320 



but he confessed that the more he looked at it the more glad he was that 

 they had the English microscopes as well. He should not like to use 

 so elaborate an instrument as that for the ordinary purposes to which their 

 commoner ones were applied, and though possibly these foreign instruments 

 were better for more purely optical work, yet for every day use and for 

 the ordinary rough and tumble work of microscopical study, he should 

 prefer the more usual forms of English instruments. He thought that the 

 flat bottom foot seemed to slide too easily on a smooth table, and that it 

 would not be so steady as the tripod, with the claw-like projections, with 

 which they were better acquainted. He could not see the advantage of the 

 horse-shoe foot, with the single projection behind, and thought it would be 

 steadier if reversed, especially when used for camera-lucida drawing. 



Mr. Ingpen admitted that the foot appeared clumsy, but it was carefully 

 considered for all that, and upon any ordinary table cloth it would be found 

 quite steady in whatever position it was placed. Abroad the microscope 

 was almost always used upright, and with the short six inch body, the camera 

 lucida being arranged for drawing with the microscope vertical. With 

 regard to the condenser, he could fully endorse all that Mr. Crisp had said, 

 and he thought that no greater compliment could be paid to it than that 

 Powell and Lealand's Diatom condenser had been adapted from it. 



Mr. F. Crisp said that Abbe's condenser was undoubtedly the true type 

 of all possible condensers. He then proceeded to show by means of black 

 board drawings ttat whereas with low powers oblique light produced 

 " shadow effects," it was not so when high powers were used, inasmuch as 

 the objects were so minute that the light- waves passed round them, and 

 all shadow effects were consequently lost. The value of oblique light in 

 such a case was simply that it brought within the object-glass difEraction 

 spectra which would otherwise be lost. 



Announcements of meetings for the ensuing month were then made, and 

 it was intimated that arrangements had been entered into by which the 

 refreshment room of the College should be open on each of the meeting 

 nights for the convenience of the members. 



The proceedings terminated with the usual Conversazione, at which the 

 following objects were exhibited: — 



Ribbon Grass, polai-ized... ... ... Mr. F. W. Andrew. 



Eyes of Jumping Spider, Salticus tardi-') -^^^ ^ Enock 

 gradus ... ... ... J 



Larva of Water Boatman emerging from egg Mr. W. Goodwin. 



Bati-achospermum, from Tottenham Marsh... Mr. J. D. Hardy. 



Egg shell of ClawsiZia &ideM5, showing cry s- T ^^ tt -rr „i li. 

 tals of carbonate of lime ... J 



AmphijAenra 2?ellucida Bhown vfith oilim-'^ ,, mj^ p ,, 

 mersion, l-8th, and achromatic condenser J 



Section oi 8k\n oi JEchinus lividus ... Mr. B. W. Priest. 



Longitudinal and transverse sections of") m • T W R d 

 \esii oi Welivitscliia ' . . . ... ) 



Sexual organs of Male Humble Bee ... Mr. F. Wood. 



Attendance — Members, 58 j Visitors, 5. 



