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PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 
On Tuesday evening, April 6, the annual soiree of the club was 
held in the tropical department of the Crystal Palace. About 1500 
were present on this occasion ; and the various courts of the Palace 
were occupied by a brilliant company, who divided their attention 
between the interesting objects exhibited under the microscopes, and 
the larger and livelier, but equally interesting, objects shown in the 
aquarium, while sweet music was discoursed to the visitors by a con- 
tingent from the Crystal Palace band. The exhibitors were 270 in 
number, and included representatives of the Royal Microscopical 
Society, Medical Microscopical Society, Old Change Microscopical 
Society, and the Tower Hill, Quekett, Croydon, Greenwich Amateur, 
Sydenham and Forest Hill, Blackheath, West Kent, and New Cross 
Microscopical Clubs, in addition to those objects exhibited by members 
of the South London Microscopical Club. The microscopes were 
judiciously arranged in different parts of the Palace, the representa- 
tives of each club being, as far as was possible, placed in the same 
group. The reading room was a centre of considerable attraction, 
the microscopes in this room being principally devoted to objects 
illustrative of pond-life, among which we noticed the familiar Rotifers, 
Melicerta, Conochilus, Stephanoceros, and the like ; Volvox globator 
was admirably exhibited under several of the microscopes ; and 
Hydras were also well shown. The circulation in plants was 
shown, the objects chosen being Nitella, Anacharis, and Yallisneria. 
The Colorado potato-beetle and Trichina spiralis excited interest 
from the public reputation which these creatures have obtained. 
Circulation was shown in the blood of a newt, tadpole, carp, gold 
fish, and frog. The arrangements of butterfly scales and diatoms in 
the form of flowers were much admired ; and groups of natural 
flowers received much attention. Foraminiferous shells from China, 
Australia, and the Mediterranean, were exhibited under different 
microscopes, as also was Atlantic mud from a depth of more than 
2000 fathoms. Of miscellaneous objects we can only mention the 
Lord’s Prayer, written on the twenty-thousandth part of an inch, and 
an exhibition of the metal thallium under the electric spark. To pass 
from “ food for the mind ” to “ food for the body,” refreshments were 
provided by the Crystal Palace contractors ; and the counters loaded 
with refreshments testified that this department was ably conducted. 
The soiree would appear to have been in all respects a perfect success, 
and the visitors did not separate until a late hour. 
An ordinary meeting of the club was held on Tuesday, April 20, 
Mr. Charles Stewart, M.R.C.S., F.L.S., in the chair. Twelve members 
were balloted for and duly elected, and the certificates of six mem- 
bers, proposed for election, were read. The President then made an 
interesting address on Respiration, which subject was illustrated by 
the objects exhibited by the members. A paper having been an- 
nounced for the next meeting on “ Nonvascular cryptogams ,” the 
meeting separated. 
