THE WEST AMERICAN SCIENTIST. 65 



SAN FRANCISCO MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY, 



July 22, 1885. The library was enriched by the addition of 19 

 bound volumes of the Journal of the Royal Mic. Soc, and the 

 Quarterly Journal of Mic. Science, completing the set of each. 



F. L. Howard read a paper on Epizoa, a group of parasitic Crus- 

 tacea. Mr. Breckenfeld exhibited Argulus foliaceus, a very pret- 

 ty little crustacean, known to fishermen as the fish louse. 



Mr. Wickson exhibited the eggs, larva and perfect insect of a 

 fly found in the experimental garden of the university affecting 

 the quinoa plant, which was introduced last year from Chili as 

 likely to prove a valuable forage plant. 



Aug. 26. A communication was received from Prof. Geo. David- 

 son, enclosing specimens of ribbon grass with diatoms in situ, 

 which had been forwarded to him fiom Allan Island, W. T. Upon 

 examination, the grass was found to be encrusted with a rich and 

 almost perfectly pure collection of discoid diatoms belonging to 

 the genus Arachnoidiscus. Specimens of a small lichen, Cladonia 

 bellidiflora, Ach., were exhibited by Mr. Breckenfeld. Mr. H. C. 

 Hyde exhibited two electric lamps just received by him; also the 

 new Zentmayer-Abbe condenser and a "multiple" objective by 

 Crouch. ♦ 



September 23. The largest attendance for the year was had at 

 the unique and beautifull display of incandescent metals under 

 the microscope, The tables were well covered with the current 

 numbers of the leading scientific jotrnals of this country and of 

 Europe. John G. Clark was duly elected a resident member. 



Prof. George Davidson presented other specimens of ribbon- 

 grass, encrusted with diatoms of the genera Triceratium, Navicu- 

 la, etc. in addition to Arachnoidiscus, which however predominate. 



After the disposal of the routine business, Mr. Chas. W. Banks 

 gave a demonstration of the combustion of. metals in the electric 

 spark, Using the society's largest microscope, as well as his own 

 fine "Beck" instrument. A minute "Geissler tube" was shown. 



Mr. Banks also showed the effects of the passage of tne electric 

 spark ahrough various substances, such as oil, metal-filings, etc. 



The new U. S. postal cards issued Sept. 1, differ considerably 

 from the old ones in appearance. The size is exactly the same. 

 The design is printed in light brown; Jefferson's head is given in- 

 stead of the head of the Goddess of Liberty; "United States" is 

 given in full instead of the monogram ; and the line of direction is 

 changed to "Nothing but the address to be on this side." 



