Joun'il Srt r^a] PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 175 



Old Change Microscopical Society. 



President, Charles J. Leaf, Esq., F.L.S., &c. — The fourth annual 

 soiree of this Society was held at the City Terminus Hotel, Cannon 

 Street, on Monday, February 14th. 



The weather being so very severe, the living objects exhibited 

 were not so numerous as on other occasions ; but amongst them were 

 included Loiyliopus crystallinus (the President), Fredicella sultana (Mr. 

 Madle), Ciliary action in Mussel (Mr. Wrayj, Stephanoceros Eicliornii 

 (Mr. F. H. Leaf), Polyzoa (Mr. T. Eoss), and many other illustra- 

 tions of pond life. 



Amongst the mounted objects the most conspicuous were a series 

 of slides by Dr. Carpenter, V.P.K.S., illustrative of his recent dredging 

 expedition in the North Sea in H.M.S. ' Porcupine,' and which were 

 well shown in Mr. Crouch's microscopes. Mr. W. Carruthers exhi- 

 bited " Silicified starch granules from Eocene strata ; " and Dr. Demp- 

 sey, circular crystals of Saliginene. 



Mr. W. C. Eoberts, F.C.S., the chemist to the Mint, illustrated 

 the value of the microscope as a detective, by showing a sovereign 

 which had been tampered with to the extent of two-pence, and which 

 clearly evinced the " sweating " process it had undergone. 



Mr. T. Curteis, F.RM.S., exhibited some very beautiful drawings 

 of microscopic objects, executed by Messrs. Eichter and E. T. Drajjer, 

 whicb were much admired. 



Mr. W. Ladd illuminated his microscopes and those in the imme- 

 diate vicinity by the new Oxy-hydrogen Zirconia light, which seems 

 to be as intense as the electric, and with more steadiness. Mr. C. 

 Tyler, F.L.S., was surrounded by numerous admirers of some very 

 fine type slides — sections of Dactylocalyx pumiceus, D. Prattii, D. sub- 

 glohosa, IpJiiteon panicea, &c. 



The objects in general in tbe 250 microscopes, although well 

 known to experienced microscopists, were many of them new to the 

 visitors, who scanned them and questioned the exhibitors upon them 

 with more than usual interest — the various anatomical slides espe- 

 cially attracting their attention. 



The display, in the "Ai-t Room," of water-colour drawings, stereo- 

 scopes, graphoscopes, works of art, j)hotographs, and scientific works, 

 &c., proved very attractive. In the same room Dr. Hawksley's stetho- 

 sphygmograph, for recording the movements of the lungs, heart, and 

 pulse simultaneously, was repeatedly tested and explained by the 

 inventor and Dr. Armstrong. The " Natural History Eoom " was lite- 

 rally crammed with specimens of the three kingdoms — Animal, Vege- 

 table, and Mineral— conspicuous amongst them being some very 

 beautiful cases of birds, &c., by Mr. W. E. Dawe, jun. ; some fine 

 drawings and photographs of plants, by Mr. Fitcli and Mr. D. E. 

 Jackson, of Kew ; and some thirty or forty cases of Lepidoptera and 

 Coleoptera, exhibited by Miss Loddiges. 



The Committee of the Guildhall Library, with their usual libe- 

 rality, filled the " Antique Eoom " with a large variety of rare books, 

 (fee, including the ' Ceremonial of the Cox'onation of George IV.,' and 



