146 PEOCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 



Mr, E. Glaisyer exhibited shells of nautilus, &c., cut through to 

 show their chambered character. 



It was resolved that the subject for the January Microscopical 

 Meeting should be " The Use of the Polariscope in the Determination 

 of Structure." 



January 12th, 1871. Ordinary Meeting. Mr. F. Merrifield, Presi- 

 dent, in the chair. — Captain Walker and Mr. "W. Saunders were 

 elected ordinary members. 



Mr. Woufor, Hon. Sec, reported the receipt for the library of the 

 ' Third Annual Keport and Proceedings of the Eastbourne Natural 

 History Society ' from the Secretary, and a i^amphlet, by Dr. Stevens, 

 ' On the Flint Implements found at St. Mary Bourne,' from the 

 author. Votes of thanks were passed to the donors. 



Mr. J. Howell read a paper " On the Brighton Cliff Formation " 

 as revealed by the Main Drainage excavations. 



Beading Microscopical Society.* 



January 3rd, 1871. — Captain Lang presided, and Dr. Shettle re- 

 sumed the reading of his paper, " On the Action of Electricity in the 

 Formation of Nerve Cells and Fibres ; " more particularly referring 

 to Lockhart Clarke's investigations as to the structure of the spinal 

 cord in the foetal sheep, and from them in connection with the laws of 

 electrical action, deducing conclusions as to the formation of nuclei ; 

 the aggregation of clusters of nuclei ; the aggregation of nuclei and 

 formation of cell walls around them ; their conversion into elongated 

 fibres, and the formation of cells of sigmoid shape. 



Mr. J. C. Simpson read a paper " On the Electrolytical Coagula- 

 tion of Milk." After a few words in justification of bringing forward 

 (what might be considered) a physical phenomenon in connection 

 with a professedly Microscopical Society, the writer stated how, upon 

 one occasion, when testing the action of a small voltaic battery and 

 finding its action too strong, he was led, by accident, and as a matter 

 of convenience, to interpose a little slightly-milky water in the circuit, 

 and soon noticed a sort of ring forming round the end of one of the 

 immersed wires. 



Having then referred to the microscopic and chemical characters 

 of milk, and to its coagulation by acids, he described the appearances 

 presented by the passage of a current of electricity, as seen under the 

 microscope. A drop of a watery solution of milk was placed on a 

 slip of glass, and under the usual thin glass cover electricity being 

 transmitted, gases were given off abundantly at both poles. Around 

 the negative pole the milk globules were thinned out, and seemed to 

 repel each other, while round the positive pole they seemed to coalesce. 

 At the same time a sort of ring or, wave spread out from the positive 

 pole. Then suddenly, and, rather nearer to the positive pole, a 

 brownish line or fold appeared ; the globules quickly flowed up to it 

 on both sides, and it gradually lengthened and widened, until it 

 formed an irregular curve round the positive pole. This flow of 



* Keport supplied by Mr. B. J. Austin. 



