155 



Mr. Sturt said it was well to notice that the species seemed chiefly con- 

 fined to Synedra. 



The President thought the subject was one which might repay investiga- 

 tion, and expressed the thanks of the Club to Mr. Karop for translating 

 the paper. 



The President said there was one small subject which he had been 

 requested to mention, and that was that some time ago a little alteration 

 was made in the wording of the tickets which were placed beside the ex- 

 hibits on the tables on their evenings of meeting. The alteration con- 

 sisted of the addition of a line, in which gentlemen were requested to enter 

 any points of special interest in their objects to which it was desired that 

 attention should be directed. Some members used this and others did not, 

 and the point he wished to urge upon them was that whenever they brought 

 anything which was either new or of special interest, if they would kindly 

 fill up the paper with a rather more detailed description than simply the 

 name of the specimen, it would not only prove useful to other members 

 present, but Mr. Hailes would be able to select such cases as might have 

 special value for insertion in the Journal ; and by this means a useful record 

 might be preserved. As it was, a great deal of information was given in 

 conversation which dropped out of their proceedings from the want of 

 some means by which it might be recorded. 



Mr. E. M. Nelson exhibited and described a new photo-micrographio 

 apparatus. 



Mr. T. C. White said he quite concurred with Mr. Nelson as to the 

 advantage of having the whole of the apparatus mounted upon one base- 

 board, because then whatever vibration took place it equally affected the 

 whole of the apparatus, and so did not blur the picture. He should like to 

 know from Mr. Nelson if, in addition to diatoms, he had tried any patho- 

 logical sections, because these were what he found to be the most difficult 

 class of subjects. There could be no doubt whatever as to the superiority 

 of photography for the purpose of delineating objects, because however 

 well a person might draw, it took far less time to photograph, and the de- 

 tails were sure to be entirely reliable. He took a photograph, a few days 

 ago, in half an hour, which would have taken anyone at least a day to draw 

 as minutely perfect as the picture came out. 



Mr. Stokes asked if it answered better to increase the eyepiece power or 

 to increase the distance from the eyepiece in order to obtain a greater in- 

 crease in the size of the picture ? Which would give the sharper print ? 



Mr. Nelson said he had as yet done nothing with the apparatus except 

 diatoms, and of these he had only taken about two or three subjects. 

 Until he succeeded in getting the finest detail which he could see or draw, 

 he intended to go on with one thing ; after this he hoped to do all sorts of 

 other things beside. As regarded increase of size, it was Professor Abbe 

 who said that where the distances could be obtained it was the lowest eye- 

 piece which was the best to use. 



A vote of thanks was returned to Mr. Nelson for his communication, and 

 after announcements of meetings for the ensuing month had been made, the 



