978 PKOCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY. 



Already they had determined no less than thirty new species and 

 several genera. Work like this was favoured by the advantages 

 they possessed of obtaining specimens in large lumps, sometimes as 

 much as 3 or 4 feet through, instead of being dependent on the small 

 and dried specimens which alone could be obtained in England. As 

 in Australia they had prospered commercially, so he hoped they 

 might also prosper in their scientific pursuits. They were very care- 

 ful in everything connected with matters of education, amongst which 

 those relating to science were by no means forgotten. 



Mr. Crisp called attention to a slide of Surirella j^emma mounted 

 in phosphorus by Mr. Stephenson, which illustrated the advantage of 

 mounting in media of high refractive index in a more striking 

 manner than had yet been seen, the diatom being resolved with the 

 most remarkable and excei^tional clearness. 



Mr. B. W. Richardson's paper on " Multiple Staining of Animal 

 Tissues with Picro-carmine, Iodine, and Malachite-green Dyes, and 

 of Vegetable Tissues with Atlas- scarlet, soluble Blue, Iodine, and 

 Malachite-green Dyes " was read (see p. 868). 



Mr. Stewart said it seemed to him extremely important that with 

 such papers they should have specimens before them upon which they 

 could form a judgment, as when any one discovered a new process he 

 was very likely to become enamoured of it. He did not of course say 

 this in any disparagement of the present paper, but he thought it 

 would be very much better if, in future, papers of that kind could be 

 illustrated by the exhibition of type specimens of what the particular 

 reagents were capable of doing. 



Mr. J. C. Sigsworth said he had understood that the new cata- 

 logue of the books in the Society's library was nearly ready, but that 

 it was not going to be printed ; he should be glad to know if such was 

 the case. 



The Chairman said that the announcement was premature, the 

 question of printing not having been yet decided by the Council. It 

 was, however, under consideration. 



Mr. J. Mayall, jiin., exhibited an Abbe Apertometer, which 

 was devised by Professor Abbe specially for the measurement of 

 very large apertures. The original one was of crown glass, which 

 had a somewhat low refractive index, and this necessitated the 

 pointers being placed so far apart that it was sometimes a little 

 difficult to see them. The improved form was made of flint glass 

 with a refractive index of 1'631, and this enabled the pointers to be 

 placed nearer together so that they could be seen with greater facility. 

 The scale was marked up to 1 • 40, so that no doubt apertures could 

 be measured up to 1 • 50. 



Mr. Mayall also exhibited a specimen (lent by Mr. T. S. Bazley) 

 of a new micrometer plate ruled in America by Fasoldt, who under- 

 takes to rule lines of any given fineness up to roxr^cxo^ ^f an inch, 

 but he was obliged to say, after examining the plate before them, 

 which was from 10,000 to 120,000 lines to the inch, that the lines 



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