14 



Mr. "W. Johnston, Mr. Legrand, Mr. Napier, Mr. Stone, and Mr. Roblin. 

 Amongst the objects deserving special notice may be mentioned diatoms on 

 dark-ground illumination, magnified to the extent of twelve hundred diameters 

 exhibited by Mr. Abbott. With the Binocular microscope, Mr. Abbott 

 exhibited some very interesting injections, and other opaque objects were 

 also shown with a similar instrument by Mr. W. Stone. Living infusoria 

 were shown by Lieut. -Colonel Chesney ; and Mr. Napier exhibited a beautiful 

 series of objects under polarized light. Mr. M. Allport exhibited the livmg 

 eggs of the English Pond Snail (Lbnncea stagnalisj,a3 seen on the third,eighth, 

 and fourteenth days. This series attracted general attention, the progressive 

 development of the young animal presenting points of great interest. 



In addition to the microscopes, Mr. Abbott also exhibited a Herschel- 

 Browning direct vision Spectroscope — the instrument by which observations in 

 spectrum analysis are made. The Magnesiixm Light was exhibited by Mr. 

 Nicol, and so arranged by means of clock-work that continuous combustion 

 was kept up in front of a powerful reflector. On directing this towards the 

 shipping, and neighboring buildings, the exceeding brilliancy of the light could 

 be fully appreciated. 



As the Fellows were authorised to introduce ladies, the rooms throughout 

 the evening were thronged with interested visitors. Several ofl&cers from the 

 •hips of war now in the harbor were also present. The exhibition closed a 

 little before ten o'clock, and the satisfaction generally expressed was such 

 that a soiree of a somewhat similar character, with perhaps other attractions, 

 will probably become an annual institution of the Society. 



