25 



was written in a free and simple style, in order to interest the general 

 public, and especially the young, but he thought it would be found 

 interesting to many of the members. Mr. Underbill's chatty, though terse, 

 style made the dryest details readable. In his next article he proposed 

 to deal with the web-making, and web-making apparatus, of the spider. 

 The sections were cut with an ordinary machine, and were remarkable 

 not only on account of their anatomical value, but, like all Mr. Under- 

 bill's work, for their careful and methodical preparation. He (Mr. Freeman) 

 remembered hearing Dr. B. T. Lowne, some years ago, suggest that a con- 

 secutive series of sections of the human spinal cord, from the top to the 

 bottom, would be most instructive and valuable, and thought it could be 

 done in a few hundreds of slides. Mr. Underhill had gone a good way in 

 that direction, for some of his slides had as many as 60 distinct sections of 

 a species of slug on a 3 X 1 slip. Of the Spider series some have as many as 

 32 sections on a slide, grouped with the greatest regularity. On seeing the 

 article it occurred to him that some of the members of the Quekett Club 

 would like to have an opportunity of examining the preparations themselves, 

 and he therefore communicated with Mr. Underhill, who most kindly, per- 

 haps somewhat rashly, sent some slides up for exhibition. He had asked Mr. 

 Underhill to send one that would best illustrate the drawings. He said, in 

 reply, " The fact is I have not one single perfect section. It is only by 

 diligently comparing some number of slides that you can see all that I have 

 put into the drawings. I think they are quite accurate." 



The thanks of the meeting were voted to M r. Freeman for his communi- 

 cation. 



Announcements of meetings for the ensuing month were then made, and 

 the proceedings terminated with the usual Conversazione, and the following 

 objects were exhibited : — 



Palludicella Ehrenbergi ... ... ... ... Mr. F. W. Andrew. 



Dr. C. Zeiss's apochromatic objectives and) , r ~ p , 



compensating eye-pieces ... ...j 



Cimex lectularia ... ... ... ... ... Mr. F. Enock. 



Sections of Garden Spider, Epiera diadema, 



Mr. H. E. Freeman. 



} 



prepared by Mr. H. M. J. Underhill ... 

 Larva of Nepa cinerea ... ... ... ... Mr. R. T. G. Nevins. 



Hairs of centipede, Scolopendria paradoxa ... Mr. C. Rousselet. 



Attendance — Members, 56; Visitors, 3. 



Journ. Q. M. C, Series II., No. 17. 



