215 



April 28th, 1871. — Chairman, Dr. Lionel S. Beale, 



F.R.S., President. 



The following donations to the Club were announced : — 



" Land and Water," (weekly) • from the Editor. 



" The Monthly Microscopical Journal," for April ") 



and May, 1871 5 the Publisher. 



" Science Gossip" ,, 



" The Popular Science Keview" ,, 



" Proceedings of the Bristol Naturalists' Society" the Society. 



" Journal of the London Institution" the Librarian. 



" The American Naturalist" in exchange. 



" Saturday Afternoon Eambles" from Mr. Henry Walker. 



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



The President said that although there was no paper to be brought before 

 the members that evening, he hoped that the meeting would be a pleasant and 

 profitable one, and invited any member present to bring forward any subject of 

 interest, or any topic which might tend to provoke discussion. 



Mr. Henry Lee said, that as the club was originally started for the mutual 

 assistance of its members in pursuing their studies, he would avail himself of 

 this very important feature by stating a difficulty and asking advice. With all 

 his experience in mounting — and it had not been small — he had found it almost 

 impossible to close cells filled with glycerine, in such a manner as to prevent 

 them from leaking ; and as glycerine was such a valuable medium for mounting 

 in, it became very important to ascertain if there was any effectual means of 

 getting over this difficulty. He was in the habit of using a mixture of 4 parts 

 of glycerine and part of camphor water, and sealed down the covers with 

 gold size ; but in consequence — as be supposed— of the expansive nature of the 

 glycerine, in warm weather the cells nearly always burst, frequently to the very 

 great detriment of the preparations. 



The Secretary expressed his obligation to Mr. Lee for bringing forward this 

 subject ; there was no more valuable medium for mounting in than glycerine, 

 but it had unfortunately this drawback, that it would leak out of the cells how- 

 ever carefully they were closed. He had at one time thought that a solution of 

 gum dammar in benzole was proof against its action, but he had since found 

 that it wou'd not stand, and notwithstanding the great care which he had taken 

 the glycerine still leaked out ; in fact it seemed, in time, as if it would dissolve 

 any cement that could be used. 



Mr. W. T. Suffolk said that he was one of those who had been extremely suc- 

 cessful in keeping glycerine in. His plan was as follows: when the cell was 

 closed he varnished it with a coating of common liquid glue, and when this was 

 dry he put it under the tap, and thoroughly washed it in order to remove any 

 glycerine which might remain outside. After carefully drying the slide with 

 blotting paper, he gave it another coating of the liquid glue, and when dry 

 repeated the washing process, and after having given it a third coating in the 

 same manner, he gave it a final coat of gold size, and he had never had any 

 trouble with cells closed in this manner. He believed that the secret of success 

 in a great measure was owing to the washing ; the gold size was also removed 



