The Mickoscope. 241 



May 28, the annual reception tendered by the men»bers of this 

 Society to their fi'iends was held in Pioneer Hall. The audience 

 comprised many of the most prominent names in the social, scientific 

 and educational circles of this city, and the entertainment was evidently 

 thoroughly enjoyed by all present. Never before has such a display of 

 microscopes been seen on the Pacific Coast. Arranged along seven long 

 rows of tables were no less than sixty-four instraments. Those who 

 find pleasure in examining beautiful brass-work would have found 

 amj)le and agreeable employment in the examination of the micro- 

 scopes alone, for these embraced examples of the exquisite skill of 

 all the leading opticians of the world. The list of objects shown 

 was a most attractive one, and, as the best of lenses were used in 

 their display, and careful attention was given to obtaining the best 

 effects of illumination, the results were eminently satisfactory. It 

 may incidentally be remarked as a fact most gratifying to all inter- 

 ested in the progress of mici'oscopical investigation on this coast, that 

 although the local microscopical society is one of the oldest in the 

 country — being now in its fifteenth year — it has lost none of its 

 vitality, but has, on the contrary, at present a larger membership, a 

 larger and finer library and cabinet, a larger average attendance at 

 meetings, and in every way better prospects for useful work in the 

 future, than at any previous time in its history. 



The following is a list of some of the objects exhibited : 



The first exhibit was that of Dr. C. P. Bates, who showed the 

 ever-beautiful circulation of the blood in the gills of that intei-esting 

 batrachian, menobranchus. By means of an ingeniously constnicted 

 "life-slide" the animal was supplied with a current of fresh water 

 and was thus kept in full vigor during the entire evening. 



Few of those who have seen the common California wild-flower, 

 orthocarpus purpurescens, would have expected to find such beauty 

 in its seeds as was revealed by the fine binocular of A. S. Brackett. 

 Each seed is inclosed by a delicate transparent latticed receptacle, 

 thus presenting a charming appearance when well illuminated. 



The exhibit of A. H. Breckenfeld comprised double- stained sec- 

 tions of the human scalp, both vertical and horizontal, thus giving an 

 excellent idea of its structure ; a very fine double- stained section of 

 a pine-needle, and, finally, a plump specimen of that universal pet, 

 the domestic flea, blazing with the crimson radiance imparted by 

 polarized light. 



