NOTES AND MEMORANDA. 



Important Correction. — Dr. E. L. Moss writes to us as 

 follows : 



" A printer's error in page 404 of last volume makes me 

 speak of the inaccuracy of Professor Gegenbaur's plates ; 

 the context fortunately indicates the mistake to some extent — 

 the word should have been ' accuracy' — but a definite correc- 

 tion is due rather to myself than to Professor Gegenbaur, whose 

 figures are well-known models of diagramatic accuracy, and 

 whose reputation is uninfluenced by my praise or censure. 

 I" Edward L. Moss, M.D., E.N." 



New Microscopical Journal. — We learn from the ' American 

 Naturalist' that the State Microscopical Society of Illinois 

 has issued a prospectus of ' The Lens, a Quarterly Journal 

 of Microscopy and the Allied Natural Sciences; with the 

 Transactions of the State Microscopical Society of Illinois.' 

 It will be an octavo, each number containing at least forty- 

 eight pages of reading matter. Terms, two dollars per annum 

 in advance. The editor will be Mr. S. A. Briggs, 177, 

 Calumet Avenue, Chicago. Though its appearance has been 

 delayed by the fire, we learn that it will soon be issued. 



The Brown Institution. — This important institution for the 

 study of the diseases of animals, endowed with funds left in 

 trust to the University of London, is now fairly started at a 

 very suitable locality in the Wandsworth-road. It contains a 

 laboratory for the study of histology and pathology, under the 

 direction of Dr. Klein. 



The Spectrum Microscope — Mr. Sorby, in an article en- 

 titled " On the best Form of Compound Prism for the 

 Spectrum Microscope" published in 'Nature,' Oct. 26th, 1871, 

 discusses the amount of dispersion desirable for particular 

 purposes : 



" It would be a very great mistake to suppose that the 

 result is better with a very wide dispersion. This, of course, 

 makes the spectrum larger, but very greatly impairs the 

 definition of the absorption-bands." 



'' The power ought to be regulated by the character 



