Proceedings. 133 



[Microscopical and Natural History Section?^ 



Ordinary Meeting, February nth, 1895. 



John Boyd, Esq., President of the Section, in the Chair. 



Mr. Hyde exhibited a specimen of Laboradorite, 

 showing prismatic colours on a polished surface. 



Mr. G. H. BROADBENT drew attention to the question 

 of oysters and typhoid. 



Mr. Thomas Hick, B.A., B.Sc, read the following com- 

 munication " On a method of double-staining plant-tissues ;" 

 and exhibited a large number of specimens prepared by his 

 method under the microscope : — 



" Those who have given any attention to the methods of 

 modern histology as applied to plants are aware that they 

 involve the use of a large number of micro-chemical and 

 staining reagents. With regard to the latter, botanists are not 

 all agreed as to the advisability of their regular use, some hold- 

 ing that stained preparations are misleading and otherwise 

 objectionable to ordinary students, however valuable they 

 may be in research and in cases of exceptional difficulty. 

 Prof. Bower lays down the excellent rule that colouring 

 matters should never be used without a definite purpose, 

 and if we adhere to this we shall at once avoid the danger 

 of their abuse, and yet find them deserving of more 

 general application than some botanists are at present 

 prepared to allow. At any rate, speaking for myself, I am 

 satisfied from my own experience, that even with elemen- 

 tary students stained preparations may be used with good 

 effect for the attainment of certain desired ends. Among 

 these I only need to mention one of the most obvious, viz. : 



