PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY. 571 



greatest objection to the use of tolu is its colour. By this mail I 

 send three slides of Navicula rhomhoides and Tabellaria fenestrafa, 

 mounted respectively in Canada balsam, styras, and tolu. That in 

 tolu was mounted October 11th, 1884, and fails to show any signs of 

 crystallization as yet ; indeed, I have had no difficulty with crystals 

 since using the process I have mentioned." 



^ Mr. Crisp referred to some of the differences of opinion having 

 arisen from the different meanings which were attached to the term 

 benzole. "What was here understood by that name appeared to be 

 different from the substance so called in America. 



Mr. Michael said he had been trying experiments with some of 

 these substances lately, and perhaps could throw a little more light 

 on the matter. He found that there was a great deal of difference in 

 the gums, and that different samples, obtained from perfectly reliable 

 sources, acted very differently under similar conditions. One sample 

 of styrax, for example, would dissolve perfectly in benzole, whilst 

 another would not do so. He thought this might also be the case 

 with some others ; but if the tolu was prepared carefully by boiling 

 in distilled water, to get rid of whatever acid it might contain, he 

 believed it might be reduced to a state in which it would give very 

 little trouble afterwards by crystallization, 



Mr. Crisp called attention to the alteration of the contents on the 

 wrapper of the Journal, which now contained the names of all the 

 authors. The credit of this was due to Mr. Walter Heape, of Cam 

 bridge, and he thought the alteration would be found an obvious 

 improvement in facilitating reference to any paper. He had also 

 taken the opportunity of adding the headings of the classification, 

 and had included all the papers of the bibliography of which any 

 abstract was given, as he found these were often passed over un- 

 noticed. To meet a point which had given not a little trouble with 

 some authors, their names would in future have Mr., M., Herr, &c., 

 prefixed. 



Mr. H, Mills's note was read as follows : — 



" I send six slides of Stephanodiscus NiagarcB, showing filamentous 

 projections on the margin of the diatom. 



" During the last ten or twelve years I have given attention to 

 the examination of these organisms, but am still at a loss to determine 

 what they are, or the purpose they serve (if any) in the economy of 

 the diatom. If found attached in the same manner to any of the 

 diatoms that have motion, we might conclude at once that they were 

 for the performance of that function, but occurring as they do on 

 these discoids, which have no motion, it is difficult to suggest any- 

 thing that is probable. We find many of the diatomaceaa in our 

 water-supply, none, however, having these attachments but S. Niagarce, 

 and perhaps a few CyclotellcB or other small discoids. The S. Niagarce 

 are found in great abundance during the winter months, and for 

 several years past I have found the filaments most abundant in 

 January, at which time the diatoms can be taken almost free from 



