal 
Society about the year 1690: 
“ Until about twelve months since, it was currently be- 
lieved that eggs had never been seen in eels, and it was con- 
sidered quite an interesting discovery when a New England 
fisherman then discovered them in situ, and also observed 
specimens of eels both of the male and female sex. 
“ Thus a vexed point which had been discussed for two 
hundred years, was settled satisfactorily, when, as I under- 
stand, Professor Packard confirmed the fisherman’s dis- 
covery. 
“ Recently, while looking over some papers read before 
the Royal Society of England, dating very far back, I found 
that a Mr. Benjamin Allen about the year 1690, read a paper 
before the society, claiming to have examined two eels, and 
‘ found one with egg,’ and another with ‘ fixed young ones, 
fastened to very small placentae each, which was fixed to the 
intestine.’ ‘ The eggs were on the outside of the intestine.’ 
He also said, ‘ the parts distinguishing the sex are discov- 
erable ; those of the male affix to the extremity of the kid- 
ney ; the female had a slender gland transversely lying near 
the bowel.’ 
“A discussion followed, and a Mr. Dale raised a doubt 
on account of Mr. Allen’s anatomical details being inconsi- 
tent with nature, and from the fact of Leuwenhoek finding 
a uterus in all eels he examined, and also ‘ masculine seed,’ 
from whence he conjectured they were Hermaphrodite. 
“He, however, so far confirmed Mr. Allen on one point, 
as to state that one Walter Chetwynd, Esq., had in the 
month of May, ‘found them to be viviparous, by cutting 
open the red fundaments of the females, from whence the 
young eels would issue forth alive.’ 
“No other member is reported as having spoken on the 
subject, and so the matter rested.” 
The Mode of Suckling of the Elephant Calf. — In 
some of the accounts recently published of the birth of an 
elephant in a menagerie in America it is stated that up to 
this time naturalists had always believed that the elephant 
calf obtained its mother's milk by means of its trunk, and 
not directly by the mouth. 
Whether this be the case or not, Aristotle was certainly an 
exception, as the following passage from the twenty-seventh 
chapter of the sixth book of his “ Historia Animalium ” (Ed. 
Bekker, Oxford, 1837) clearly' proves — ”0 de on'vpvoc, brav 
ybnjTCU, ru GTO/ian, oh rd> /ivuTi/pi , aal flafi'fei nat fiXisru 
eiidvg -yevvj)drig . — “And the calf, when it is born, sucks with 
its mouth and not with its trunk ; and it both walks and sees 
as soon as it is born ” — (Nature.) J. C. G. 
At a recent meeting of the Buffalo Microscopical Club 
Mr. fas. W. Ward exhibited a piece of glass which had been 
over a picture on one of the walls of his residence. It was 
covered with a very peculiar and interesting species of fun- 
gus, and withstood the action of soap and water in attempt- 
ing to remove it. He attributed the growth to the exhala- 
tions of the breath of persons who had been in the room, 
and since noticing this fungus on the glass had examined 
several of a similar nature in other rooms and found them 
alike. Mr. Ward’s observations brought forth an interesting 
debate, relative to the observations of the different members 
of the Club on similar growths. Dr. Howe thought it simi- 
lar to the fungus which attacks the body of the Musca do- 
mestica (house fly'). These are contagious, and can be given 
by one fly to another. Dr. Barrett likened it to the fungi 
which permeates the walls of hospitals and other public 
buildings. President Kellicott, since the matter had been 
brought to his notice, had examined the windows of the 
Central School building, and the City and County Hall, and 
found fungi on them, although not to such an extent as on 
the glass Mr. Ward exhibited. 
Since the publication of Mr. Ward’s notes, a Mr. Thomas 
Garfield has written to the Scientific American attributing the 
so-called fungus to a stain, or rust, which is often observed 
by glass makers on glass, caused by an excess of soda or pot- 
ash, which produces an efflorescence. Mr. Ward, however, 
re-affirms that the patches are fungi, and he is satisfied of 
their vegetable and superficial nature. 
MICROSCOPY. 
The Hayden 'Trial Evidence. — Dr. Treadwell writes to the 
“ American Monthly Microscopical Journal ” disclaiming the 
assertions regarding the possibility of identifying human 
blood, which had been attributed to him. It was charged 
that Dr. Tredwell claimed, after measuring only four cor- 
puscles (having accidentally lost the others), that ranged 
from jjVt “ to sjW’ in diameter, to have asserted : “ I am 
quite positive that these were human blood corpuscles , and 
that they did not belong to the pig, sheep, goat, horse or 
cat.” Dr. Tredwell now savs, “ I gave no opinion what- 
ever as to any blood being human blood, except in dis- 
tinction from the blood of some animal or animals named, 
and I defy any person to show that I have ever expressed 
such an opinion in any of the numerous cases in which I 
have testified." 
On the half shell. — Mr. K. M. Cunningham suggests a 
quick way of getting marine diatomace®: by taking a 
peck of fresh oysters and brushing the back of each into a 
basin of water, this process will give Pleurosigm® and 
Coscinodisci in abundance. 
Thin glass covers. — A microscopist has taken the trouble 
to measure the thin glass covers purchased at a first class 
house, and found that in two ounces but one third was 
correct in their thickness to of an inch, two thirds 
belonging to a cheaper grade. Only one sixty-eighth were 
200 of an inch in thickness, the majority being only fit for 
opaque objects. 
Infection from Mosquitos. — The discovery that mosquitos 
carry filaria in their probosces, and infect the human 
subject with that much dreaded worm parasite, has at- 
tracted considerable attention among the English Micros- 
copists. The matter has been brought before the Quekett 
Microscopical Club, by Dr. Cobbold, the President, who is 
one of the highest authorities on this subject. Particulars 
of various cases were given in which it was proved that 
those suffering from filaria had received the contagion 
from mosquitos, and mosquitos themselves infected with 
fiiaria were shown. 
Filaria are very minute worm-like parasites, which on 
entering the human body, breed until they increase to 
countless numbers. By recent advices we learn they have 
the power of entering and leaving the blood at pleasure ; 
they usually invade the circulation about seven o’clock in 
the evening, and increase until about midnight, after 
which time they retire to other parts of the system. 
Trichina in Fish. — It is again asserted that trichin® 
have been found in fish, this time at Ostend, in Belgium. 
This is against previous experience, but as it is stated the 
worms were found in the flesh, it appears more probable 
that the statement may be correct. 
Cuiious fungous deposit. — Dr. P. C. Jensen gives a 
drawing in “ New Remedies ” of a peculiar organized de- 
posit, existing in a number of specimens of Acid Phos- 
phoric. Dil., of commercial grades. Under a power of 75 
diameters its appearance is that of a fibrous network very 
analogous in appearance to the Tela Contexta, as found in 
the mosses, anastomosing and exhibiting very well defined 
oblong muriform cells placed end to end. In the inter- 
stices of its central ramification are seen small bodies re- 
sembling nuclei. These nuclei are nearly double the size 
of the diverging fibres constituting the mass of the deposit. 
The color of the deposit is of a grayish white, with diffusive 
and clastic properties. 
