hors all made on the living egg, 
32 _ Proceedings of Societies. 
SAN FRANCISCO MicroscopIcaL Society. March 13, 7890, President Wickson 
in the chair. 
The usual periodicals and exchanges were reported and placed on file. 
The special discourse of the evening was then delivered by Professor Joseph 
_ Le Conte, of the University of California, his topic being ‘* The Germ Theory of : 
Disease.” All decay he said was accompanied by and caused by micro-organisms, ‘ 
and its rapidity depended upon and corresponded with the rapidity of the develop- 
ment of those organisms. 
The importance of this fact to industries was noted, as also the necessity of 
these organisms to the process of decay without which life itself would soon be im- 
possible. 
The remarkable analogy existing between the phenomena of contagion and those 
of life was alluded to, but the speaker remarked that science is content only with 
absolute proof and that it had become necessary to modify in many important par- 
ticulars the original sweeping claims of the advocates of the germ theory, many 
grave disorders now being attributed to secondary effects known as ptomaines. 
In conclusion the distinguished speaker drew a vivid picture of the heights which 
science would undoubtedly yet attain in the extension and practical application of 
the great truths of the germ theory. Hewas unanimously accorded a vote of thanks 
for his very interesting lecture. . 
After the reading of the paper by Professor Le Conte, the President invited dis- 
cussion and remarks, which was generally entered into by members, and resulted in 
eliciting further interesting facts and opinions. 
Dr. J. H. Stallard exhibited, as pertinent to the subject of the evening, a pure 
culture of Bacillus lepre, started in 1886, and a nearly pure culture of Bacillus 
tuberculosis, : ; 
March 26, 1890. Vice-President Bates in the chair, 
The Secretary reported the usual additions to the library of periodicals and pro- 
ceedings. 
R. H. Freund and John D. Coulie were elected active members and the applica- 
tion of Dr. E. S. Clark was received. i 
The paper of the evening was by Carl H. Eigenmann, Ph.D., on ‘* The Genesis 
_ of Chromatophores in Fishes.” Mr. Eigenmann has made a special study of the 
_ life of fishes and his paper bore t ie stamp of original investigation. Nee ee 
_ By way of introduction he mentioned how the color of fishes varied under differ- _ 
_ ent conditions; the color of the food would modify it, or the color of the bottom 
of the sea where the individual made its habitat would change it. The same species, 
under these varying conditions, would show a marked difference of color in tide — 
feet 
See eg 
