PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 181 



Beading Microscopical Society.* 



Jan. 6, 1874. — Capt. Lang, in a short paper entitled " A Useful 

 Hint for Mounters," said, " Persons who select and arrange diatoms or 

 pursue any minute work under the microscope, reqixire and have often 

 to improvise implements adapted for special purposes, as hairs, from 

 various animals, whipped on to delicate handles. There is none that I 

 know of better than the hair of the badger, or fine camel-hair or sable 

 brushes. But I have often found with diatoms that some obstinate valve 

 in a roughly-spread dip refuses to be picked up, or, if moved, is sud- 

 denly flipped out of the field of view and lost. On one occasion, after 

 having vainly tried to lift up a rare diatom with hair or brush, it 

 occurred to me that painters occasionally make use of the fine feathers, 

 one of which is to be found on the extreme end of the carpal joint of 

 each wing, of the woodcock. Ou trying one of these I found I had 

 nearly got what I wanted, that it was an excellent implement for micro- 

 scopical work in general, though scarcely sufliciently delicate for the 

 selection of diatoms. It struck me at once that there might be other 

 birds belonging to the same order that might answer my j^urpose better. 

 The feather of the snipe, as that of a smaller bird, was tried, but was 

 found not to be so sharply pointed. That of the golden plover was then 

 obtained, and has answered all my requirements, combining fineness, 

 stiffness, and elasticity. With it the most refractory diatom may be 

 lifted, transferred, turned, cleaned, and placed in position; indeed, by 

 its means an entire frustule may be divided into its two component 

 valves, which are in many cases dissimilar, and thus an instructive 

 slide of a whole frustule and its two separate valves can be prej)ared. 

 It may be as well to remark that these feathers vary considerably, some 

 being much more finely pointed than others, so that it is worth mount- 

 ing at least half-a-dozen of them, as some will be found better adapted 

 for special purposes than others. Of course their use is not confined 

 to the selection of diatoms, as they are equally adapted for other 

 microscojiical manipulation, as in the preparation of entomological 

 subjects." 



Microscopical Society of Victoria, New South Wales. 



[We give this report in full, because of its great interest, and also 

 because it is the opening address. — Ed. ' M. M. J.'] 



A short time since a small number of microscopists met together 

 in Melbourne, and decided, with a view to secui'ing the advantages of 

 systematic co-operation, to form the above Society. That fact having 

 obtained publicity, the promoters of the movement received several 

 communications which showed that they had more fellow-microscopists 

 in Melbomne than they expected. Already about thirty gentlemen 

 have joined the new Society, and it is probable that residents in other 

 colonies will be admitted to it as corresponding members. There are 

 two grades of membership — members and associates. The former pay 



* Report supplied by Mr. B. J. Auatin. 



