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PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 
South London Microscopical and Natural History Club. 
An Ordinary Meeting of this Club was held on Tuesday evening, 
January 19, at the Angell Town Institution, Gresham Road, Brixton. 
Dr. Braithwaite occupied the chair. 
A paper was on this occasion read by Mr. James Ford Wight, on 
“Eyes.” After describing the construction of the human eye in 
detail, the lecturer passed to the consideration of its optical proper- 
ties, and its marvellous adaptation for the purposes of vision. The 
characteristic differences between the eyes of the mammalia and those 
of insects, fishes, &c., were then pointed out ; a full description being 
given of the compound eyes of insects, their structure, and use. 
At the conclusion of this paper, a vote of thanks having been 
accorded to Mr. Wight, the various microscopical objects illustrative 
of the subject were examined by the members and visitors. These 
objects comprised : fibres from the crystalline lens of the eye of a cod 
fish ; complete front of eye and membrane of eye of a lobster ; optic 
nerve of calf ; and an image of a photographic portrait, as depicted in 
the numerous ocelli of a beetle’s eye. Many other objects were 
exhibited by the members. 
The President announced a paper on “ Spectrum Analysis,” by 
William Huggins, Esq., LL.D., F.R.S., to be read at the next meeting, 
on February 16, on which occasion ladies would be admitted, and that 
the annual meeting would be held on March 16. 
