192 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [October, 



On motion, the society requested the Executive Committee to locate the 

 next annual meeting at Buffalo, the time to be fixed later. The meeting will 

 probably be held the week before that of the American Association for the 

 Advancement of vScience, to which quite a number of the microscopists be- 

 long. 



The Society appropriated from the treasury $65 in aid of the Spencer- 

 Towles Memorial Fund. Messrs. Spencer of New York and Towles of 

 Boston were men of mai'k in the scientific world, and their admirers intend 

 a memorial of some character when sufficient funds have been raised. 



The working session was then begun, the following paper being read : — 

 ' Cellular structure of the black-pepper berry,' by Dr. Thomas Taylor, 

 Washington, D. C. 



Secretary T. J. Burrill, Champaign, 111., spoke extemporaneously on 



' The Ustilagine^ of Illinois,' which are the parasitic plants known as ' smut.' 



This is a low order of fungus growth, found especially on stalks of corn. 



• Professor Burrill's paper showed careful research and especially deserves a 



place in the proceedings. 



The paper of Dr. Leonard Pearson of Ithaca, N. Y., on ' Muscular coats 

 of the iESophagus of domesticated animals,' wa"s read by Mr. Sargent. 



The papers of Messrs. Burrill and Pearson were ably illustrated with 

 drawings and colored plates. The topics engendered some valuable dis- 

 cussions. 



The session closed with an illustrated paper (the instrument being ex- 

 hibited to and tested by the audience) entitled ' The Oleomargariscope, a 

 New Form of Polariscope for Testing Fats,' by Dr. Thomas Taylor, Wash- 

 ington, D. C. 



THURSDAY AFTERNOON. » 



Messrs. Simon Flexner of Louisville, Ky., and James Bull of Hanging 

 Rock, O.. were elected to membership. 



The author being absent, the following papers were read by title : — "A new 

 method of fine Adjustment" (of the microscope) and "A new form of 

 Photomicrographic Camera," by E. H. Griffith of Fairport, N. Y. Presi- 

 dent Kellicott then read 'Observations on fresh-water Infusoria.' A paper 

 by Pi'ofessor W. A. Rogers of Waterville, Me., was presented by the fol- 

 lowing title only : — ' On the Radiation of Heat between Metals by Induction 

 and by Conduction with Numerical Results for Brass and Steel.' Mr. 

 Drescher gave a description of a new Microtome made by Bausch and Lomb, 

 Rochester, N. Y. 



The rest of the session was devoted to demonstrations of practical micro- 

 scopic work, the preparation and mounting of objects, etc. 



The society first listened to Messrs. Reynolds of Detroit, Drescher of 

 Rochester, Mills of Buffalo, Lazenby of Columbus, Lewis of Hartford and 

 James of St. Louis, on various topics which they were about to illustrate or 

 connected with the use of their microscopes and the preparation of their 

 objects. There was also some good work done by Mr. Wellington of Jack- 

 soil, Mich., and by Miss Booth of Longmeadow, Mass. The session em- 

 braced some rare microscopical demonstrations. 



THURSDAY EVENING. 



The most pleasant feature of the meetings, so far as an appreciative public 

 is concerned, was the soiree. The tables were airanged in a hollow rectan- 

 gle, and each microscope was provided with a lamp. A great many inter- 

 ested visitors came and went during the evening. 



The soiree was managed by the Ohio State Microscopical Society in Wirth- 

 wein hall, at which place nearly all of the sessions were held. This was a 



