proceedings of societies. 223. 



Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society. 

 Microscopical Section. 



April 15t7i, 1861. 



Mr. Joseph Sidebotham in the Chair. 



Mr. Beck, of London, exhibited two of his binocular microscopes 

 on Mr. "Wenham's principle ; also a great variety of first class 

 objects. 



The members were struck with the advantages of the binocular 

 system for low and medium powers, and the manner in which it 

 presents in full relief the various parts of objects ; they were also 

 pleased with the beauty of certain injected preparations — as the 

 eyes of small animals, sections of tongues, &c. ; the binocular 

 displaying the variety of structure and the smallest blood-vessels 

 filled with a bright red, and transparent injected substance — 

 in situ — distinctly to be traced one above another, instead of 

 appearing, as with the single microscope, a tangled mass all in 

 the same plane. These instruments and objects strongly mark 

 the rapid advance microscopy is making at the present day. 



Mr. Hardman, of Davyhulme, presented a number of dissecting 

 needles with turned handles, which were thankfully accepted by 

 the members. 



Mr. Mothers exhibited infusoria of various kinds from his 

 aquaria. 



3Iay 2,0tl, 1861. 



Annual Meeting. 



Professor Williamson in the Chair. 



The third annual report of the section was read and approved. 



The following oificers were elected for the session 1861-2 : — 

 President, W. C. "Williamson, P.R.S. ; Vice Presidents, Edward 

 W. Binney, P.E.S., P.G.S., J. B. Dancer, P.E.A.S., Joseph 

 Sidebotham; Treasurer, James Gr. Lynde, P.Gr.S. 



Of the Council : — Joseph Bexendell, P.R.A.S., John Dale, 

 James Dorrington, Arthur Gr. Latham, J. W. McClure, T. H. 

 NeviU, E. A. Smith, Ph. D., F.E.S., P.C.S., S. W. Williamson ; 

 Secretary, George Mosley. ♦ 



Professor Williamson called the attention of the meeting to 

 the structure of the Caelorhynchus from the older Tertiary strata 

 of England and America. This structure he had already de- 

 scribed in a paper published in the ' Philosophical Transactions,' 

 (part ii for 1849, p. 471), and in a second memoir (part ii for 

 1851, p. 667), reasons were adv^anced for concluding that the 

 fossil was the dermal spine of one of the Balistinse of the family 

 of Ostraciont Fishes. Subsequently, at a meeting of the Geological 

 Society of Manchester, Professor Williamson advocated the same 

 views, basing his arguments on physiological data ; nevertheless 

 the fossil still appears in the latest edition of ' Lyell's Manual of 



