PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 125 



is necessary, the thin glass cover acts as a most perfect 

 reflector. On examining- the Podura scale under these 

 circumstances, and with the aid of the binocular microscope, 

 the author was quite satisfied in his own mind that the 

 markings consist of a series of toothed ridges, the profile of 

 which might be said to resemble tlie edge of a saw ; and he 

 also stated his belief that the markings upon this and all 

 the other scales he had alluded to were more or less 

 elevations or corrugations upon the surface^ which serve 

 the simple purpose of giving strength to very delicate mem- 

 branes. 



Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society. 



microscopical section. 



January 2\st, 1862. 



Professor Williamson, President of the Section, in the Chair. 



Mr. William K. Deane was elected a member of the Section. 



A letter was read from Mr. H. A. Hurst, late of Calcutta, making 

 a donation to the Section of his entire collection of mounted micro- 

 scopical objects, consisting of upwards of four hundred specimens. 

 They compri.se 90 slides of diatomacese ; 100 of al^ee, mostly marine ; 

 about 30 different kinds of starche.s, and the remainder an assort- 

 ment of Desmidiae, preparations of insects, bone sections, and a 

 variety of other objects. 



Mr. Hurst also presented a collection of specimens of Asiatic 

 woods, in small blocks, obtained from the Horti-Agricultural Society 

 of India at Calcutta. Tbey consist of 98 specimens from Arracan ; 

 76 from Upper Assam ; 6 from Central India ; S from the coast of 

 Tenasserin ; and 13 from Chittagong ; 201 specimens of woods in 

 all, most of them with the native names. 



Capt. Penrice, of the ship " Pegasus," from Shanghae, forwarded 

 to the Section a number of soundings taken during his last voyage, 

 amongst which may be noted one each from the mouth of tlie 

 Yang-tse-Kiang river in China, the coast of Borneo, and Java ; and 

 a portion of mud rich in Foraminiferse, from the anchor fluke, at 

 Caspar Island. 



The Secretary laid on the table 60 specimens of soundings, which 

 had been freed from the tallow " arming" iu two evenings after busi- 

 ness hours, at Mr. Dale's laboratory, by Mr. Dale, Mr. Dancer, and 

 himself, assisted by Mr. Richard Dale. The system adopted is that 



