The Portland daily press., 1878-12-18
Portland Society Of Natural History.

At the meeting Monday evening sections
exhibiting the beautiful structure Of the
Cyperus were exhibited by Mr.. Fuller. This
plant belongs to the same family with
that which furnished the papyrus of the
Ancients Though allied to the grasses it grows
with tall smooth culm without joints, the
plant having general aspect of palm. This
was cut into thin longitudinal slices, layer Of
these was crossed at right angles by another
layer, and SO continued till the requisite
thickness was obtained; when the whole was
subjected to great pressure and pounding and
finally the surface was finished by being
rubbed with ivory, when the papyrus was
ready for use.
The president exhibited aud explained
Diatomaceen Typen Platte" made by J. d.
M6ller of Berlin. 1t is a slip Of glass three
inches long by one broad, the ordinary size of a
slide for the microscope. In the centre of this
slide square was indicated ny dots visible to
the naked eye. Each side of this square
measures precisely 0ne-eighth Of an inch
This square was again subdivided into four
others marked in the same manner. Except
an iridescent sheea nothing more was visible
to the unaided eye, but upon being placed
under the one-6fth obj sctive of the microscope
each of these squares was seen to assume the
form OF a printed page of six lines, but in
place Of the letters of the alphabet were
diatomaceous plants placed sids by side with
all the regularity, symmetry and precision of
the best ypesetting. The lines were formed
by row Of diatoms varying in number from
fifteen to thirty or more according to the size
of the frustule or plant. Each frustule was
without flaw and rot particle of dust or
other blemsh marred the page. The singular
ity and beauty of form and the exquisite
sculpture upon each frustule, no two being
alike, arrest thu attention and furnish am pie
material for study. Ia all there are upwards
of four hundred of these without counting the
the sixteen diatoms called Eupodiscas Argus
which designate the four corners of each
square or psge. Each of there diatoms has
been figured and described With the slide
came bound octave volume of sixteen
printed pages which are simply catalogue of
the plants contained within this square Of one
eighth Of inch.
The question naturally arises how il is
possible. to do this, but 50 far as known there
is but one man living who Can solve the
problem, Mr. M6ller himself. At present it
stands foremost among the wonders of
microscopy unless the palm is to be disputed
by the progress m ade in fine writing. In this
last the wonder consists in the psrfecting of y
machine capable of dung the work, bat here
it must ever be matter of establishment that
the eye and hand caa ba tutored to fulfil all
the requirements in the case. Diatoms are the
sliceous shields of cell or plant of whose
<bar :, %Ia a;low
in culm Of straw or an Equisetum. They are
found in abundance everywhere, in marshes,
running streams and the sea. For long time
it was dispute whether they belonged to the
animal or vegetable kingdom. The white
clay at the b)ttom of swamps is almost wholly
composed of these siliceous shields, and in
some places whole geological strata are COM
posed OF them. The city of Richmond in this
country is built upon such formation and
they form the active agent in the innumerabie
varieties Of powders everywhere hawked about
as the ne plus ultra of material for the
polishing Of silver. Their minute size and the
exquisite sculpture upon their frustales make
them excellent tests of the powers Of the
microscope and one that, for instance, can
even distinguish the marking upon a
4 AOukoo1B uo duRuldtuW anu Lu0u lodUlV6 tucm
into their true chara cter must indeed be an
Instrument possessing great power of defni-
tion.
Mr.. Burbank presented f5r examination
powder of Uranine, q new product of the coal
tar series, capable of illustrating Fluorescsncs
or that property of bodies either solid or fluid
which Is due to change of rsfrangibilty 10
the rays of light
A few particles upon the point Of knife
were dropped into tall glass of water when
beautiful green filamsnts resembling the roots
Of plant were seen ramifying through it and
gradually charging until completely dis
seminated through the water, by ref scted
light presenting a beautiful fluoresc snt green
color and by transmitted lighta golden or
amber color.
The goblet of water will retain its brillancy
for many days. 1t is asserted that one grain of
the powder will color with distiact tint
eleven barrels OF water, it being one of the
most highly fiuorssceus substa acss known In
chemistry.
Mr.. Manning laid upon the table No. 2 of
volums Of "The Am sricaa~ Antiquarian, a
quarterly journal devosed to early American
history, EGhnology and A.cha ology, published
at Unionvills, O., BY Rev. Stephen D. Peet.
He spoke OF it as book OF great interest to
those interested
Accidents.
One of the inspectors at the Grand Trunk
wharves slipped and fell Monday night and was
quite seriously hurt. We did not get his name.
The engine on tho p. m. freight train over
the Boston and Maine, from this city, burst one
of its flaes when some distance from Portland
Monday night, and conseq aently the freight
trains over that road were somewhat delayed
yesterday.
Two horrolS IF a ~, tbaf xuora bo;s tod into