PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 135 
The Secretary reported that he had made a catalogue of the 
collection of microscopical objects belonging to the Section. 
Mr. Sidebotham exhibited a design for a ticket and covering- 
paper, to be used for the Section’s collection of slides, which, with 
a trifling alteration, met the approval of the members, and the 
Secretary was ordered to take the necessary steps to have it 
encraved. 
Mr. Sidebotham remarked on the best cement to use in 
forming cells for fluid preparations, and stated that gold size 
appeared to prevent the entrance of air-bubbles better than 
Japan varnish or Brunswick black, which latter in time became 
porous, and also, from the evaporation of its turpentine, brittle. 
He said he and Mr. Thwaites were, perhaps, the first to use this 
method of mounting objects, and that he possessed slides of 
gold-size cells, which were still quite perfect, while those he 
and mounted with Japan black ink were most of them spoiled, 
that he had again reverted to the use of gold size for the 
formation of the cell, using Japan varnish for its final closing 
only. 
The Secretary said gold size remained viscid for a long time, 
and that if the cells formed of it were not well dried for a 
considerable time, or even baked in an oven, the size was very 
liable to “run in” and spoil the preparation. He had re- 
varnished the Section’s collection with a mixture of Japan 
varnish and gold size, and thought the gold size would prevent 
the Japan varnish from becoming brittle or porous, while the 
Japan varnish would prevent the gold size from running in; but 
he strongly recommended that all collections should be re- 
varnished every five years, and deprecated the use of covering 
papers on slides of fluid preparations, as it prevented this. 
Mr. Latham recommended the addition of a solution of India 
rubber, and Mr. Parry of wax, to Japan varnish, to obviate its 
tendency to become porous and brittle. 
The Secretary exhibited Messrs. Smith, Beck and Beck’s side 
Lieberkuhn for illuminating opaque objects under the medium 
powers of the microscope, such as 3 to 1 inch. 
Mr. Heys showed a well-mounted specimen of the exuvium 
of the larva of a dragon fly, and stated he found these insects 
were easily brought to cast off their skins by changing the water 
in which they were kept; if soft, to hard, and vice versd; or if 
muddy, to fresh. 
Mr. Parry exhibited mounted sections of an Ammonite. 
Dr. Alcock said that among Foraminifera from Dogs Bay which 
he had lately mounted he thought there were some slides likely 
to interest the members. Many of the deformed specimens of 
Lagena striata (Williamson) were very curious, and a double one, 
having the neck as well as the body double, deserved particular 
notice. He said that he was quite convinced the striated Lagena 
with a mucro at the base is not a mere sub-variety of Lagena 
striata, but is very distinct from it ; there were many specimens 
