106 PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. ['journal "Kff 



It was proposed and seconded, and unanimously agreed to, that 

 Messrs. Suffolk and Bocket be requested to act as auditors for the 

 year. 



The President then requested Mr. J. Browning, F.E.A.S., to read 

 his paper " On a Method of Measiu'ing the Position of Absorption 

 Bands with a Micro-spectroscope." 



Mr. Ingpen inquired whether Mr. Browning did not tliink that 

 two lines crossing at an acute angle, as in his (Mr. Browning's) 

 star-spectroscope, would be i^referable to a single vertical line ; as he 

 thought the position of a band or line in the spectrum could be more 

 accurately measui-ed if caused to bisect an angle than if covered by a 

 bright line. 



Mr. Browning thanked Mr. Ingpen for his suggestion, and he 

 thought much advantage would arise from its adoption. 



Mr. Brooke said it aj)peared to him tliat Mr. Browning's invention 

 was a very valuable one, as it rendered micrometric measm-ement very 

 simple. The use of a micrometer with a bright image instead of a 

 dark image would be very advantageous ; for whereas on a slightly 

 illuminated field the dark image is invisible, by substituting the 

 bright line for the dark line every purpose is answered. 



Dr. Lawson said he felt much indebted to Mr. Browning for his 

 invention. He had worked for some time past with the interference 

 scale of Mr. Sorby, but had met with the difficulties which Mr. 

 Browning had enmnerated, but he had always been unable to calculate 

 easily the number of the bands lying between the 1st and 12th. 

 The invention just described would make such an operation easy for 

 the future. 



The President, in presenting the thanks of the meeting to Mr. 

 Browning, said that the improvements made by him in the construc- 

 tion of the micro-spectroscope were felt by all to be very valuable. It 

 appeared as if the wonders capable of being revealed by this instru- 

 ment were only beginning to dawn upon those who used it. 



Mr. Hogg then gave a brief account of Mr. Alfred Sanders' paper 

 " On an Undescribed Stage of Development of Tetrarhyncus corollatus" 

 The thanks of the meeting wore then given to Mr. Sanders. 



The President called upon Mr. W. S. Kent to read his paper " On 

 the Calcareous Spicula of the Gorgonacece." 



Mr. Stewart inquired of Mr. Kent whether he had come to any 

 conclusion as to the mode of the formation of the spicules he had de- 

 scribed. There were instances of agreement in form, but of difference 

 in construction ; as in those cases where there was an intermixture of 

 horny and calcareous matter. His own opinion was that this com- 

 pound structure was due to the molecular coalescence of carbonate of 

 lime de2)ositcd in the colloid matter of the animal, thereby modifying 

 the i^hysical forces always operating in the animal. 



Mr. Kent replied that he had not paid sufficient attention to this 

 part of the subject to be able to arrive at any conclusion thereon. 



Mr. Stewart again inquired how Mr. Kent accounted for the fact 

 that in the flask-sluipcd sjiiculcs the bases projected towards the out- 

 side, and the neck was directed towards the axis of the gorgonia ? It 



