1891.] MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. Tl 



in the early stages of the disease, and it is, of course, not applicable to 

 cases of laryngeal diphtheria. The paper deserves perusal by ever}^ live 

 physician. 



Teaching Microscopy. — We commend the method of teaching 

 Microscopy w^hich is practised at the Toledo Medical College. Fresh 

 material is stained by well-recognized methods and given to the students 

 without any previous knowledge of its nature. The student is re- 

 quired to identify these unknown specimens. In this way have been 

 demonstrated the various forms of epithelium, non-striated and striated 

 muscular fibre of frog and rat, the diflerent forms of muscular fibre of 

 the heart, liver cells, etc. y2';?e(3:_/az'(9.y(3: was diagnosed by demonstrat- 

 ing the mycelium and spores of Achorion Schoiileinii. Among other 

 objects studied were the parasite of Scabies and the Trichina spiralis 

 in human muscle and in the muscle of the white rat. Later follows 

 the study of hardening, cutting, staining, and mounting normal tissues, 

 and the study of abnormal specimens, together with general microscop- 

 ical diagnosis. — Medical Cotnpend.^ Dec.^ i8go. 



MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETIES. 



Birmingham Natural History and Microscopical Society. 



i8go. — During the year the Pi-esident was Mr. C. Pumphrey ; Sec- 

 retary, Mr. W. H. Wilkinson. Nine meetings of the microscopical 

 section were held, with an average attendance of thirty-one, and the 

 following communications were made : 



March 4. — " On Painting Lantern Slides direct from the Micro- 

 scope," by Mr. H. M. J. Underbill, of Oxford ; read by Mr. W. P. 

 Marshall. 



April I. — " Optics of the Microscope," illustrated by drawings and 

 lantern photographs, by Mr. J. Edmonds. The lime-light lantern 

 worked by Mr. C. Pumphrey. 



April 2g. — Mr. W. B. Grove gave the retiring President's address 

 on the " Theory of Instinct," which was listened to with great interest. 



May 6. — " Report on the Foraminifera obtained at Hammerfest by 

 Messrs. Pumphrey and Marshall," by Mr. E. Burgess; read by Mr. 

 W. H. Wilkinson ; and a slide, containing fifty species, mounted by 

 Mr. Burgess, was presented to the Society. 



yune J. — " Corals, Coral Builders, and Coral Islands," by Mr. 

 W. R. Hughes, illustrated by drawings and by specimens of coral and 

 of coral builders preserved in spirit. 



JVov 4. — " Reflectors as used with the Microscope," illustrated by 

 various mirrors and models, by Mr. W. H. Wilkinson. 



Dec. 2. — " Burmah and its People," by Mr. A. W. Wills, illustrated 

 by lime-light views from photographs taken by himself during his 

 recent tour there. 



At the sectional meetings a large number of specimens were exhib- 

 ited, and among many members who gave exhibitions were Mr. J. E. 

 Bagnall, plates of fungi and mosses ; Mr. W. B. Grove, minute fungi ; 

 Mr. W. R. Hughes, flowers and plants ; Mr. C. Pumphrey, Alpine 

 and other plants ; Mr. C. J. Watson, an interesting collection of plants 

 from Norway ; Mr. G. M. Ilifi', glow-worms ; Mr. A. Reading, a 



