208 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [ November, 
equally active. It is quite apparent, from observation of all the working 
sessions which the society has held, that those methods of technology which 
relate directly to the preparation and mounting of objects for study or exhi- 
bition possess much more attraction for both members and visitors than 
methods relating to the manner or character of study by means of the micro- 
scope. Section cutting, hardening, imbedding, staining, mounting, and fin- 
ishing of slides, and such processes, receive the attention of nearly all in at- 
tendance, while methods of illumination, testing and correction of objectives, 
measuring aperture, etc., receive attention from the few only. This seems 
to be an indication that the majority of those in attendance are desirous of 
extending the range of their studies rather than improving the character of 
their methods, and is doubtless due to the fact that those whose researches 
tend to emphasize the need of the highest development in technique are apt 
to seek out and acquire the information needed to perfect their skill outside 
of the society meetings, the ground to be covered being less than in the other 
case, where, no matter how extensive the ground already gone over, the 
working session is sure to open up new fields. Well may we all say, in the 
words of Dr. Reeves, of Wheeling, ‘ Bless the man who invented the work- 
ing session.’ 
An interesting and unusual feature of the meeting at Pittsburgh was the 
collection of works on microscopy and allied subjects exhibited in the recep- 
tion room at the Monongahela House, where the headquarters of the society 
were located. The books were gathered from the various private libraries 
in the city and comprised a collection such as few individuals can boast 
of. A number of old, rare, and exceedingly interesting works on microscopy 
and optics were among the number. The larger number were from the 
library of Mr. C. C. Mellor. Members who have attended most of the for- 
mer meetings noticed the absence at Pittsburgh of some familiar faces whose 
presence at the meetings has come to be expected as a certainty. Among 
the more prominent may be mentioned ex-Gov. J. D. Cox, Mr. W. H. 
Walmsley, and Mr. E. H. Griffith. This is the first meeting of the society 
at which Mr. Walmsley has not been present; Mr. Griffith, too, missed his 
first meeting on this occasion. Gov. Cox, Mr. Brearly, Prof. Tuttle, and 
some others, who joined the society later, have been usually present. The 
absence of Dr. Allen Y. Moore, whose death, in April last, was mentioned 
in an earlier issue, was sadly noticeable to nearly all in attendance. 
—( ) ———_ 
The following list includes the principal papers read at the Pittsburgh meet- 
ing: Comparative size of the blood corpuscles in man and domestic animals, 
by Freda Detmers, of Ohio University ; Disease germs, by T. J. Burrill, of 
Champaign, Ill.; Bacterial origin of foot rot in sheep, by W. H. Detmer, 
of Ohio University ; Methods of preparing tape-worms for the museum and 
the miscroscope, by J. M. Stedman, of Cornell University ; An erector for 
binocular microscopes, by R. H. Ward; Crystallization by cold, by Dr. F. L. 
James, of St. Louis; Certain low forms of life in water, by D. S. Kellicott, 
of Buffalo; Effects of powerful electric currents on the tissues of animals, 
by Dr. G. E. Fell; Comparative qualities of cements and waxes to be used 
in the preparation of objects for microscopical investigation, by Dr. W. H. 
Seaman ; Fallacies of popular bacteriological research, by Dr. G. W. Lewis; 
Trichine in pork, by 8S. H. Gage; Ending and relation of the muscular 
fibres in the muscles of minute animals, by Susanna S. P. Gage. The 
papers were all interesting and brought out considerable discussion. 
The following officers were elected for the ensuing year :—President, Pro- 
fessor D. S. Kellicall; Dr. W. H. Detmer, first vice-president; Dr. S. P. 
