PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 185 



did not look like vegetation when properly examined, but did 

 resemble certain mineral crystallizations. 



The Eev. J. B. Eeade said he had been struck with the im- 

 portant part played by silica in many plants. It was not confined 

 to cuticles of straw, &c., and was deposited as part of a true process 

 of growth. He inquired whether any carbon had been detected in 

 the artificial fossils of moulds. 



Mr. RoBEETS replied that the quantity was probably too small ; 

 that Mr. Slack and himself had obtained a carbonaceous appearance 

 by heating mycelium threads, taken from silica solutions, in hot sul- 

 phuric acid ; nitric, hydrochloric, and nitro-hydrochloric acids, even 

 when hot, acted slowly upon them. 



A paper was then read " On a New Form of Condenser with a 

 Blue Tmted Field Lens," by W. H. Hall, Esq., F.R.M.S. (See 

 'Trans.,' p. 108.) 



Mr. Hall presented to the Society, on behalf of Mr. Swift, a con- 

 denser and paraboloid, made according to his pattern. 



The thanks of the Society were unanimously voted to Mr. Swift. 



The meeting was then made special, and the following amend- 

 ments of the Bye-Laws unanimously passed : 



Proposed by the Rev. J. B. Reade, seconded by Mr. Lee — 



" That Bye-Law Sec. 2, No. 7, shall be amended by the addition 

 of the following words, viz. — ' That, at the death of any com- 

 pounder, the fee paid by him for his composition may, by the direc- 

 tion of the Council, be released from such investment, and applied 

 as the Council may think fit.' " 



Proposed by Dr. Millar, seconded by Chas. Brooke, Esq. — 



" That, for the future, Sec. 2, No. 14, shall be as follows, viz. — 

 ' Any Fellow who may be absent from tlie United Kingdom during 

 the space of one year, or who may permanently reside out of the 

 said kingdom, may, upon notifying such fact to the Secretaries in 

 writing, be exempted from paying one half of the annual subscrip- 

 tion of £2 2s. so long as his absence may continue. The publica- 

 tions due to Fellows residing out of the kingdom (Honorary Fellows 

 excepted) shall be delivered to such agent in London as they may 

 appoint.' " 



June lOtk, 1868. 

 James Glaisher, Esq., F.R.S., President, in the Chair. 



The following gentlemen were duly elected Fellows of the 

 Society : — Robert Luke Howard ; Joseph Russell ; Edward Davy 

 Harrop. 



The President announced that the Reading-room would be 

 closed during the month of August, but, with that exception, it 

 could be used by Fellows in the recess. 



The following donations were announced, and thanks returned to 

 the respective donors : 



