In the 'Transactions' of the Hull Scientific and Field Naturalists' Club for the year 1900 (vol. i. No. III) the Secretary, Mr. T. Sheppard, has commenced a series of articles on "Bygone Hull Naturalists," in which the late George Norman (1823-1882) is the subject of the first memoir. Mr. Norman was an old and valued contributor to 'The Zoologist,' contributing no fewer than forty-seven notes between the years 1843 and 1864. An excellent portrait of Norman is given, and memoirs are promised of other Hull naturalists, including Adrian Hardy Haworth, Peter William Watson, Robert Harrison, and William Spence.
The Transactions and Annual Report of the Sheffield Microscopical Society (1899-1900) contain an abstract of a lecture delivered by Dr. H.C. Sorby, on "Improved Methods of Preparing and Preserving Specimens of Marine Animals." The use of glycerine was recommended.
"He found that, in thus treating a species of Nereis worm very common in some of the Essex estuaries, it was possible to dry small specimens and mount them in balsam without any of the minute blood-vessels being obliterated by decomposition. After trying many modifications of this process, the best results were obtained from the following method:—Specimens of the worm, about two or three inches long, were put direct from the sea-water into strong glycerine diluted with an equal volume of water. Here they quickly died, and, after remaining in it for about ten minutes, were seen to be much reduced in size by the transfusion of water into the glycerine. They were then transferred to water, and kept in it for about ten minutes so as to remove most of the glycerine, and to cause them to expand to about their original size. They were then quite limp, and could easily be arranged on microscopic-slide glasses, and were dried as quickly as they could at the usual temperature in the open air, and in doing so became thin, but shrank very little laterally. They were then mounted in balsam, under thin covers, in cells made of thin glass strips. When thus mounted they are not only permanently preserved, but, being made comparatively thin, flat, and transparent, the structure is seen far better than when the animals are alive or recently dead, and the natural red colour of the blood is preserved. When worms are preserved in alcohol or formalin they are rendered opaque, and the blood becomes brown."
In preparing marine animals as museum specimens. Dr. Sorby had had some beautiful results through using strong glycerine. The beautiful natural colours had been, he hoped, permanently preserved. Specimens of Sea-anemones and Star-fish thus preserved were shown, the natural shape of the animals and their delicate tints of colour being much admired.
