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PROCEEDINGS. 

 January 11th, 1884. — Conversational Meeting. 



The second of the second series of demonstrations was given by Mr. J. D. 

 Hardy, F.R.M.S., on the subject of microscopical drawing. 



Reminding his audience that these demonstrations were intended to be 

 entirely elementary, Mr. Hardy remarked on the utility of drawing all 

 objects, and thus becoming acquainted more thoroughly with their details. 

 To effect this there were two methods, viz., the mechanical and the artistic. 

 By mechanical was meant drawing by the aid of some apparatus designed for 

 the purpose ; by artistic, drawing as an artist, by thoroughly appreciating 

 the object to be drawn, and reproducing the mental image endowed with the 

 artist's individuality. For drawing by the former method he described the 

 old camera obscura, reflecting the image on to the glass or paper on which 

 the object was to be drawn : the objections to this method being a great 

 loss of light, and also a duplication of the image. As an improvement he 

 exhibited a camera of his own construction, acting by direct lighting on to 

 a flat field. This " direct camera " was an oblong box, about 20in. in length 

 by 10in., having a hole at one end to admit the tube of the microscope. This 

 box was provided with a sliding shutter for the purpose of stopping all ex- 

 traneous light, and also to accommodate the height of the camera to that of 

 the tube of the instrument. At the other end was a sheet of plate-glass, 

 sliding in grooves, upon which was attached a sheet of paper to receive 

 the image. The paper used was either plain tissue paper, or paper rendered 

 semi-transparent with oil or paraffin. In using the microscope with this 

 apparatus the long tube of the microscope was discarded for a short one 

 about 2in. long, merely for the purpose of holding the object-glass. The 

 ordinary lamp and condenser were used, and the image was thrown on the 

 paper perfectly clear and distinct to its finest details. Various objects were 

 shown under different powers of the object-glass, and outlines of such objects 

 were exhibited. Referring to lantern drawings and transparencies, which 

 could easily be made by this method, the speaker argued in favour of 

 showing such objects as transparent against a black ground in place of the 

 ordinarily black outlined objects, which appeared to him as misleading to an 

 uninitiated audience. Passing on to the next grade in independent micro-draw- 

 ing, he described the various forms of camera lucida, which, starting with the 

 Amici,had been improved by various inventors — as Nachet, Zeiss, Wollaston, 

 and others — and lastly by Shroeder, whose instrument (which was exhibited) 

 was explained at a recent meeting of the Royal Microscopical Society. This 

 camera was a great improvement on the others, giving a very clear image, and 

 being more convenient to use. Mr. Hardy then described means for obtain- 



