eg ee 
THE CONVERSAZIONE, UTE 
THE CONVERSAZIONE 
Was held in the Leicester Town Museum, on Tuesday, May 20th, 
froin 7 30 to 10 30 pm. A scientific conversazione was a novelty in 
Leicester, but the arrangements for the evening were so well planned, 
and so ably carried out, that we fancy the members of the 
Leicester Society will make an annual thing of it in future, so pleased 
did the local visitors appear to be with the rich stores of scientific 
objects which were exhibited and explained. The Leicester Town 
Council had resolved on permanently connecting the old and new 
Museum Buildings by a handsome structure which will serve as 
a receptacle for the Roman pavements, columns, &c., in which 
the Museum is so rich, Unfortunately this could not be completed 
in time for the meeting of the Midland Union, so a temporary corridor 
was put up connecting the new Lecture Hall with the Museum; the 
walls of this corridor were completely covered by scientific diagrams, 
lent by Mr. W. J. Harrison; some very fine diagrams illustrating 
botanical subjects were lent by Mr. F. T. Mott, others of rock sections, 
&c., were shown by Mr. Frank Rutley, and meteorological diagrams, by 
R. H. Scott, Esq., F.R.S.; these were all hung in the lower rooms of the 
Museum. In the New Lecture Hall a long centre table supported about 
forty microscopes, whilst on tables ranged against the walls were placed 
exhibits in general science, geology, biology, archeology, &c. The walls 
of the Lecture Hall were covered with a fine collection of pictures, lent 
chiefly by the Rev. A, A. Isaacs and Mr. G. Stannage, in which 
the works of the local artists, Messrs. Fulleylove and Ward, were well 
represented. In the adjoining rooms of the School of Art an excellent 
collection of the works of past and present students had been arranged 
under the direction of the Head Master, Mr. Wilmot Pilsbury. 
In speaking more in detail of the various exhibits we may class 
them under the following heads :— 
Microscopy.—Mr. Washington Teasdale (Leeds) exhihited some very 
fine specimens of ruled patterns on glass, also sections of Neriwm oleander, 
showing cellular tissue breaking through cortical layer to form a leaf-bud, 
&e.; Mr. J. Levick, specimens of pond life; Mr. W. R. Hughes, numerous 
specimens of echinodermata and other objects illustrating marine zoology, 
prepared by Mr. Sharpus, of London; Miss Beale, three boxes of 
biological objects for the microscope; Mr. F.T. Mott, microscope arranged 
horizontally for drawing and measuring objects; A. Paget, Hsq., fine 
binocular microscope; Mr. Thos. Bolton, two microscopes, with a large 
selection of living objects, rotifers, diatoms, &c., and revolving table, with 
slate top, for microscopical purposes; Mr G. C. Turner, micro-photo- 
graphs; Mr. EH. Wheeler, of London, 1,000 microscopical preparations, 
no two alike, including Nobert’s lines, Miller’s typen-platten, with three 
microscopes; Rev. J. EH. Vize, microscope and slides of hepaticee, fungi, 
lichens, mosses, &c.; Mr. J. Potts, circulation in frog’s foot, &c.; Mr. 
Young, a Ross’s binocular, with photographs, insects, &c. ; also microscopes 
and miscellaneous objects by Dr. Emmerson, and Messrs. A. Baines, 
J. Morley, J. W. Burton, C. J. Watson, F. Parsons, F. Rutley, (rock 
sections,) &c., &e. 
Brionocy.—Mr. B. Sturges Dodd (Nottingham) showed a very fine 
collection of British stone and wood-boring mollusca, with large illus- 
trative diagrams ; specimens of Atlantic ooze and foraminifera, from great 
depths; British hydrozoa, and British marine alge; Mr. H. F. John- 
son, (Nottingham,) a pair of kestrel hawks, with six eggs; Mr. J. E. 
Weatherhead, a series of skulls of hippopotamus, dugong, &c., shells, 
as Triton, Fusus, Chiton, Magilus, &c., fine echinoderms, &c.; Mr. F. T. 
* Mott, a collection of expensive and rare books on biological subjects ; Mr. 
Theo. Walker, some exquisitely-prepared groups of British birds, set up 
