138 CORRESPONDENCE. 



subjects I have named, to confer with me respecting the organization 

 of co-operative work upon them, I have seen so much skill and in- 

 genuity displayed by many of our members in preparing and mounting 

 objects, and so much latent talent in this direction, that I have deter- 

 mined to offer a prize, to be presented at our next annual meeting, for 

 the best series of five dozen mounted objects. The rarity, novelty, 

 and scientific value of the specimens, difficulty of preparation, and 

 neatness of manipulation will be duly considered. The competitors 

 must be amateurs and members of the club, the judges will be two 

 members of the council of the Royal Microscopical Society, and the 

 prize will be a cabinet designed by myself to contain all the necessary 

 apparatus for the mounting of microscopic objects, and of the value 

 of 5Z. I conclude with the assurance of the happiness I have expe- 

 rienced in associating with you all during the past year, and with the 

 hope that, encouraged and assisted by our fellow-members, and 

 stimulated by their approbation and example, we may be able, during 

 that which is to come, to maintain and increase the attractiveness and 

 usefulness of our club. 



How to Mount Objects. — A good paper on this subject appears in 

 the ' Journal of the Quekett Club ' (January, 1871). It is by Mr. 

 D. E. Goddard. It is too long for abstract, but we refer to it, as 

 some of our younger readers may find parts of it extremely beneficial. 

 In 1863, Mr. Goddard described, in the ' Quarterly Journal of Micro- 

 scopical Science,' a peculiar table for mounting objects, which has also 

 an interest for the student in connection with the present subject. 



Spontaneous Generation. — Dr. Bastian's ideas are well opposed 

 by Mr. T. B. Lowne in a paper " On Spontaneous Generation," pub- 

 lished in the ' Journal of the Quekett Club.' 



A Neutral-Tint Selenite Stage. — Mr. W. Ackland describes, in 

 the ' Journal of the Quekett Club ' for January, a useful form of 

 selenite stage, which gives a tint between the violet of the second, 

 and indigo of the third, wave. He shows how this can be done, and 

 describes some excellent results. 



CORKESPONDENCE. 



A Committee for Examination of Objectives. 



To the Editor of the 'Monthly Microscojncal Journal.'' 



2, Lansdowne Ckescent, W. 

 Dear Sir, — It would give me great pleasure to hear of a Com- 

 mittee being formed for the Examination of the relative qualities and 

 powers of English and Foreign Microscopic Objectives, whether dry 

 or immersed. 



[In order to prevent all suspicion of prejudice, it would perhaps be 

 advisable for each maker to mount the glasses in similar plane cylin- 



