197 



challenged and properly established. It was possible, as the last speaker 

 had said, that Dr. Matthews might have accidentally hit upon an idea that 

 had occurred to some one else, but it was impossible to suppose for an 

 instant that Dr. Matthews would bring before them as his own discovery, 

 and describe to them the process of dedactive reasoning by which he per- 

 fected that discovery, knowing that his invention had been practised and 

 published by another. Before Dr. Matthews offered an explanation, he was 

 certain that either this would prove to be one of those cases of simultaneous 

 discovery which sometimes occurred, or that the two processes were not 

 identical. 



Mr. Frank Crisp said he thought the only rule they could follow was that 

 of the botanists — that no claim to priority could be recognised unless upon 

 the ground of publication. 



Mr. Hardy explained that he had no intention of making the slightest 

 imputation in the matter; he only thought it would not be quite the thing 

 for this idea to be claimed as something new, originating from the Club, 

 whereas it had already been published in an American paper. 



Dr. Matthews said that when he was first informed that Mr. Smith had 

 brought out something of the kind, he wrote to him on the subject. Mr. 

 Smith kindly called upon him, and then described the method he had 

 adopted, and made the same disclaimer as to the originality of his idea. 



Mr. Ingpen remembered that Mr. James Smith certainly said that Dr. 

 Matthews' use of the principle was different from his own, the original 

 idea of which he had taken from some American publication. The principle 

 had, of course, been known ever since the microscope had been in use ; it 

 was, in fact, that of the terrestrial telescope ; the aerial micrometer, and the 

 erecting glass also more or less involved the same idea. He had recently heard 

 that Mr. James Smith had some time since exhibited opaque objects in this 

 manner, and he wished that he had known of it at the time, because he 

 would then have given it all the publicity in his power. So far as the 

 remarks of Mr. Hardy were concerned, he did not think that any invidious- 

 ness was intended, and he felt sure that if Mr. Jas. Smith had been 

 present he would have been the first to acknowledge any merit on the part 

 of what Dr. Matthews had devised, and to thank him for bringing it before 

 the Club. 



Notices for the ensuing month were then given out, and the meeting 

 adjourned to the Library for the usual conversazione, at which the follow- 

 ing objects were exhibited : — 

 Organs of Mouth of Sand Wasp (Ammophila \ 



sabulosa), retaining natural form and colour \ ]y[ r< -p. Enock. 



of the various parts ... ... / 



Photograph to illustrate the principle of the) ^ j k j att j iewg 



Micro-Megascope ... ... j 



Grains of Aleurone in Bean of Castor Oil Plant... Mr. F. H. Ward. 



Attendance — Members, 115 ; visitors. 32. 



