PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 
Royrat Mrcroscoricat Socrery. 
THE annual soirée of the Society was held on the 26th of 
April, at King’s College, when the attendance was unusually 
large, and comprehended many distinguished visitors, who were 
received by the President, James Glaisher, Esq., F.R.S. 
About three hundred microscopes were exhibited; and Mr. 
Baines lent an interesting series of views of scenes visited by him 
in his Australian and African explorations, which were shown by 
Mr. Wylley, with a gas microscope. One representing that remark- 
able plant, the Welwitzia mirabilis, with its long, green, ribbon- 
like leaves and red flowers, attracted much attention. 
Mr. F. Buckland exhibited a series of objects relating to fish 
and fish hatching. 
Among the microscopic objects were many of unusual interest. 
Dr. Carpenter brought a beautiful set of slides and drawings 
illustrating the development of the Comatula. 
May 8th, 1867. 
THE Presrpent (James GuarsHer, Esq., F.R.S.), in putting 
the minutes of the last ordinary meeting, alluded in gratulatory 
terms to the recent soirée of the Society, one of the most notice- 
able and attractive features of which was the large increase in the 
number of interesting objects exhibited by the Fellows. 
The Rev. J. B. Reape read a paper by J. B. SHEPPARD, 
M.R.C.S.E., “On an Example of the Production of a Colour 
possessing remarkable qualities by the Action of Monads (or some 
other Microscopic Organisms) upon Organised Substances.” 
(See ‘ Trans.,’ p. 64.) , 
On the conclusion of this paper, 
Mr. Browntne described, by the aid of a coloured diagram, the 
appearance of the fluid inthespectrum. (See ‘ Trans.,’ p. 71.) 
Mr. Stack remarked that he had never met with anything 
exactly like the fluid described by Mr. Reade; but some three or 
four years since he had noticed a pond at Hampstead, the water 
in which presented a clotted appearance very much like blood. 
These clots were composed of millions of small bodies, identical 
with the common Stentor niger. When examined by direct light 
they were of a blood-red, but by transmitted light they were 
purple ; probably the fluid they contained resembled that described 
by Mr. Reade. 
