The Microscope. KJi) 



vent its universal use, and thought gasoline, although more danger- 

 ous, was preferable on account of its slight cost. 



Dr. Geo. M. Sternberg spoke of the great progress made by the 

 San Francisco Microscopical Society and of their fine library, and 

 hoped our society would emulate their example. 



The Society then adjourned, after electing new members, to 

 meet May 16 at 8 p. m. 



SAN FRANCISCO MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY. 



^ I "^HE regular meeting of this society was held April 13, 1887, 

 -*- President Wickson occupying the chair. 



Upon the recommendation of the committee appointed to re- 

 port on the matter, it was decided that the Chair should hereafter 

 at each meeting appoint two members whose duty it would be to 

 provide and display a number of interesting and attractive micro- 

 scopic objects at the meeting next ensuing. 



As an instance of how a grain of truth may sometimes be trans- 

 formed into a mountain of error, the Secretary read an item which 

 has been going the I'ounds of the interior press, and which announced 

 the discovery of a new glass in Sweden, com2:»osed principally of 

 boron and phosphorous, of such extraordinary refractive power that 

 lenses made of it would reveal the " one-two-hundred-and- four- 

 million-seven-hundred-thousandth part of an inch ! " The basis of 

 this extraordinary paragraph was probably the recent introduction 

 of the new optical glass made at Jena, containing small proportions 

 of borates and phosphates. By the use of this glass it has been 

 made possible to construct lenses with less chromatic aberration 

 than heretofore, but as the refractive index is practically that of or- 

 dinary glass the magnifying power for any given curvature is, of 

 course, also about the same. 



The exhibition of the new " Doty Balsam-mounting Bottle " 

 brought out a discussion of various late methods in balsam mount- 

 ing, and of the relative advantages of different mounting media. 



Dr. Mouser gave a brief description of the laboratory he has 

 just fitted up for prosecuting the study of the micro-organisms of 

 disease. He concluded by extending a cordial invitation to the 

 Society to examine the various appliances, and, on motion, the in- 

 vitation was unanimou.sly accepted, it being decided to hold the 

 meeting of the 27th inst. at the laboratory, 707 Bush Street. 



It was stated by Prof. Hanks that while visiting Verdi, Nev., 

 recently, he had come across a fossil, diatomaceous earth of a pe- 



