Microscopical Societies. 253 



WELLESLEY COLLEGE MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY. 



This society, composed of teachers and students, has been in suc- 

 cessful operation for two years. There are now about twenty-five 

 active members 'and ten microscopes — Zentmayer's Centennial, and 

 Army Hospital ; besides stands from Beck, Tolles, Zeiss and others. 

 There are also, available for special occasions, twenty other student 

 stands, by Crouch and Beck, from the botanical and biological labora- 

 tories. There is also an excellent working library, including complete 

 sets of the English Quarterly and Monthly Microscopical yourttals ; a 

 good line of objectives and accessory mounting apparatus, and some 

 hundred slides have been prepared for the cabinet by the members. 

 The meetings have been of continually increasing interest, and papers 

 have been presented covering a wide range of subjects. 



The regular meeting of the Society was held in the Physical Lecture 

 Koom, February 8, Miss Fairbank, the President, in the chair. Beside 

 the members of the Society, some fifty visitors were present. A paper 

 was presented by Miss Metcalf on " The Application of the Microscope 

 to the Study of Rocks." This was the second paper on the subject ; 

 the first dwelling upon the uses of polarized light. Free use of the 

 blackboard was made in illustration, and, after the paper, some thirty 

 specimens, loaned by Mr. A. L. Dickerman, of Boston, were exhibited 

 upon the screen, by means of the oxhydrogen light and polarizing 

 attachment. The first of a series of papers on "Spectrum Analysis, 

 as applied to the Microscope " was next given by Miss Whiting, and 

 illustrated by lantern projections. The company then adjourned to 

 the adjoining laboratory, where there were exhibited, under some 

 fifteen microscopes, with various powers, specimens of thin rock sec- 

 tions. Granite, showing liquid inclusion, with moving bubble ; 

 Dolerite, showing good augite crystals ; Pitch-stone, showing flucta- 

 tion structure ; Hornblende, breaking up into microlites ; Quartz, con- 

 taining needle-shaped microlites, and others. Also, under the micro- 

 spectroscope, were exhibited some specimens of crystals. Miss Hunn 

 also exhibited some living sea anemones, which were intended for 

 microscopical dissection the coming week. 



The Corresponding Secretary is Miss Marion Metcalf. 



The regular monthly meeting was held the evening of March 15, 

 Miss Cook, the President, in the chair. Miss Whiting called the 

 attention of the Society to the receipt of fifty selected slides of 

 Diatomacese, prepared by Prof. Smith, and of a splendidly illustrated 

 monograph by Hakel, entitled " Die Radiolaren." 



Miss Dickinson then read a paper upon " Animal and Vegetable 

 Hairs ; their Differences, Growth, and Uses," detailing many experi- 

 ments which she had performed. The paper was illustrated by black- 

 board drawings, and by eight or ten slides. 



