78 



KN()\\i,i:i)(".i': 



February, 191. 



standing at one's work tlio t-ainora base board is about 

 on a level willi the table top. 



For backgrounds with this stand it is convenient to fix a 

 sheet of card to the two back supports B and C with drawing 

 pins, and then attach a piece of coloured paper to this card by 

 spring paper-clips of the bulldog or similar type. One requires 

 white, light and d.irk grey and black 

 backgrounds. This, like crayon paper, 

 should not ha\e a shiny surface. 



In inunediate connection with this 

 form of portable stand is the (piestion 

 of holding such objects as botanical 

 specimens where it is required to 

 photograph, let us say, a small brancli 

 in the position or angle it grows in 

 nature. 



One of the most useful tools is the 

 familiar " universal holder " found in 

 every chemical laboratory (see Figure 

 75). The cork-lined hinged jaws of the 

 sliding piece .\H are adjusted by means 

 of the screw at A to hold the specimen. 

 B is another screw to hold the rounded 

 end of AB. The joint at C is regulated 

 by a third screw here, while D is 

 another screw for holding a rod-like 

 part sliding in the socket. 



There are, however, many homely 

 expedients of a simpler and cheaper 

 character worthy of mention. 



Turning to Figure 76 we have at A a 

 branch end held in wet cotton wool, 

 which is gripped by an ordinary 

 (penny) American spring clothes clip. 



At B is shown a small piece of sheet 

 lead bent to form a kind of double C 

 with a narrow groove left open at the 

 junction of the two curves. Into this 

 groove we may insert the stem of the 

 specimen and turn the lead strip on 

 edge as shown at C. 



At D we have a small block of 

 kitchen soap. In this is made a hole 

 with a brad-awl. Into the hole is 

 inserted the petiole of a leaf. The soap 

 is pressed up firmly round this and 

 affords us a firm holder. 



In Figure 77 we see a very useful 

 thing for the botanist, viz. : a test tube 

 on foot, cost one penny or twopence, 

 according to size. At A is a light 

 specimen held in the mouth of the tube 

 by means of a strip of blotting paper 

 wrapped round the stem end and 

 plugged into the tube. As these tubes 

 are quite light they are easily upset, 

 therefore in all cases it is advisable to 

 weight the base end by means of a 

 strip of sheet lead, C, folded round the 

 glass tube. 



For a succulent stem, Cj^., wild 

 hyacinth, it is a good plan to push up 

 from the cut end into the stem a tine 

 steel knitting needle and then insert 

 the free end into a block of soap. 

 Figure 76 D. 



Figure 78 shows us a method of utilising an ordinary funnel 

 stand and spring clip for holding a stem at a certain angle. 



I'igure 79 shows a very useful and yet simple plan for hold- 

 ing small things like buds, seeds, and so on. This holder is 

 equally useful for the horizontal or verticil camera. .-\n 

 ordinary glass-headed steel pin, one to two inches long, is 

 passed upwards through the cork of a bottle ;ind the pin point 

 used for holding the specimen. 



When working with the vertical cauura. the background 

 paper is laid on the top of the cork and the pin passed through 



I'lGlKE 78. 



it. To prevent misimderstanding. perhaps it should be said 

 here, once for all, that while 1 now show the various holding 

 contrivances, yet when one is actually photographing the 

 specimens one. of cour.se, does not show any part of the 

 holding contrivance, whatever it may be. 



1". C. Lambert, M.A., F.U.I'.S. 



R (JV A I, MIC K O S C O P I C A L 

 S(JC I FT v.- -December 2()th. H. (.. 

 I'liinnier, ICsq., F.K.S., President, in 

 the chair. — Mr. Konsselet described a 

 retlecting microscope, by John Cuthbcrl, 

 >' hich had been presented to the 

 ^ ■( iety by the Committee of the 

 ' ukett Microscopical Club. Mr. 

 Konsselet traced the history of the 

 reflecting microscope from 1672, when 

 Isaac Newton first suggested its con- 

 struction to the Koyal Society, down 

 to 1827-8, when Cuthbert, at the 

 su.ggestion of Dr. Goring, produced the 

 design e.xhibited. 



Mr. F. Shillington Scales, M.A.. M.B . 

 F.K.M.S.. gave a lecture on "The 

 Photomicrography of the Electrical 

 Reactions of the Heart." He described 

 the principle and construction of the 

 Einthoven string galvanometer, with 

 especial reference to the optical arrange- 

 ments and the methods of photogr'aphing 

 the movements of the wire resulting 

 from the ditTerences in potential set up 

 l)y the heartbeat. He described the 

 methods of connecting the apparatus 

 to a hospital and the various sources 

 of error that needed to be guarded 

 against, and showed many actual photo- 

 micrographs of the movements of the 

 hinnan heart recorded by this method. 

 Photomicrograplis of the movements of 

 the hearts of various animals under the 

 inrtnence of drugs were also shown. 



Rev. Hilderic Friend, F.L.S., 

 l-.R.M.S., read a paper on "British 

 lubiticidae." The author first gave a 

 brief historical sketch, alluding to the 

 work of Lankester, Beddard and 

 Benham and the various Continental 

 and other authorities, who have in past 

 years written on the Family. .-Xftcr 

 showing the difficulties attending defini- 

 tion, and the value of the setae for the 

 purposes of classification, the author 

 ])roceeded to arrange the British species 

 in two classes: (1) Those genera 

 which are destitute of capilliforin 

 setae, and (2t those which possess 

 tlieni. These two groups are again 

 snbdi\ided, and no fewer than thirty 

 species, besides some sub-species ,ind 

 varieties, are placed on record, of 

 which ten are described for the first 

 tinie, and sixteen have been added 

 by the author during the year. 

 '- ''J- Specially interesting is the discovery 



of a new genus, named Khyacotlrili(s. 

 containing two species, of which one [R. bicliactiis Friend) 

 is new to science. These two species are as yet known only 

 in Derbyshire. llyoilriliis is now definitely recorded as 

 British with no fewer than five species. 



A REVOLVING MICROSCOPE TRAV.— As already 

 mentioned, Messrs. \V. Watson & Sons exhibited a new tray at 

 the Public School Science Masters' Exhibition, which is useful 

 when a number of students or others wish to look at an object 

 placed under a microscope. The tray on which the micro- 



