NOTES AND QUERIES. 25 
during the session: on “ Pollen grains” by Miss B. Alcock ; on 
“ Protococcus pluvialis” Mr. F. Row; on “ Crystals” by Mr. E. B. 
Knobel, who also gave a lecture upon “The Principles of the 
Spectroscope.” Mr. James Harrison gave a paper on “‘ Mounting 
Microscopical objects”; Mr. Thomas Taylor on “Animal Parasites”; 
Mr. Wheeler on “ Practical Optics”; Mr. F. Row on “ Photomi- 
crography”; and Mr. R. W. Davies on “The Honey Bee.” A 
goodly list withal. 
Tue Microscope FOR ExaMInING Metars.—Mr. A. Martens, 
of Berlin, finds that certain peculiarities due to the process of manu- 
facture, or molecular changes due to the manner it is strained, can 
only, in the case of iron, or steel, be made patent by the use of the 
microscope. Ordinary microscopes are usually made for objects of 
very small degrees of thickness, and, therefore, he has devised an 
instrument for use with the above purpose in view. Artificial light 
thrown down upon the metal M. Martens finds unnecessary, and 
he advises the use of lenses with a working distance of about three- 
eighths of an inch. 
Boiron Microscopical SocrEty.—Since our last issue the 
Annual Soirée of this Society has been held, and the success which 
attended the gathering must have been pleasing to the promoters. 
After the reading of the report by Mr. W. Rideout, the Hon. Sec., 
the audience adjourned to the Drill Hall, where the President 
delivered a very admirable lecture upon Insect Structure, illustrated 
by transparencies thrown upon the screen by the lime light. 
The tables in the Hall were loaded with objects of interest, 
Mr. Bolton, of Birmingham, with his Living Organisms, Dr. Barron, 
the demonstrator of anatomy at the Liverpool School of Medicine, 
showing the bacillus of tuberculosis, anthrax and septiczemia, and 
many other objects by other exhibitors too numerous to mention. 
Amongst the other exhibits we noticed three distinct forms of 
Photo-micrographic apparatus, that of Mr. Shipperbottom being 
unusually complete. 
MANCHESTER Cryprocamic Society.—The Ordinary Monthly 
Meeting was held Nov. 20th, Captain Cunliffe, F.R.M.S., in the 
chair. The Hon. Sec. placed upon the table the last Part of the 
New British Moss Flora, by Dr. Braithwaite, which had been pre- 
sented by the author. A number of freshly-gathered mosses had 
been sent from Orme’s Head by Mr. William Jones, including a 
few interesting species, which were distributed amongst the mem- 
bers. Mr. Rogers exhibited several interesting Continental species 
of mosses, which do not fruit, or very rarely so, in England, viz., 
Myurella apiculata, Lescuria striata, a specimen of the ALypnum 
virescens (Bowlay), from the Pyrenees, and another specimen of the 
same species collected by John Nowell at Gordale, Malham, in the 
