1894.] MICROSCOt'ICAL JOtJilNAL. 287 



with the sufferings of others. The needy found in him a friend 

 and the discouraged a helper. 



MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETIES. 



Quekett Microscopical Club. 



At the last meeting Mr. C. L. Curties showed a new instan- 

 taneous photomicrographic apparatus, and described the method 

 of using it. Some very fine pictures of pond-life, fresh human 

 blood, etc., taken by this apparatus were handed round for in- 

 spection, and one group of Lophopus fully extended, surrounded 

 by Vorticellse, was particularly admirable and life like. The 

 Chairman thought this apparatus would be especially valuable 

 for obtaining representations of quickly moving organisms, 

 which were almost impossible to draw in a natural way because 

 of their rapid evolutions, and they might get composite pictures 

 which would throw some light on this difficult subject of loco- 

 motion in minute animals, such as had been done by Muy- 

 bridge and others with the horse, for instance. Mr. G. Western 

 read some interesting notes on foreign rotifers which had since 

 been found in Britain, amongst them being Notholca heptodon, 

 Bipalpus vesiculosus^ Chromogaster testudo, jEcistes mucicola and yE. 

 socialis, Brachionus dorcas, and others, which were accompanied 

 by beautifuU drawings by Mr. D. Nuttall. 



Mr. Western pointed out the uncertainty and variability of 

 many characters relied upon for specific, and in some cases for 

 generic, value, such as the presence or absence of setse, antennal 

 appendages, or even of the eyes. Mr. Michael said, with regard 

 to the eye, he had frequently found the same peculiarity among 

 the Hydrachnea or water-mites; in the same gathering would 

 perhaps be met with specimens otherwise identical, some with 

 and some without eyes, or the eye present on one side only. 

 The pigment greatly varied in amount, or was entirely wanting^ 

 but without sections it was difficult to say whether that was the 

 case with the true nervous part of the visual organ, which from 

 its transparency was easily overlooked in merely surface vie ws. 



Washington, D. C. 

 September 8, 1894. — The regular monthly meetings of the So- 

 ciety were resumed on Tuesday evening at No. 714 13th Street. 

 N. W. On this occasion some interesting information relative 



