PROGRESS OF MICROSCOPICAL SCIENCE. 
The Structure and Origin of Meteorites—It may perhaps seem very 
strange to speak of the microscopical structure of the sun; but if 
meteorites have been formed in the manner suggested in Mr. Sorby’s 
lecture, published in ‘Nature’ for April 5, such an expression may 
not be unreasonable. He there shows that the microscopical structure 
of meteorites, though in some cases analogous to that of melted lavas, 
is yet in a greater number of cases more like that of consolidated vol- 
canic ashes. They have, however, some remarkable characters not yet 
found in any terrestrial rock, which indicate that they were formed 
under very special conditions. They frequently contain what were 
apparently originally small glassy spherules, which subsequently be- 
came more or less crystalline and devitrified. A large portion of some 
of these spherules is, however, still a true glass. The author shows 
that they are analogous to certain artificial furnace-products, but differ 
in such a way as to indicate that a melted glassy spray was projected 
into an atmosphere heated so nearly to its melting point that the par- 
ticles could collect into spheres without being drawn out into long 
fibres, as happens when the spray is blown into a cool atmosphere, so 
as to form the natural Pele’s Hair, or the analogous artificial furnace- 
product. Many other remarkable structures occur in meteorites, some 
requiring high magnifying powers ; and the general conclusion deduced 
from them is, that meteorites were formed when the surrounding at- 
mosphere was highly heated and subject to intense mechanical dis- 
turbances. Nearly all these remarkable peculiarities could be explained 
if they were formed under conditions like those now proved to cecur 
near the surface of the sun, and the chief question is whether they are 
portions of solid matter, perhaps now projected into space during the 
intense disturbances known to occur on the surface of the sun, or are 
remnants of matter subjected to similar influences at a remote epoch 
when the conditions now met with only near the sun extended much 
farther out into planetary space. If this be the case, it is perhaps not 
too much to say that the microscope was never applied to a question 
of greater magnitude, and the important bearing of very minute on 
immensely great objects made more apparent. 
Mr. Dallinger’s Lecture on Monads at the Royal Institution—On 
the first Friday evening of last month (May), the Rev. W. Dallinger, 
V.P.R.M.S., delivered a most important lecture on monads before the 
Royal Institution. The illustrations were given by means of the 
electric lamp so familiar to those who go to the Albemarle theatre, 
and they were in every respect admirable. The lecture, however, was 
in substance similar to Mr. Dallinger’s excellent article in one of last 
year’s numbers of the ‘ Popular Science Review.’ He proved the mar- 
vellous changes of form seen in some of these species of monads to be 
continuous alterations which invariably ended in the production of 
the original type. This he did by the most wonderfully patient 
observations. He also proved—a most important poit—that there 
