did not say that that was the early history of life 

 but it was very much like it. Here they had an 

 invasion of sterile matter not from within but 

 from without. We had been in the habit of 

 thinbinj^ that organic matters held in themselves 

 their own corruptioD. That was an old story, but 

 the recent discoveries by Tyodall, Pastuur and 

 others, showed, and it was accepted as a fact, 

 that as long as matter free from life could be kept 

 from the action of germs that matter would 

 remain sterile for any length of time. It was 

 interesting to go back and see tlie past work "jf 

 life as illustrated in the Dolomites as the 

 representatives of ancient coral growths, in chalk 

 cliffs which were merely a huge cemetery of 

 skeletons and mineral appendages of what were 

 once alive. No mean portion of the world's 

 crust in the aggregate had passed through the 

 dominion of life and was retained for the 

 re-appropriation of this all-invadiog life, and must 

 ultimately be re-assumed if one gave it time. 



Mr. W. P. Mann said he had been asked to lead 

 them in giving expression to their thanks to Mr. 

 Harvey for his address that evening. He would 

 simply say that Mr. Harvey had chosen a subject 

 of paramount and fascinating importance, and had 

 evidently given to it much anxious thought. He 

 had the po^ver of putting that thought into 

 eloquent, precise and accurate language, and that 

 gave his address one of its principal charms 

 (applause). He was sure that he need only pro- 



pose that the best thanks of those present be given 

 to Mr. Harvey for his address. 



The vote was uuaniuiously accorded and briefly 

 acknowledged. 



NEXT tear's visit OF THK SOUTH-EASTERN UNION. 



The President next called upon Mr. Abbott, who 

 was cordially received. He spoke of the pleasure 

 with which the invitation to Canterbury for next 

 year had been accepted by the members of his 

 Union, which comprises over thirty societies. As 

 regarded the collection of specimens shown by biin 

 that evening, they came from a mignesian lime- 

 stone bed near Sunderland, about two square miles 

 in extent, and which was originally a Dolomite 

 bed. The specimens were principally lime and 

 but little of the mignesia remained. No one 

 could tell the conditions which led to the deposit 

 of this bed. which was from 100 to 200 feet thick, 

 but all the geologists and zoologists who had 

 workedat it believed that it was entirely inorganic. 

 But if inorganic, and the forms shown in the speci- 

 mens had" been brought about withoat the aid of 

 vegetable or animal life, they must come to the 

 conclusion that there was something very like life in 

 inorganic matter. There was now a large number 

 of these specimens at South Kensington. 



Besides the specimens shown by Mr. Abbott, 

 cases of insects arranged by Mr. Small and Mr. 

 Maudson were on view, also a record ot the 

 remarkable atmospheric variati 'Us in Canterbury 

 early in the weekj prepared by Mr. Lander. 



SECOND WINTER MEETING— OCTOBER 15th, 1901. 



"MODERN DEVELOPERS." 



By Mr. Nightingale. 



The second wiater meeting was hold in the 

 Retereuce Library of the Beaney Institute, ou 

 Tuesday, October 15, 190L Among those present 

 were the President, Mr. S.Harvey, F.LC, E.C.S. 

 (in the chair). Miss Smith, Miss Hrownhill, Messrs. 

 W. P. Mann, W. Brownhill, F. C. Soell, C. 

 Buckingham W. Gard. Mr. and Mrs. Ari^rave, 

 Messrs. \V. G. Austen, E. Foxell. R. Pilcher, H. A. 

 Langston, W. Surry, the Hon. Sec, Mr. A. Lander 

 and others. 



The President stated that the memorial cross 

 was now erected over the late President's grave, 

 in St. Dunstan's Churchyard and members would 

 doubtless be interested to see it. 



Mr. H. A. Langston was proposed for election 

 as an associate by Mr. C. Buckingham, this 

 was seconded by Mr. VV. Surry, and carried 

 unanimously. 



The Hon. Sec. announced that one of the 

 members, Mr. F. C. Snell, had been successful in 

 winning the prize for the best print on Kudos 

 paper and that this was very satisfactory seeing 

 that the competition was open to anyone in 

 Britain 



Mr. Nightingale then delivered his lecture on 

 " Modern Developers." He first described the 

 properties of the various developers, their keeping 



powers, and their action on the latent photo- 

 graphic image. He pointed out how some were 

 more suitable than others for certain effects, 

 and that others as Pyrogallic acid were quite 

 unsuitable for papers; whilst some such as Amidol 

 and Metol, and especially a mixture of the 

 latter with Hydroquinone was sp<^cially suitable 

 for either plates or papers. He advised amateurs 

 to perfect themselves with one developer and 

 stick to it, for in that way better results would be 

 obtained. He showed some prints from negatives 

 developed with Ferrous -oxalate, and then 

 proceeded to develop some prints on Velox paper 

 with a mixture of Metol and Hydroquinone. These 

 proved to be very satisfactory, and the members 

 present were especially interested in seeing how 

 various designs were printed on tho pictures by 

 using various masks. The toning of Carbona paper 

 was then demonstrated, and the lecturer showed 

 how any desired colour could be obtained. After 

 this Mr. Nightingale showed how the Hypo in the 

 prints or negatives could be cfuickly and easily 

 eliminated by using Hypax.a form of per-carbonate 

 of potash which effervesced upon bf^ing placed in 

 water, oxygen gas byiug given off which destroyed 

 all traces of hypo without affecting the print in 

 any way. 



