YASSAR BROTHERS INSTITUTE. 85 



Prof. Dwight spoke of the importance of study with 

 the microscope, and commended it to the attention of 

 members of the Section as a subject likely to yield in- 

 teresting and valuable results, even if pursued only 

 during leisure by those actively engaged in business or 

 the professions. 



H. F. Parker, M.D., described the x>rocess of cutting 

 thin sections and exhibited the apparatus in use. 



Prof. Dwight .showed a large variety of interesting 

 slides, among which were beautiful specimens of sections 

 of pine needles mounted by Mrs. Dwiglit. 



Hexagonal crystals of gold, deposited by electrolytic 

 action, were shown by L. C. Cooley. 



A large number of beautiful slides were exhibited by 

 C. N. Arnold. Among these were many sections of both 

 recent and fossil woods, which revealed a remarkable 

 similarity in the texture of ancient and modern plants. 



JANUARY 28, 1885— THIRTY-SECOND STATED MEETING. 



Prof. W. B. Dwight, chairman, presiding ; fourteen 

 members and guests were present. 



W. B. Dwight called attention to interesting observa- 

 tions made by Prof. James D. Dana in the American 

 Journal of Science for December, 1884, on the formation 

 of loose quartz sand, and of Kaolin, from decaying quartz- 

 ite, in the town of Cheshire, Mass. The rock is original- 

 ly a feldspathic quartzite. The decomposition of the 

 feldspar, which was abundantly disseminated through 

 the porous quartzite, furnished the material for the ad- 

 joining beds of pure white Kaolin ; while the rock be- 

 came either very friable sandstone, easily broken up for 

 the use of glass factories, or else beds of loose sand. 

 The Kaolin derived from this source is quite free from 

 iron ; while that derived from mica schist is generally 

 very impure from the iron in the mica. 



Prof. Cooley spoke of the Jolly balance as an instru- 



69 



