when the organic matter will be entirely dissolved, and the calcareous shells left free from impurity. They must now be well washed in water, so that all alkaline matter may be entirely got rid of. If the specimens are in _mud_, we must proceed in a different way:--Stir up the whole mass in water, and allow it to stand until the heavier portion has sunk to the bottom; the water may then be poured off and examined to see if there are any objects contained in it. This process must be repeated until the water comes off quite clear, when (if the search is for Foraminifera only) the solution of caustic potash may be used as before mentioned. However the soundings, &c., are cleaned, it is necessary to assort them under the microscope with the camel-hair pencil or other contrivance, as it is impossible to obtain them fit for mounting without undergoing this process. The sea soundings taken by order of Government are drawn from the bottom in a kind of apparatus ingeniously made for the purpose, and the sand, mud, &c., are brought up in their original state. Common soundings, however, are taken by lowering a heavy piece of lead coated with tallow, which consequently brings up a small portion of the matter from the bottom. Mr. George Mosley, the late Secretary of the Manchester Microscopic Society, obtained numbers of the “scrapings” from the sounding leads. To make any use of these it is, of course, necessary to free them from all traces of the tallow. Mr. Dancer places the sounding in a basin and pours boiling water upon it, which causes the melted grease to rise to the surface. When cold, this may be removed, and the water carefully decanted. The operation may be repeated until no grease appears, when the water may be withdrawn and _liquor ammoniæ_ used, which will form a soapy solution with any remaining grease. This must be treated with hot water for the final washing. Care must be taken lest the finer forms be carried away in decanting the washing liquid. Should it be wished to make certain as to this point, each washing should be examined under the microscope. In some cases the process of Mr. Dancer will prove sufficient. Mr. Dale, however, gives a method of accomplishing the same result, which is much more readily completed; and as the results cannot be found fault with, I will here give it in full:--It is now well known that one of the products obtained from the naphtha of coal-tar is a volatile, oily substance, termed _benzole_ (or, by French chemists, _benzine_), whose boiling-point, when pure, is about 180° Fahrenheit, which is a perfect solvent for fatty substances. In a capsule, previously warmed on a sand-bath, Mr. Dale mixes with the tallow soundings benzole, whose boiling-point may be about 200°, until sufficiently diluted so as to run freely, pressing the lumps with a glass rod until thoroughly mingled; the solution and its contents are then poured into a paper filter, placed in a glass funnel; the capsule is again washed with