36 



October 23rd, 1874. — Dr. Matthews, F.R.M.S., President, 



in the Chair. 



The minutes of the preceding rueetiDg were read and confirmed. 

 The following donations to the Club were announced : — 



" The Monthly Microscopical Journal" ... from the Publisher. 



" Science Gossip" ,, 



" The Popular Science Review" ... ... ... ,, 



"Proceedings of the Literary and Philoso.") f romihe Society. 



phical Society of Manchester" ... ) 



" Proceedings of the Geologists' Association"... the Association. 



" The Protoplasmic theory of Life, being the-\ 



President's address to the Liverpool > from the Society. 



Microscopical Society" J 



" The American Naturalist" ... in Exchange. 



" The Quarterly Journal of Microscopical > , p ■, 



Science" > 



The thanks of the Club were unanimously voted to the donors. 

 Mr. Frederick Haydon was balloted for and duly elected a member of the 

 Club. 



The President announced that arrangements had been made for the re- 

 opening of the slide cabinet, which had been for some time past closed in 

 consequence of the continued absence of Mr. Ruffle through severe domestic 

 affliction. The Commitee had thought it desirable that the slides should again 

 be available for distribution, but that they should be issued, not as formerly on 

 the ordinary meeting nights, but on the " Gossip nights." They had asked Mr. 

 Marks to act as Mr. Euffle's deputy by giving out the slides during his 

 absence/and Mr. Hailes had also kindly offered to assist in the matter. 



The Secretary reminded the members that the task of giving out the slides 

 was no easy matter, and that it would be greatly facilitated if they would put 

 down in paper a list of the slides they required before they applied for them. 

 Mr. Ruffle had often said that members frequently did not make up their minds 

 what they wanted until they came to the cabinet, and that this led to delay, 

 and to a great increase in the trouble of distribution. Mr. Smith, their 

 librarian, reminded him that he had a number of copies of the catalogue of 

 slides which he would be happy to supply at Is. each. 



Mr. R. P. Williams read a paper " On cutting sections of the eyes of insects, 

 and on a new instrument for the purpose." The machine was exhibited in the 

 room, and was deservedly admired by those who had the opportunity of a close 

 inspection. 



The President said that it had been his lot to see many machines for cutting 

 sections, but he had never seen one so beautiful or so exquisitely made as the 

 one which Mr. Williams had brought before them. All its motions seemed 

 absolutely perfect ; he had never seen anything to compare with it ; indeed it 

 was, he thought, beyond praise. The whole of its arrangements seemed to be 

 of the most perfect kind, and every motion and requirement seemed to have 

 been provided for. He had not done much himself in such minute objects, but 

 he knew that some gentlemen present had made this a study, and he hoped 

 they would have something to say upon the subject. 



Mr. Ingpen inquired if Mr. Williams had made any provision for tilting the 

 object in either direction, in such a way as could be done by a ball and socket 

 joint, so that it might be shifted to a different plane if required? 



