316 Proceedings of Learned Societies. 



In the Isle of Wight, as in Oxfordshire, etc., the division between 

 the chalk with flints and chalk without flints, is marked by a pecu- 

 liar bed (" chalk-rock"), hard, of a cream-colour, and with irregular- 

 shaped green-coated nodules, which may be seen in many of the 

 pits on the southern flank of the chalk-ridge, where, however, it is 

 ■very thin. Mr. Whitaker disagreed with the inference that the 

 chalk was eroded before the deposition of the Tertiary beds, which 

 has been drawn from the irregular junction of the two in the cliff- 

 sections, and thought that the irregularity had been caused rather 

 by the formation of "pipes" after the deposition of the latter, 

 although he did not deny that there was other evidence of denuda- 

 tion of the chalk before the deposition of the Tertiaries upon it. 



MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY. 



The annual soiree of this society was held on "Wednesday, the 

 19th of April, and was very numerously attended. Messrs. Powell 

 and Lealand exhibited one of their -^ths, which attracted a great 

 deal of attention, though the merits of such a remarkable objective 

 cannot be adequately appreciated in a crowded assembly, in which 

 the instrument is never free from vibrations. Mr. Ross and Messrs. 

 Smith and Beck exhibited some fine objects, as did Messrs. Baker, 

 How, Steward, Bobbins, and a variety of other makers. Dr. Car- 

 penter showed some remarkable specimens of Eozoon Canadense. 

 Mr. Browning exhibited some spectroscopes, including the new 

 direct vision pattern devised by Mr. Herschel. In the course of the 

 evening Mr. How showed with a gas microscope a series of photo- 

 graphs of diatoms, etc., by Dr. Maddox. Many of them possessed 

 great merit, but we think a better definition would have been 

 obtained by lower magnification. He also exhibited in a similar 

 way photographs of various animals. 



The members of the society did not exhibit much, and we think 

 on future occasions more pains should be taken to display a series 

 of objects representing the principal novel microscopic facts of 

 the year. 



ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY.— April 12th. 



Colonel Strange read a paper, " On an Aluminium Bronze 

 Axis, and on certain new methods of Adjusting Transits." The 

 author remarked that in November, 1862, he had before this society 

 advocated the use of the new metaUic alloy referred to, in the con- 

 struction of astronomical instruments, and now some having been 

 made, he could practically confirm the good opinion previously 

 formed. One exception had been found to complete success, viz., 

 that it did not answer for the graduated part of circles, as it 

 tarnished rather rapidly ; but other difficulties had yielded to scien- 

 tific treatment, and the transit axis now exhibited and made by 

 Messrs. Cooke was, notwithstanding its lightness and thinness of 

 metal, probably the stiffest axis in existence. The axis was intended 



