PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 935 



Dr. Hudson's paper "On Asplanchna Ehheshornii" (ante, p. 621), 

 was for a similar reason taken as read, Mr. Crisp recalling the fact 

 of the ' Times ' having placed the letter of the enthusiastic discoverer 

 under the leading articles and headed it " An Important Discovery." 



Mr. E. Lovett read his paper " On an Improved Method of Pre- 

 paring Embryological and other delicate Organisms for Microscopical 

 Examination " (supra, p. 785). A number of mounted objects, as also 

 various stages of preparation, were exhibited in illustration of the 

 paper. 



The President considered that this was a most excellent process 

 of mounting, judging from the exceptional clearness of the prepara- 

 tions exhibited, which did not show any sign of leakage whatever. 

 It was also not only a good process, but it was a cheap one, and he 

 had no doubt that many would be only too glad to copy it. 



Mr. Stewart said he thoroughly agreed with the remarks of the 

 President as to the beauty of the slides which Mr. Lovett had exhi- 

 bited. He was also satisfied as to their being proof against leakage, 

 but he thought that it might in some instances be found useful to 

 combine the ground-out slide with the cell, because where a plain 

 slide was used, the object was apt to get out of the way when placed 

 upon an inclined stage, whereas if the bottom of the cell was hollowed 

 out instead of being flat, this movement of the object towards the side 

 was often prevented. He should, however, like to ask if any special 

 change had been noticed in any of the objects mounted in this fluid, 

 such as might be due to decalcification. 



Mr. Hitchcock said he had been much interested in the paper before 

 them, and having previously seen and examined the preparations, he 

 was able to speak to their excellence. The cement which had been 

 described was certainly very strong. He had been using a very good 

 cement himself for the purpose, though it was not so strong as that 

 which had been described. It was composed simply of common shellac 

 dissolved in alcohol, and though he knew some persons did not like 

 it, he had found it to be most serviceable. After a time it was liable 

 to get rather brittle, but if a mixture of asphalt and gold size in equal 

 parts was applied, it preserved the cement, and at the same time made 

 an excellent finish. He had found this formula very useful in pre- 

 serving small specimens kept in bottles. He had also been very 

 much pleased with the preparations of fresh- water Medusae exhibited 

 in illustration of Mr. Squire's paper, as there could be no doubt that 

 one great desideratum for microscopists was some method of pre- 

 serving those delicate and fragile organisms by which they could be 

 kept in bottles as well as in slides. In preserving this kind of object 

 at first glycerine seemed to be objectionable, because of its tendency 

 to produce a kind of granular effect, but the alcohol appeared to 

 harden the specimens. He should like to know if this fluid had any 

 effect whatever on the calcareous portions of such objects, and whether 

 the alcohol had any kind of solvent effect upon them ? 



