1S89.] MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 93 



MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETIES. 



Essex County, N. J. — F. Vanderpoel, Secy. 



Ja?i. zy, i88g. — The subject was bacteria, and the members brought 

 a large number of valuable and interesting slides, representing work in 

 bacterial pathology by Pasteur, Koch, and others. Mr. Loomis brought 

 a modified Zentmayer histological stand, and upon the stage he placed 

 a slide of bacillus anthrax, the microbe of splenic fever. This exhibit 

 was interesting for two reasons : First, because of the microbe itself, 

 by the study of which Pasteur has made his name famous, and second, 

 because of the objective used, which was an apochromatic T V' made by 

 Swift of London. Mr. J. Lee Smith exhibited a slide of bacillus tuber- 

 culosis, which the members examined and compared with a slide of the 

 same bacillus under the microscope of the secretary. Dr. Ayres showed 

 upon his stand what is known as the pneumonia bacillus, and Dr. Brown 

 had a number of pathological slides, among which he selected the mi- 

 crobe of malignant oedema. This was followed by an exhibit, by Mr. 

 Smith, of bacillus typhi. One of the finest exhibits of the evening was 

 a slide of the comma bacillus, prepared by Dr. Koch and shown by Mr. 

 Loomis. The field was literally full of the bacilli, and the members 

 expressed their admiration of the slide. 



Feb. y. — Meeting held at Montclair. The subject was mould. There 

 were a variety of slides, some being the work of professional preparers 

 outside of the Society, and others had been prepared for this particular 

 meeting by members. Mr. Carter exhibited a specimen of mould which 

 he had found on a piece of decayed parsnip and said that it was peni- 

 cilium glaucum. He then proceeded to explain the growth of this mould ; 

 the formation of mycelium, then of the reproductive cells, termed conida, 

 which are simply masses of protoplasm enclosed in walls of cellulose. 

 The formation of mucor mucedo was also explained, and a very fine 

 specimen was shown by Mr. Loomis. He also showed the Society 

 some Aspergillus glaucus (cheese mould), and Asterosporium hoff- 

 manni (spores of the star mould — a very beautiful object indeed, and 

 one which from its peculiar shape might be recognized whenever seen) . 

 Another slide of Mr. Loomis' was that of mucor mucedo, containing 

 one spore case full of spores and another one very close to it, but empty. 

 The president, Dr. Ayres, exhibited some mould which had formed 

 upon a piece of paper used to cover a cup of jelly (?'. <?., placed upon 

 the top of the jelly itself) . This was a very intei-esting object, showing 

 a beautiful network of mycelium with the spores scattered all over it. 

 This gentleman also exhibited a slide of potato mould (perenospora 

 infestans) . Several other slides were exhibited. 



New York Microscopical Society — G. E. Ashby, Secy. 



Jamiary 4, 1889. — The following were elected officers for 18S9 : 

 Rev. J. L. Zabriskie, President; Geo. M. Mather, Vice-President; 

 Geo. E. Ashby, Secretary ; Edw. C. Chapman, Treasurer ; A. A. 

 Hopkins, Curator. 



yamiary 18. — Dr. Samuel Lockwood read a paper on "The Hy- 

 giene of the Atmosphere : a comparative study in relation to Hay-fever." 



