166 
correspondence 
Viola sylvatica, var. Reichenbachiana. —In your report of the 
meeting of the Birmingham Natural History Society, held on April 
24th, Preston Bagot is given as a new locality for Viola aylvatica, var. 
ReAchcnhacliiana. I may say that I found it growing there abundantly 
on my first visit to that neighbourhood six years ago (April 7, 1877), 
and on each subsequent visit I have found it still just as flourishing.— 
James Turner, F.L.S., Moseley. [This was given by me as being new 
as a record for Preston Bagot. Mr. Turner had not recorded it.— 
J. E. Bagnall.] 
Note on a Beech Leaf.— Doubtless many persons have been struck 
by the wonderful beauty of leaves when first unfolded, and in a manner 
similar to that of which I was forcibly reminded one day in May last, when 
observing some leaves of a beech tree in my garden, and noticing their 
delicate silkiness of texture altogether; the soft white hairs of the 
mid-rib and outer edges; their clear green colouring; the almost 
exactly paralleled side veins, ending in a slightly projecting blunt point; 
the fine interlacing network of the ultimate veining; their tenacity, 
joined to partial elasticity of the entire leaves; the delicate arrange¬ 
ment of stomata seen under the microscope, forming a refined 
adaptation for breathing, as in leaves generally ; all combined to form 
one of the most interesting among so very many beautiful leaves. 
—Horace Pearce, F.L.S. 
New Methods of Mounting for the Microscope. —At one of the 
recent meetings of the Birmingham Natural History Society two very 
interesting and novel methods of mounting ob]ects for the microscope 
were brought forward, and their concurrence on the same evening was 
the more remarkable, because they solved the difficulty of preserving 
vegetable and animal preparations in the fluids best suited for them 
respectively. One of the best mediums for certain animal pre¬ 
parations is spirits of wine, but the impossibility of preventing its 
evaporation has always been a bar to its use. Mr. Thomas Clarke, 
however, exhibited two microscopic slides of objects mounted in spirits 
of wine, sixty-four over proof, in 1881, which were still perfectly intact. 
The cement used in closing the cell was manufactured by a friend of 
Mr. Clarke, who expressed his readiness to supply any of the members 
with a bottle of it. For vegetable sections glycerine is one of the best 
preservatives, but as before, the difficulty of confining it within the 
cell has been deemed insuperable. Mr. J. E. Bagnall mentioned a 
method invented by Professor Hillhouse, of the Mason College, by 
which this end is perfectly attained. The Professor himself then 
kindly and fully explained his mode of operation, which is as follows:— 
No cell is used, the object is merely placed in a drop of glycerine of 
just sufficient size to reach the edge of the cover-glass, when it is 
dropped on. Canada balsam, dissolved in turpentine, is then applied 
round the edge so as to close the cell, by means of a small glass rod 
drawn out to a point, but terminating in a little knob. If a little of 
the glycerine should exude beyond the cover-glass, it need not be 
removed; it can be covered with the Canada balsam as easily as if it 
were under the cover-glass, and without interfering with the security 
of the cell. The Canada balsam is, of course, best if of such a 
consistence as not easily to become hard and brittle. Professor 
Hillhouse mentioned, as one of the advantages of this method, that if 
the section should slip from beneath the cover-glass on the application 
of pressure, as the thinnest and therefore best sections are apt to do, 
they would still be visible through the transparent balsam, if its 
upper surface were made parallel to the slide. It was jocularly 
suggested that the next step in advance would be to dispense with the 
cover-glass altogether, and encase the object in a layer of glycerine, 
protected by a horizontal film of balsam.—W. B. Grove, B.A. 
