98 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [May, 
instruments. He exhibited carniverous plant hairs (Drosera filifolia) with paraboloid 
illumination, green felspar with polarized light, raphides in garlic (A/Zium sativum), and 
a drop of the city water. The latter created quite a stir among the ladies, many expect- 
ing to see all kinds of fierce beasts, and were agreeably disappointed when they found 
it clear. Mr. G.M. Hopkins exhibited the path of the electric spark on smoked glass, 
salacin disks rotating in opposite directions, and Newton's rings. W.S. Brevoort, Esq., 
had a section of the flowering dogwood, with the polarizer rotated by an ingeniously- 
contrived clock-work train. Geo. E. Ashby, Esq., exhibited insect in fossil gum-copal 
from Zanzibar; Mr. G. M. Mather, globules of mercury sublimed; Mr. J. Lee Smith, 
one of his sixty-five-hour chicks ; Dr. C. N. Hoagland, Bacterium termo witha ¥, Zeiss 
oil-immersion objective; Mr. G. D. Hiscox, head of diamond beetle and a slide of 
arranged diatoms; and Mr. John Green, Amphipleura pellucida under a ~y objective, 
recently completed by himself after Tolle’s formula, and others which space forbids 
our mentioning. 
At nine-thirty the lights were extinguished, and Prof. Peckham and Mr. G. M. Hop- 
kins projected about one hundred slides upon the screen with the superb lantern be- 
longing to the Academy. Altogether, it was a most successful and interesting affair. 
The committee having the matter in charge deserve credit for the way in which it was 
managed. They were G. D. Hiscox, W. C. Peckham, Joseph Ketchum, Geo. E. 
Ashby, and E. C. Chapman. 
Sit Lux. 
0 
SAN FRANCISCO, CAL. 
A well-attended meeting of the San Francisco Microscopical Society was held on the 
evening of March 23. 
The committee to which was referred the subject of tuberculous milk asked to be 
discharged, as from the great difficulty of finding suitable material it was almost im- 
possible to proceed further in the matter at present. In the specimen of cow's lung 
which had been submitted as containing dacz//z, none had been detected. On motion 
the committee’s request was granted. : 
A valuable addition to the society’s already extensive library was made by the re- 
ceipt of over thirty volumes of publications of the Smithsonian Institution, including 
all those bearing upon Microscopy. A special vote of thanks was tendered Congress- 
man Morrow for his good offices in procuring this donation. 
A very beautiful specimen of crystallized sulphate of baryta, from Derbyshire, Eng- 
land, was received from Thos. Clark, of the Birmingham Natural Historical Society. 
It bore a most remarkable resemblance to a transverse section of a vegetable stem. 
Mr. Howard showed specimens of /Voct:/uca miliaris, the interesting little organisms 
to which is mainly due the well-known ‘ phosphorescence’ of the ocean. The gath- 
ering (which was a very plentiful one) also contained numerous specimens of the rare 
Leplodiscus medusoides (Hertwig) an organism allied to Noct/uca, but distinguished 
from the latter principally by the entire absence of any transversely-striated tentacle, 
andeby the very regular reticulate appearance of the contained protoplasm. 
A block of diatomaceous earth, sent by R. E. Wood of St. Helena, for examination, 
was referred to Mr. Howard. 
On motion, the Chair appointed a committee to consider the matter of printing an- 
nual reports, and also of making the exhibiting of attractive slides a regular feature of 
each meeting, after the disposal of the routine business. 
A slide of arborescent silver crystal was handed in by Dr. E. S. Clark. A slide 
of native gold crystals from quartz, also mounted by him, was of unusual beauty. 
Reference was made to the newly discovered deposit of fossil diatoms at Omaru, 
New Zealand, which is attracting much attention at present in microscopical societies 
by reason of its great richness and the large number of forms entirely new to science 
found therein. A slide of this beautiful deposit was examined with great interest. 
After, ordering some new accessories for the society’s Nachet microscope the meet- 
ing adjourned to the 13th prox. 
A. H. BRECKENFELD, Aec. Secr. 
O———— 
WASHINGTON, D. C. 
At the 58th regular meeting of the Society, Dr. C. T. Caldwell made a few remarks 
on a new cement, which he had first used at the suggestion of Dr. Taylor. _ It is simply 
the article sold at the paint and oil stores under the name of “hard oil finish.” He 
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