168 



THE AMERICAN MONTHLY 



[September, 



tatory purposes. The animalcule was 

 minutely described, and its habits are 

 noted. It had no red eye-speck. 

 Spines were equally distributed 

 over it. It could not be identified, 

 he thought, with any known species. 

 He humorously christened it the 

 Laguncula jpiscatoria, or the fisher's 

 little flask. 



Mr, Lapham of Northville said he 

 had seen an animalcule almost iden- 

 tical with this, excepting that its 

 outer shell was composed of success- 

 ive plates. He thought it was a link 

 between the Rhizopoda and the 

 Flagellata. 



Wm. H. Walmsley read a paper on 

 "The Use of Wax -cells in connection 

 with White Zinc for Fluid-mounts." 

 He had used the process for many 

 years and described the details of it 

 minutely. 



In response to a question, Mr. 

 Walmsley said the cement would 

 sometimes become yellow. 



The discussion was here discon- 

 tinued and the Society adjourned to 

 visit the Museum of the Scientific 

 Association. 



In the evening, President Smith 

 read his annual address to the Society 

 and its friends, at Wliitney's Opera 

 House. He said he thought they 

 had very great reason to congratu- 

 late themselves upon the results at- 

 tained at the two previous annual 

 meetings. He might also speak of 

 the wonderful improvements which 

 had been made in the microscope ; 

 but these would be less desirable 

 than a discussion of some special 

 question. He announced his subject 

 to be " Deep-sea Soundings, and the 

 Relation of Microscopic Algae to 

 Deep-sea Animal Life, with a few 

 Remarks upon Evolution." He 

 began with a glowing description of 

 the wonders and beauties of the 

 ocean-life. He then related the 

 various stages by which it became 

 known that it was possible for life 



to exist at great depths of the sea, 

 and recounted the voyages of the 

 United States vessel Tuscaropa, and 

 the English vessel the Challenger, 

 in their efforts to add to human 

 knowledge concerning deep-sea 

 life. He described the methods 

 used to obtain specimens of the 

 animal and vegetable life to be 

 found three or four miles below the 

 surface of the ocean. He then 

 made a logical and lengthy argu- 

 ment to show that the low forms of 

 deep-sea life may furnish another 

 link in the line of proof which is 

 causing scientific men to tend so 

 largely to the evolution theory. 



The paper was well received and 

 evidently enjoyed by all who heard 

 it. 



THIRD DAY. 



The Secretary read a report of 

 the Executive Committee in refer- 

 ence to amendments to the Consti- 

 tution. The amendments propose 

 the election of honorary members ; 

 the election of secretary and treasu- 

 rer for three yeai's ; making the 

 vice-presidents the auditors of the 

 treasurer's accounts, and the treasu- 

 rer the custodian of the Society's 

 property ; making the terms of the 

 officers begin at the conclusion of 

 each annual meeting, and provid- 

 ing that if any member shall fail 

 for two years to pay his dues he 

 shall forfeit liis membership. The 

 report was accepted and the amend- 

 ments will come up for action next 

 year. 



The nominating committee re- 

 ported the following officers for the 

 ensuing year : 



President — J. D. Hyatt, of New 

 York. 



Yice-Presidents — Geo. E. Black- 

 ham, M. D., Dunkirk, N. Y., and 

 W. B. Rezner, M. D., Cleveland, O. 



Secretary— Prof. Albert H. Tut- 

 tle, Columbus, Ohio. 



