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MICROSCOPICAL SECTION. 

 21st October, 1861. 



Professor Williamson in the Chair. 



The following gentlemen were elected members of the 

 Section :— Mr. Murray Gladstone, Mr. John Whalley, Mr. 

 William Henry Heys, Dr. William Roberts, and Dr. Thomas 

 Alcock. 



The Secretary presented sixty specimens of soundings 

 received since the last Session, from the commanders of various 

 steamers and sailing vessels, amongst which were a number 

 from the South Coast of Ireland, Banks of Newfoundland, 

 Coast of Nantucket, U.S., North Coast of Brazil, &c. The 

 Secretary was requested to write a letter of thanks from the 

 Section to each contributor. 



The Chairman remarked that these specimens deserved 

 the best attention of the Section, not only on account of their 

 intrinsic interest, but to show the contributors that their kind- 

 ness in preserving the soundings for the Section was fully 

 appreciated. 



Mr. Dale offered, with the assistance of the Secretary, to 

 prepare the material, by separation from the tallow, &c., and 

 Mr. Nevill, Mr. Heys, and several other gentlemen, offered 

 their assistance in mounting, examination, and reporting to 

 the Section. 



The Chairman observed that the method he employed 

 in the preliminary examination of similar specimens, when 

 freed from tallow and dried, was to stir the mass in a 

 vessel of water, when most of the organic forms rose to the 

 surface, in consequence of containing small quantities of air ; 

 the creamings off the top of the liquid would be found to 



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