268 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY. 



Mr. C. Beck exhibited and described an optical bench and large 

 camera, both being on tables and fixing pedestals, in which all the 

 apparatus was fixed upon a strong bar, accurately centred so that the 

 raising and lowering adjustments were obtained by elevating and de- 

 pressing the bar. A complete apparatus for focal adjustment was 

 provided. The camera and bench had been described in the Journal 

 before, but had not previously been exhibited. He also showed a 

 Metallurgical Microscope with improved focussing arrangement, by 

 which the stage was also raised and lowered ; also another model for 

 the same purpose, which allowed of the use of a large number of appli- 

 ances enabling specimens of considerable size to be examined. A 

 complete set of vertical illuminators, both prism, mirror, and thin glass 

 forms, was also exhibited. 



The thanks of the Society were, upon the motion of the President, 

 unanimously voted to Mr. Beck for his exhibits and description. 



Mr. J. E. Stead, F.R.S., being called upon to read his paper ' On 

 Practical Micro-Metallography,' said he wished at the outset to express 

 his indebtedness to the authorities of that building for the facilities 

 afforded of exhibiting the machinery before them ; to Messrs. Carling and 

 Son, of Middlesbrough, for the loan of the machine and apparatus ; to 

 Mr. Plumtree, and to the Union Electric Co. for the use of the motor 

 by which the machinery was worked. In illustration of the subject a 

 series of views were shown upon the screen, the first twenty of which 

 showed the different kinds of apparatus used for the preparation and 

 examination of the specimens. These were followed by a large number 

 of actual specimens depicted upon the screen in the most brilliant 

 manner by means of the Epidiascope — the details of surface, and 

 especially the coloration, being exhibited on a scale and in a manner 

 impossible by any other means ; the extremely beautiful colours 

 produced by heating, and especially those upon a polished section of a 

 meteorite, being amongst the finest examples exhibited. 



The President said they had listened with the greatest interest to 

 the very remarkable address which had been given that evening, and it 

 was extremely interesting to a biologist to see these examples of micro- 

 scopic structure, so different from those he was accustomed to meet with. 



Mr. Beck said he should like to personally offer his thanks to 

 Mr. Stead for the extremely interesting evening which he had afforded 

 them, and he felt the more satisfaction in doing this as he had him- 

 self suggested that Mr. Stead would be the best man to lecture upon 

 this subject. As far as metallography went, he was profoundly ignorant, 

 and certainly, from every point of view, it seemed to be a very difficult 

 branch of science to pursue, but he had some experience as to the diffi- 

 cult subject of illumination with high powers for metallurgy in which 

 his firm had made many experiments. He was much obliged by the 

 suggestion made as to their silver illuminator, which should be carried 

 out. Professor Huntingdon mounted his specimens on a ball, to the 

 back of which was attached a rod which could be fixed at its extremity, 

 so that a slight movement of the mechanical stage gave a very slight 

 alteration in level. Their great difficulty for metallurgical work was to 

 get an object glass which would give a perfectly flat picture for photo- 

 graphy, since the usual object of the optician was to get one which 



