NOTICES OF MEETINGS. 
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gnaws the trunks of the elm, willow, and oak, and by excavating large galleries 
in those trees it often destroys some of the largest. It makes a cocoon of the 
dust from the gnawing of the wood, which it fastens together with a viscous 
secretion and then lines it with soft silk. It is the only variety to be found in 
this country. 
Mr. Alexander Hay, of the Salford Royal Hospital, distributed specimens of 
Coleosporium tussilaginis—coltsfoot rust. Anyone may make himself acquainted 
with the genus Coleosporium with but little trouble, which the acquisition will 
more than compensate. A summer stroll into any locality in which the common 
coltsfoot can be found will be certain to prove sufficient. When the well-known 
leaves are found, the under surface of the first leaf will doubtless give proof of 
the presence of the fungus in question by the orange spores amongst its dense 
woolly hairs. 
The President exhibited for the inspection of the members Mr. Saville Kent’s 
beautiful drawings of the parasites on the Vorticellz. 
Mr. J. L. W. Miles read a paper on the Microscope and Practical Work, 
written chiefly for the information of the younger students in microscopy. 
The paper further described the writer’s method of mounting mosses, and was 
illustrated by diagrams and prepared slides. A discussion followed, in which 
the President, Messrs. Brittain, Davis, Pettigrew, Aylward, Stanley, and Lean 
took part. The usual conversazione followed, when the following objects were 
exhibited :— 
A young specimen of the Rose Brittle 
Star(Ophiocoma rosula), showing the -...Mr. Herbert C. Chadwick. 
ambulatory hooks, or claws, 272 sz¢z 
Aulacodiscus and Heliopelta...........sscceeseees séongapanncoEdor Mr. Alston. 
Foraminifera from Lough Foyle and Polycistina 
from Barbadoes....... = 3000400 pages pao soase ee 
Wood sections, palate of slug... ..:...00sssnsessessies Mr. R. L. Mestayer. 
WGanvavotel Cosscesu/paret per ay css eisvsoulselen eee ieeeeisciieti Mr. C. J. Jones. 
Dendritic spots and 72/letia cartess..cscrceees spocuaenstous Mr. T. Brittain. 
MOUNTING CLASS.—The closing meeting of the Manchester Microscopi- 
cal Society’s mounting class was recently held in their meeting room at the 
Mechanics’ Institution. Tea was provided for the members, and after tea the 
chair was occupied by the President of the society, Mr. John Boyd. The 
Secretary read the report, giving the origin, the formation, and, as a result, 
details of the work of the class during the winter and spring sessions. In movy- 
ing the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, the President showed the 
great advantages the class afforded to beginners in the study of microscopy, 
especially when the carrying on of the various stages of dissecting, mounting, 
and displaying objects was superintended, and, where necessary, practically 
illustrated by “old hands.” Again, the absence of formality at the meetings 
had tended greatly to remove the diffidence among the younger members, who 
were thus encouraged to come forward, enumerating their failures and stating 
their wants. He thought that an exhibition of Failures at one of the society’s 
meetings would be an interesting display. A cordial vote of thanks was unani- 
mously accorded to Mr. Miles for his work in connection with the formation 
and carrying on of the class; and Messrs. Chaffers, Furnival, Mestayer, and 
Miles were thanked for their kindness in directing the studies of the members. 
On the motion of Messrs. Lean and Cook, it was resolved that the next session 
should begin in October. Specimens of the past winter’s work were then ex- 
hibited by the aid of nine microscopes. Most of the work was very creditable. 
The principal objects exhibited were collections of wild flowers, zoophytes, 
algze, and ferns, all mounted for microscopical investigation, various slides illus- 
trating the anatomy of the caterpillar, living specimens of AZelicerta rvingens, 
zoophytes and diamond beetles, Damar finished rings, transverse section of jaw 
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