1882.J 



MICEOSCOPICAL JOUENAL. 



59 



MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETIES 



There seems to be very little activity 

 among the microscopical societies of the 

 country, judging from the small number 

 of reports of meetings that come to us, 

 and the dearth of interesting matter in 

 most of those that do come. We are forced 

 to the conclusion that either the societies 

 are doing very little or else they have very 

 inefficient secretaries. What has become, 

 for instance, of the San Francisco Society 

 which, at one time, was one of the most 

 active, owing to the energy of some of its 

 members ? Is that society dying out, as 

 many others have in the past } We might 

 ask the same question concerning several 

 others, but this being the most prominent, 

 will justify our assertion that there is a 

 falling off of interest in society meetings. 



However, there are several societies that 

 have been, and still are doing very excel- 

 lent work. Among these are the Elmira, 

 the Illinois State, and a few others. The 

 New York Society is slowly making its 

 way to the position it should hold, as the 

 leading society in the country. 



At the meeting of that society held Feb- 

 ruary 17th, a number of interesting ob- 

 jects were shown. The President, Mr. 

 Braman, showed a specimen of Gordius, 

 the hair-worm, about three inches in 

 length. Mr. Dinwiddie remarked that he 

 had observed the eggs deposited in chains, 

 Mr. Hitchcok called attention to the peri- 

 odicity which characterized the appear- 

 ance of the filarian worms in the blood of 

 persons suffering from disease. 



As it is expected that a more full ac- 

 count of this worm will be given at a 

 future meeting, we postpone further no- 

 tice until that time. 



Mr. Shultz exhibited a good specimen 

 or Eozoofi Canadejtse, the remains of what 

 is supposed to be the oldest form of life 

 upon the globe. 



Mr. F. W. Devoe showed a very beau- 

 tiful object, which was also a new one to 

 most of the members. A common newt 

 was placed in a suitable holder, so as to ex- 

 pose the under part of the body. A strong 

 light was thrown upon it and the circula- 

 tion of the blood was thus most beauti- 

 fully shown. It should be understood 

 that the illumination was from above — 

 the newt was examined as an opaque ob- 

 ject. 



Mr. W. H. Mead showed the lines on 

 Amp/izpieura pellucida with a Zeiss 

 homogeneous y^^-inch, belonging to Mr. 

 Hitchcock, 



At the last meeting, held March 3d, 

 Mr. J. D. Hyatt gave an interesting ac- 

 count of his observations on the boring 

 sponge, which will be printed in full in our 

 next number. He presented strong evi- 

 dence that the sponge makes the burrows 

 in which it is found. His conclusions 

 were based upon the study of hving speci- 

 mens. The subject was illustrated by 

 specimens of marble and oyster shells, 

 which had been penetrated by the sponge. 



Remarks were made by several mem- 

 bers, and by Prof. D. S. Martin. 



Mr. Hitchcock described a new device 

 for a vertical illuminator. 



Mr. Hyatt exhibited a section of a 

 " nummulitic flint," and sections of flint 

 showing a hexagonal structure, which he 

 thought was due to a fossil coral. 



Some beautiful objects were shown by 

 Mr. Mead, Mr. Devoe and Mr. Van Brunt, 

 for the comparison of some 1-inch objec- 

 tives by different makers. 



Mr. Kunz spoke of the use of cinnamon 

 oil for the examination of rough minerals. 

 By applying a few drops of oil to the sur- 

 face of a transparent mineral it is possible 

 to examine the interior for inclusions, 

 flaws, etc., without grinding the surface 

 flat. Sand can thus be examined for in- 

 clusions under the microscope. 



Six new microscopes which a special 

 committee, appointed at the last meeting, 

 had purchased for the Society, were used 

 for the first time. Mr. Van Brunt pre- 

 sented three student lamps. 



At the next meeting Mr. Hyatt will 

 speak of some points in the structure of 

 the boring anelid. 



At the last meeting of the Camden So- 

 ciety, the different methods of drawing 

 microscopic objects were illustrated, and 

 discussed at considerable length. Mr. 

 Morrison showed an arrangement, on the 

 plan of a camera obscura, by which the 

 image was thrown upwards upon a piece 

 of transparent paper placed upon a plate 

 of plain glass. It could then be traced 

 without the fatigue to the eyes which at- 

 tends the use of the camera lucida. Mr. 

 Kain showed a method of throwing the 

 image downward by means of a convex 

 mirror, and receiving the magnified image 

 upon a sheet of white paper placed upon 

 the table. It could then be traced without 

 difficulty. 



The officers for the present year are as 

 follows : President, A. P. Brown ; Secre- 

 tary, C. Henry Kain ; Treasurer, L. T. De 

 Rousse: Curator. J. P. R. Carney; Mana- 

 gers, H. S. Fortiner; Charles Bowden, 

 Robert Patterson. 



