426 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY. 



Bacteria. — Hardly represented at all. 



Phanerogam tissues. — About UO slides of varying merit, few really 

 first-class mounts. Modern histological preparations and cytological 

 slides are badly wanted. 



Starches. — A fairly representative series. 



Raphides. — A few. 



Wood Sections. — A useful series of nearly 100 somewhat roughly 

 mounted preparations. 



Vegetable Fibres. — A very large and valuable series of over 200 

 slides. They are apparently in good condition, though probably un- 

 touched for nearly 50 years. 



Rode Sections, Coal, Flint. — Eight original Eozoon preparations by 

 Carpenter and about 40 other sections of good quality. About 20 

 flints with Xanthidia, good but rough mounts. There is room for large 

 additions to the cabinet in this section. A few interesting coal and 

 shale preparations. 



Minerals. — A good number, including a series of over 50 prepara- 

 tions of native gold and associated minerals from California and other 

 parts of the world. 



Note. — The figures were taken out before the inclusion of the 

 " Suffolk " Collection, but this does not materially affect any group. 



The President said it was very difficult to realize the enormous 

 amount of work the report had involved. There was great difficulty in 

 deciding whether a slide was worth retaining or whether it should be 

 thrown out. The collection of slides had now been arranged on a 

 scientific basis, and the cabinet was ready for use. It was the duty of 

 every Fellow of the Society to look through his own collection of slides 

 to see what could be presented to the Society to help to fill vacant spaces 

 in the cabinet. 



Pie would like to propose a very cordial vote of thanks to Mr. 

 Earland and to Mr. Sheppard for the work they had done and the 

 efficient manner in which it had been carried through. 



The vote of thanks was carried by acclamation. 



In reply to a suggestion by Mr. J. Richardson that slides of historical 

 interest as illustrating mounting methods should be preserved in a special 

 cabinet, Mr. Earland pointed out that there had been no difference in 

 the methods of mounting since the beginning of the collection. The 

 Society did possess representative slides of pre-balsam days in connexion 

 with the collection of instruments, and these included the ancient sliders 

 and the talc and mica mounts. Other slides, by Mr. Cromwell and Dr. 

 Carpenter, with quasi-sentimental value, were retained for the sake of 

 the mounters and for their historical associations. 



Mr. R. Paulson, F.L.S., read a paper on " The Microscopic Structure 

 of Lichens." Mr. Paulson expressed his deep regret at the absence of 

 Miss Lorrain Smith on account of illness. She was a recognized 

 authority on the subject of Lichens, and had now completed her great 



