December i6th, 191 3.'] Proceedings. xiii 



General Meeting, December i6th, 19 13. 



The President, Mr. Francis Nicholson, F.Z.S., 

 in the Chair. 



Miss Marion Handlky, M.A., Lecturer in the Municipal 

 Day Training College, Manchester, of '' Hwimel" Burtiage 

 Garden Village, Manchester, was elected an Ordinary Member 

 of the Society. 



Ordinary Meeting, December i6th, 19 13. 



The President, Mr. Francis Nicholson, F.Z.S., 

 in the Chair. 



Dr. Kurt Loewenfeld exhibited a piece of Saphiringlass, 

 as produced by Merck, of Darmstadt, possessing a dichroic 

 property — reflecting brown rays and transmitting green. 



Professor W. \V. Haldane Gee exhibited samples or 

 Bakelite, an invention of Dr. Baekeland, obtained by the action 

 of formaldehyde on phenols in the presence of small amounts 

 of bases or alkalies. There are three types of the material, 

 A, B and C. Of these, type C is harder than hard rubber 

 or celluloid, and withstands solvents and most chemicals, 

 resists boiling water and steam ; heat neither melts it nor 

 softens it. It can be drilled and turned. It is tasteless and 

 has no odour, and is a good insulator of heat and electricity. 

 Tiiese properties make it very valuable for the manufacture of 

 many articles of commerce and for experimental work. 



Mr. R. L. Taylor, F.C.S., F.I.C., read a paper entitled 

 " The Action of Bleaching Agents on various Natural 

 Colouring Matters." He pointed out that in estimating the 



