ROYAL MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY. 403 
January 6th, 1875. 
Cuartns Brooke, Esq., F.R.S., President, in the chair. 
Dr. W. M. Ord read a paper on “ Studies in the Natural History 
of the Common Uraies.’”’ The author described some of the 
forms assumed by urate of soda and urate of ammonia, both as 
occurring in pathological conditions and as produced artificially. 
A paper by Dr. Pigott “ On the Invisibility of Minute Diffract- 
ing bodies, caused by Excess of Aperture, and upon the Develop- 
ment of Black Aperture, Test-bands, and Diffraction-Rings,” was 
also read. 
February 3rd. 
Cuartes Brooke, Esq., F.R.S., President, in the chair. 
The following gentlemen were elected as officers and Council for 
the ensuing year :— 
President —Henury Clifton Sorby, F.R.S. 
Vice-Presidents.—Robert Braithwaite, M.D., F.L.S.; Charles 
Brooke, M.A., F.R.S. ; John Millar, L.R.C.P., F.L.8S.; William 
B. Carpenter, M.D., F.R.S. 
Treasurer.—J ohn Ware Stephenson, F.R.A.S. 
Secretaries.—Henry J.Slack, F.G.S.; Charles Stewart, M.R.C.S., 
FE.L.S. 
Council.—Frank Crisp, LL.B., B.A.; John E. Ingpen; 
Samuel J. McIntire; Henry Lee, F.L.8.; William T. Loy; 
Henry Lawson, M.D.; John Matthews, M.D.; George Shad- 
bolt; Charles Tyler, F.L.S.; Frederic H. Ward, M.R.C.S.; 
Francis H. Wenham, C.E.; Charles F. White. 
The Secretary read the Treasurer’s annual statement of accounts 
and the annual report of the Council. It appeared that seven- 
teen Fellows, one Corresponding and one Honorary Fellow, had 
been elected during the year, while ten Fellows and one Associate 
had died. The financial position of the Society was satisfactory. 
The retiring President delivered an address, in which he made 
some remarks upon the improvement in object-glasses. He 
said— 
“The past year has been marked by decided improvement in 
object-glasses. A remarkably fine one-eighth has been made by 
Messrs. Powell and Lealand, with an avowed single front lens; 
but how far its principle of construction may agree with or differ 
from that previously enunciated by Mr. Wenham cannot at 
present be stated, as its construction has not been made public. 
The image formed by this lens bears amplification by very deep 
eye-pieces exceedingly well, than which there is no more certain 
test of first-rate definition. 
“Jn the object-glasses constructed upon Mr. Wenham’s formula 
considerably increased flatness of field has been obtained by substi- 
tuting two plano-convex lenses, of proportionately less curvature, 
for the single plano-convex posterior lens formerly employed. The 
