734 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY. 



Committee appointed to consider the subject, there were shown in 

 some of the water examined some monstrous creatures which were 

 calculated to cause alarm to any one ; but the scientific evidence 

 showed that the water was really so pure and free from sewage 

 contamination that it did not kill the creatures which were found. 

 He threw this out as a hint, as he believed that they ought to show 

 that whilst they were a scientific body in the highest sense of the 

 term, they were capable of work which would really be of great 

 public benefit. 



The Chairman said he quite agreed with Mr. Beck in his remarks, 

 and invited the Fellows to act ui)ou the suggestion made. He thought, 

 however, that they must rely upon the action of the working Fellows 

 of the Society rather than on any committee, and hoped that during 

 the coming recess something might be done in the matter. 



Mr. J. W. Stephenson read a paper " On the Visibility of Minute 

 Objects mounted in Phosphorus, Solution of Sulphur, Bisulphide of 

 Carbon, and other Media " (see p. 564). 



Mr. Stewart said that the paper did not relate to a matter of mere 

 optical curiosity, but to an extremely valuable means of investigation 

 as applied to minute structure, which was brought out and rendered 

 visible with marvellous clearness. 



Mr. Crisp described and commented on the proposed process for 

 cleaning Foraminifera suggested by Mr. K. M. Cunningham, the 

 method recommended being electrical attraction (see p. 692), and 

 Mr. A. A. Bragdon's suggestion of the use of glycerine and sulpho- 

 carbonate of zinc as a medium for homogeneous immersion (see 

 p. 701). 



Dr. Edmunds read a note " On a Parabolized Gas Slide," speci- 

 mens of which were exhibited in the room (see p. 585). 



Mr. W. H. Gilburt read a paper " On the Structure and Function 

 of the Scale-Leaves of Lathrea squamaria," illustrating the subject 

 by a number of drawings on the black-board. 



The Chairman, in moving a vote of thanks to Mr. Gilburt, re- 

 marked that the curious plant which had formed the subject of his 

 paper was not an uncommon one, and the paper showed how much 

 interest could be got out of a common object if only it were handled 

 by competent hands. 



Mr. Stewart thought it would be interesting to test the nature of 

 the fluid secretion which Mr. Gilburt had mentioned, in order to see 

 if it were at all the same as that in the Drosera and other carnivorous 

 plants. 



Mr. Crisp exhibited and described Zeiss's micro-spectroscope (see 

 p. 703), and Hartnack's polarizing apparatus. 



