150 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY. 



Professor Louis Agassiz once, in a lecture, made the remark that some 

 people expressed great surprise that scientific men were so sensitive 

 about their claims to original discovery. He said it was for the reason 

 that such was their most valuable, perhaps their only; property." 



Mr. Crisp stated the effect of a note from Mr. Tolles as to his 

 original swinging substage, and one from Mr. J. H. Fisher on an 

 undescribed Flagellate Inf usorion {Laguncula piscatoris). 



Mr. Stewart made some verbal observations on some Echino- 

 metridffi, explaining the structure of the four varieties of Pedicellariae 

 known as the tridactylate, the ophiocephalous, the trifoliate, and the 

 gemmiform. Numerous specimens were exhibited, and the special 

 adaptation of some to the peculiar conditions of their existence pointed 

 out. 



The rest of the Business on the Agenda was then arranged to be 

 taken as read, or postponed till January, and the Chairman called upon 

 Mr. Shadbolt for his remarks. 



Mr. Shadbolt reiterated the views expressed in his Note read at 

 the last meeting (see vol. iii. p. 1089), and said that he was sorry to 

 find that great misapprehension existed on the subject, which had 

 been allowed place in the Journal. He desired to state most 

 emphatically, and could prove it, that if they had a radiant point, 

 whether it were immersed in air or balsam, or any other medium, the 

 quantity of rays from such radiant point must be the same identically 

 whatever the medium was ; and no lenses could be produced which 

 would embrace more than the whole number of these rays. It was 

 no doubt correct that the lenses made for immersion use did, under 

 certain conditions, give some advantages over others in the shape of 

 resolving power which the others did not. 



He hoped that they should have a subject of such importance 

 brought fairly before the Society at a future meeting, and that time 

 would be found for it to be discussed freely, and without any attempt 

 to put it aside, as it was important that it should not go forth as the 

 dictum of the Royal Microscopical Society that more than the whole 

 could be taken in. 



Mr. Crisp said that Mr. Shadbolt's view was founded on a funda- 

 mental error in optics ; but he only wished to point out now that 

 the question in respect to his communication had not been as to 

 any objection to free discussion, or putting aside of any point, but 

 solely whether communications of which they had had previous notice 

 should or should not take precedence of those in regard to which no 

 notice at all had been given. The rule that had been laid down 

 by the Council was, a week's notice, but he had in' practice always 

 entered on the Agenda whatever reached him up to the night before 

 the meeting. Anything received later than that, must of necessity 

 go in at the bottom of the list. 



