PKOCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 37 



simple the construction the better. The comparatively modern 1-inch, 

 the new 5-leus object-glass, the Coddington magnifier, and the old 

 doublet and triplet of Wollaston and Holland, are all instances of 

 this, and others might be cited. I shall, however, content myself with 

 quoting the written opinion of a great optician, now no longer amongst 

 us, who, when asked what he thought of the " Aplanatic fcearcher," 

 then just brought into notice, replied, " I consider the arrangement 

 quite a mistake, and the views on the subject to be manifestly erro- 

 neous." Not even a trial of it was required. The microscope of 

 to-day gives better results through fourteen surfaces of glass, than 

 when, two years ago, it consisted of twenty — why therefore add eight 

 more to them ? 



On the whole, then, I think Mr. May all and most of your readers 

 will agree with me that it would be as well if some microscopists 

 would be more careful in testing accurately the practical excellence of 

 their discoveries, before attributing to them an importance far beyond 

 their due, and give credit to others for rejoicing in the possession of 

 at least as perfect object-glasses as they themselves possess. 



Believe me, faithfully yours, 



J. J. Plumee. 



PEOCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 



EoYAL Microscopical Society. 



King's College, December 3, 1873. 



Charles Brooke, Esq., F.R.S., President, in the chair. 



The minutes of the preceding meeting were read and confirmed. 



A list of donations to the Society was read, and the thanks of the 

 meeting were voted to the donors. 



The President said that the Society had already been informed of 

 the intention of Mr. Charles Woodward to bequeath to them a valu- 

 able and complete Smith and Beck's microscope : but, instead of 

 making it a bequest, Mr. Woodward had presented it to the Society. 

 He therefore proposed that the special thanks of the Society be 

 presented to Mr. Woodward for his valuable donation. Motion put to 

 the meeting and carried unanimously. 



The President announced that the Society would meet for a scien- 

 tific evening on December 10th, and expressed a hope that Fellows 

 would make it as interesting as they could by bringing objects of 

 interest for exhibition on that occasion. 



The Secretary read a paper, by the Eev. W. H. Dallinger, " On 

 some Further Eesearches into the Life History of the Monads," being 

 in continuation of the paper upon the same subject read at the November 

 meeting of the Society. The paper was illustrated by a series of 

 beautifully-executed drawings, and it was intimated that the effects of 



