294 ABSTilACT OF PllOCEKDINGS. 



U.S. TA3. 



the Council that it had nominated Dr. Douglas Mawson, 

 leader of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition for elec- 

 tion as an honorary member, under Rule J 7. Dr. Mawson, 

 being balloted for, was duly elected. 



Mr. Loftus Hills, M.Sc, and Mr. G. W. K. Ife, LL.B., 

 were elected ordinary members. 



Exhih/t. 

 Mr. H. M. Nicholls showed a microscope bv Ross and 

 Co. of the most recent pattern, lent for exhibition by the 

 Government Bacteriologist, Dr. Nairn Butler. With this 

 microscope were placed two others of older patterns bv the 

 same firm belonging to the Society, and Mr. Nicholls il- 

 lustrated several features in the development of the micro- 

 scope by reference to these instruments. The oldest 

 instrument, formerly the property of Mr. J. E. Bicheno, 

 Colonial Secretary, and acquired by the Society in 1851 

 (see page 293), was of the earliest pattern made bv An- 

 drew Ross, the founder of the firm of Ross and Co., of 

 London, and dated from the thirties of the last century. 

 Ross, working on Lister's computations, found that when 

 an objective was corrected for an uncovered object, the 

 correction was disturbed by the introduction of a cover 

 glass. After much experiment he found that this error 

 could be removed by altering the positions of the com- 

 ponent lenses of the combination, and he devised for this 

 pui-pose a sliding cap, which moved up and down upon the 

 barrel of the objective. This sliding cap — the first at- 

 tempt at cover-glass correction ever made — was fitted to 

 the objectives of Mr. Bichenos microscope. The micro- 

 scope was in good order, and capable of doing excellent 

 work. It possessed a remarkably efficient fine adjustment 

 of the micrometer screw order. The second instrument — 

 formerly the property of the late Mr. W. Valentine, of 

 Campbell Town — was of the last type made by Andrew 

 Ross ; it dated from about the fifties. The third instru- 

 ment, by the present firm of Ross and Co., had the most 

 recent improvements used by that firm. The three to- 

 gether formed an interesting illustration of the develop- 

 ment of the microscope. 



The paper by Mr. Ritz read in title at the September 

 meeting, and the papers by Messrs. Scott and White, read 

 in title at the October meetinsf, were discussed. 



