PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY. 243 



of the light. As to the advantage of photomicrography over eye obser- 

 vations, every observer was aware that after a time the eye and the 

 brain became fatigued, and the power of minute observation was for the 

 time being exhausted, whereas, with the photographic prints before them, 

 there was no fatigue felt and the details could be studied with comfort. 

 Then again, it helped the draughtsman to understand what he was 

 asked to represent, in a way quite impossible otherwise when he had to 

 rely upon description alone ; and further than this, the cheapness of 

 this method of illustration was to most persons a very obvious advan- 

 tage. The preparation of the specimens of course required some amount 

 of care, although chalk was perhaps not a very difficult substance to 

 deal with. In treating comparatively minute objects he usually cut 

 away as much as possible with a knife, and if he wished to get a fossil 

 out whole, he undercut it from both sides, until it was detached without 

 fear of breakage, and then he got his dental engine to work, and in this 

 manner cleaned away all that was not wanted. 



A large number of photographs of various fossils, prepared in the 

 manner stated, were then shown upon the screen with great brilliancy 

 by means of the Epidiascope, brief descriptive remarks being made and 

 the chief points of interest indicated as the exhibition proceeded. 



The President said he felt sure it was hardly necessary to ask them 

 to pass a very hearty vote of thanks to Dr. Rowe for his most interesting 

 and instructive communication, and for the exhibition of the very 

 beautiful series of lantern slides shown on the screen, and photographs 

 exhibited on the table. Dr. Rowe was what might be called an " all- 

 round " man : he goes out to the different localities and finds the fossils, 

 brings them home, works them out with his dental engine, then works 

 at them further with the Microscope and the camera, publishes papers 

 upon them, and also produces the results of his researches in the manner 

 which they had seen that evening. The Society owed him a great debt 

 for the very valuable communication which he had made. 



A hearty vote of thanks to Dr. Rowe was then put and carried by 

 acclamation. 



Dr. Rowe said he thanked the President for his kind remarks, and 

 the Fellows of the Society for the patient attention and the vote of 

 thanks they had passed. It had been a great delight to him to attend 

 the meeting, and to show them the results of the time which he had 

 spent upon this subject, much of which he feared had been taken from 

 that when he ought to have been in bed. 



The President said that the Meeting which was announced last 

 month, was held at the Natural History Museum on Saturday the 14th 

 inst., when not a very large number of Fellows attended. This, however, 

 he had been reminded might to some extent have been due to his 

 suggestion, that if a large number came they might not all be able to 

 hear. He hoped those who were present felt repaid for their trouble. 



Mr. Vezey said that as one of those who attended on the occasion 

 he should like to say that those who were present had a very delightful 

 time. Dr. Woodward gave a most interesting description of the objects 

 exhibited ; he dealt chiefly with invertebrata, but he gave a sort of general 



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