126 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY. 



Mr. Shillington Scales exhibited a slide of Navkida socialis, pre- 

 sented to the Society by Professor T. Chalkley Palmer. The interesting 

 point about the slide was that the diatoms moved in groups of four. 

 The donor would be glad if any Member of the Society could give 'any 

 further information upon the slide. 



The President accorded the thanks of the Society to Professor Palmer, 

 Mr. Ernest Keevil, and Mr. A. Hodgson for their donations and exhibits 



A Revolving Microscope Tray was exhibited by Messrs. "Watson & Sons. 

 In describing this exhibit, Mr. Watson Baker said that the tray was made 

 to revolve with the object of enabling anyone using the Microscope to 

 turn the instrument round to friends, so that they might see the object 

 exhibited under the same conditions without any alteration in the lighting. 

 The Microscope consisted of a base with a cloth bottom, a tray, and a 

 centre which fitted into the base ; the tray rotated with the instrument 

 from one position to another with the object above mentioned. The 

 idea for this apparatus had emanated from two sources within a week or 

 two of each other ; the device was described in a letter received from 

 South Africa, and after about three weeks a similar description was con- 

 tained in a letter from a gentleman at Bexhill. Since then Mr. Baker 

 had heard of another gentleman who had had such an apparatus in use 

 for some twenty years, and he had also heard rumours of similar instru- 

 ments being used by microscopists with great advantage both for private 

 and for class work. 



Mr. Watson Baker also exhibited Messrs. Watsons' new " Bactil " 

 Microscope, on the mechanical stage of which a novel form of grip for 

 fixing the object was explained. 



The great advantage claimed for it was the absence of spring action. 

 The " object grips " on mechanical stages generally depended on a wire 

 spring, which was not permanent and introduced the appearance of back- 

 lash on the mechanical screw being turned, especially with immersion 

 objectives. 



Mr. Shillington Scales said he had been asked, as Secretary, to 

 exhibit a Microscope for beginners, lent to the Society by Messrs. A. 

 Williams & Co. It was called " The Wonder," and was a little instru- 

 ment on the ordinary lines of construction, with coarse adjustment only, 

 concave mirror, and wheel of diaphragms beneath the stage, with a com- 

 pact case containing ocular objectives and a few accessories. The notable 

 feature of the instrument was, however, its very low price. 



The President accorded the thanks of the Society to Messrs. Watson 

 and Sons for the exhibition of their Revolving Microscope Tray and new 

 " Bactil " Microscope, and to Messrs. Williams and Go. for the exhibition 

 of their Student's Microscope. 



The Annual Report of the Society for the year 1911 was then read 

 by Mr. Shilhngtou Scales. 



