The same operations were repeated upon the Indian turnip with exactly similar results.

These experiments show conclusively that the acridity of the Indian turnip and calla is due to the raphides of calcium oxalate only.

The question of the absence of acridity in the other two plants still remained to be settled.  For this purpose some recent twigs and leaves of the fuchsia were subjected to pressure in a tincture press.  The expressed juice was not limpid, but thick, mucilaginous and ropy.  Under the microscope the raphides seemed as plentiful as in the case of the two acrid plants.  When diluted with water and shaken with ether, there was no visible turbidity in the supernatant ether, and when a drop of the ether was allowed to evaporate on a glass slide, only a few isolated crystals could be seen.  From this it will be seen that in this case the raphides did not separate from the mucilaginous juice to be held in suspension in the ether.  A great deal of time and labor were spent in endeavoring to separate the crystals completely from this insoluble mucilage, but without avail.  With the tradescantia similar results were obtained.

From these experiments the absence of acridity in these two plants, in spite of the abundance of raphides, may readily be explained by the fact that the minute crystals are surrounded with and embedded in an insoluble mucilage, which prevents their free movement into the tongue and surface of the mouth, when portions of the plants are tasted.

The reason why the Indian turnip loses its acridity on being heated can be explained by the production of starch paste from the abundance of starch present in the bulbs.  This starch paste would evidently act in a manner similar to the insoluble mucilage of the other two plants.

So also it can readily be seen that when the bulbs of the Indian turnip have been dried, the crystals can no longer separate from the hard mass which surrounds them, and consequently can exert no irritant action when the dried bulbs are placed against the tongue.—­Jour.  Am.  Chem.  Soc.

* * * * *

THE WHALE-HEADED STORK.

[Illustration:  THE WHALE-HEADED STORK—­BALAENICEPS REX.]

Of all the wonders that inhabit the vast continent of Africa, the most singular one is undoubtedly the Balaeniceps, or whale-headed stork.  It is of relatively recent discovery, and the first description of it was given by Gould in the early part of 1851.  It is at present still extremely rare.  The Paris Museum possesses three specimens of it, and the Boulogne Museum possesses one.  These birds always excite the curiosity of the public by their strange aspect.  At first sight, says W.P.  Parker, in his notes upon the osteology of the balaeniceps, this bird recalls the boatbill, the heron, and the adjutant.  Other birds, too, suggest themselves to the mind, such as