142 The Microscope. 



Birmingham Natm-al Historical Society. It bore a most remarkable 

 resemblance to a transverse section of a vegetable stem. 



Mr. Howard showed specimens of Noctiluca miliaris, the inter- 

 esting little organisms to which is mainly due the well-known phos- 

 phorescence of the ocean. The gathering (which was a very plen- 

 tiful one) also contained numerous specimens of the rare Lej^todis- 

 cus medusoides (Hertwig), an organism allied to Noctiluca, but dis- 

 tinguished from the latter principally by the entire absence of any 

 transversely-striated tentacle, and by the very regular reticulate 

 appearance of the contained protoplasm. 



A block of diatomaceous earth, sent by K. E. Wood, of St. 

 Helena, for examination, was referred to Mr. Howard. 



A slide of arborescent silver-crystal was handed in by Dr. E. S. 

 Clark. A slide of native gold-crystals from quartz, also mounted by 

 him, was of unusual beauty. 



Reference was made to the newly- discovered deposit of fossil 

 diatoms at Oamaru, New Zealand, which is attracting much atten- 

 tion at present in microscopical societies by reason of its great rich- 

 ness and the large number of forms entirely new to science found 

 therein. A slide of this beautiful deposit was examined with gi-eat 

 interest. A. H. Breckenfeld, Secretary. 



RECEPTION OF THE BROOKLYN MICROSCOPICAL 



SOCIETY. 



I HIS society was organized in Brooklyn in 1881, and has from 

 -*- that date pursued an uninterrupted, though quiet, course of 

 prosperity. It is composed of about ninety gentlemen, including 

 scientists, physicians and amateurs, and numbers among its members 

 names well known in scientific circles, both in this country and 

 abroad. Its aim has been the informal interchange of ideas at 

 bi-monthly meetings, rather than the delivery of papers, and in this 

 method its record is as unique as it has been useful. 



The reception held on Tuesday evening, April 19, was a suc- 

 cess, not only in the number of microscopes and general character of 

 objects exhibited, but in the exhibition of original devices and 

 evidences of patient and honest investigation. The tables bearing 

 numbers corresponding with the programme were arranged in three 

 rows in the main hall of the Adelphi Academy, on which were 

 placed some sixty-eight microscopes with their various methods of 

 illumination. One thousand cards of admission vfere issued, each 



