PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 
Microscorican Socrmry oF Lonpon, 
March 30th, 1864. 
Tur Annual Dress Soirée of the Society was held this evening 
in the great Hall and adjacent rooms of King’s College. The 
very fine weather, and especially as the soirée was not held as before 
in Easter-week, enabled near 800 ladies and gentlemen to attend 
this interesting and scientific meeting. The number of micro- 
scopes exhibited was over 200, the chief of which were from the 
various instrument makers, most of whom are now members of 
the Society. The predominance of the binocular arrangement of 
Mr. Wenham, the beauty of construction, and costly adaptations 
of the several instruments, were subjects general admiration. © 
The following were among theexhibitors:—  \ 
Mr. Baxer.— Twenty-four microscopes, fifteen of which were made 
with his new binocular stand. These latter were arranged so as to 
display in an effective manner the advantages of this construction. 
All the objects were of a popular character, and among those 
which attracted most attention should be mentioned—artistically 
arranged groups of diatoms, opaque and transparent, the former 
showing well by the soft light of the Lieberkuhn: spicules of 
Synapta, consisting of seventy-four plates and anchors, similarly 
arranged ; a fine specimen of the Myriapod, “ Millipede,”’ and its 
exuvie ; a new polarizing crystal Aspartic acid; transparent injec- 
tions of the toe and brain of the mouse ; head of large tiger beetle, 
shown entire by the 3-inch objective. Among the living objects 
were several specimens of the parasite (Argalus foliaceus) of the 
stickle-back and other fresh-water fish. This forms an interesting 
study under the binocular, the respiratory action, sucker, and 
entire structure being well displayed. 
Dr. Carpenter exhibited a new binocular microscope by 
Nachet, in which the principle (introduced by Mr. Wenham) of 
allowing one-half of the cone of rays to pass on without interrup- 
tion ds applied in such a manner that, by a change in the position 
of the prism, a conversion of relief is produced; a pseudoscopic 
effect being substituted for the proper stereoscopic projectien. 
Various objects were exhibited, showing this phenomenon in a 
