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PEOCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY. 



MEETING 



Held on the 19th of June, 1907, at 20 Hanover Square, W. 

 The Right Hon. Lord Avebury, F.R.S., Etc., President, in 

 the Chair. 



The Minutes of the Meeting of the 15th of May, 1907, were read 

 and confirmed, and were signed by the President. 



The following Donation to the Society was announced, and the 

 thanks of the Meeting were voted to the donor. 



From 

 Slide of Hair from Flank of Cow, showing wool like structure . . Mr. J. E. Lord 



Dr. Hebb called attention to a slide of cow's hair, having all the 

 characters of wool, which had been sent to the Society by Mr. J. E. Lord 

 — whose letter concerning it was read to the Meeting, as follows : 



" I am sending herewith, for the Society's cabinet, a slide I have 

 mounted of cow's hair, from the flank, showing wool-structure. I should 

 like it to be shown to the Fellows with as much of the following 

 explanation as you think suitable. Felt, which, owing to prohibitive 

 tariff, had to be free from wool, was sent to a German merchant. On 

 arrival at the German port, it was refused admittance except on the 

 higher scale on the ground that it contained wool. On examination I 

 also reported that it was made up of cow's hair and jute, with 4 per 

 cent, and 5 per cent, each of flax and wool. I was assured no 7vool had 

 been used. The head of the firm (a personal friend) had another lot 

 made, the materials of which had been mixed under his own personal 

 supervision, and he gave me his word of honour that not a particle of 

 wool had been used. Still I found wool. I then asked for, and 

 received separate samples of the four materials used in manufacture, and 

 in cow's hair found what I unhesitatingly pronounced to be wool. I 

 was assured none had been mixed with it at the works, and as wool was 

 from four to six times dearer than the hair, there could be no question 

 of adulteration by the merchant of the cow's hair. I then went to the 

 cow, and from various parts, but especially from the flank, I found many 

 hairs, with a true wool-like structm'e. Of course, this is not confined to 

 the sheep, as many goats, the llama and even the camel, have hair which 

 commercially is known as wool, l)ut, so far as I am aware, the above fact 

 is new for the cow. Faithfully yours, J. E. Lord." 



Dr. Hebb said he was exhibiting in the room that evening an 

 interesting slide of fluid crystals. It had been known for some 



