SCIENCE. 



161 



surface is the only characteristic which affects writing. The 

 harder and smoother the surface the better defined is the 

 writing upon it, and the better chance there is of determin- 

 ing any erasure, change, or interpolation. On paper of good 

 qualit3 r , with a good pen and readily flowing ink, the lines 

 of writing present a tolerably even contour, depending 

 upon the rapidity, pressure, the amount of ink in the pen, 

 etc. The speaker illustrated at length on the blackboard 

 the various widenings or " webs " which are always found 

 at points where two lines cross, explaining how a variation 

 of speed, a change in the kind of ink and other causes 

 affected this web. Upon rough paper the lines always have 

 a ragged edge ; the webbing is, if anything, less than upon 

 hard, smooth paper. As to the pen, he stated that when a 

 steel one was used the paper always showed a distinct 

 groove or cutting on its surface, especially at the edges of 

 the heavy lines. When a pen is old and corroded, the 

 paper looks as though cut with a knife. The various quali- 

 ties of ink were discussed, together with the effect on the 

 appearance of the writing which copying in a letter press 

 has. Some inks will not write well on paper that has been 

 lithographed, running unevenly, as though the paper were 

 greasy. By the fourth condition, the qualifications of the 

 writer, the speaker meant his skill, method, physical abi- 

 lity, etc. A person much accustomed to writing usually 

 writes at a good speed and without hesitation. The writ- 

 ing, in quality, is apt to look alike at all points on the 

 page. Where writing is done slowly it is not so regular 

 and the curves are not so smooth and geometrical. Where 

 a habitually light writer attempts to make a heavy stroke, 

 the shading is irregular. The same is true where a person 

 accustomed to writing with a heavy stroke attempts to write 

 light. These differences are such that they can be usually 

 discovered with the aid of the microscope, and when a 

 writer concentrates all his faculties on the appearance 

 and character of the writing it never has the easy, 

 flowing appearance which it otherwise would have. The 

 tremor in the writing of aged persons, he stated, it was 

 nearly impossible to imitate. The fifth condition, the cir- 

 cumstances under which the writing was done, had as 

 much to do with its appearance as any other cause. One 

 who habitually uses a flexible gold pen writes very differ- 

 ently with a steel pen. The reverse is equally true. Per- 

 sons who are accustomed to write sitting usually cannot 

 write as well standing. The practical application of 

 these and other facts in the examination of writing requires 

 patient investigation, much of it apart from the simple use 

 of the microscope. In the great majority of cases the mi- 

 croscopic investigation is utterly useless without a corre- 

 sponding outside investigation. The signatures to letters 

 are apt to vary more than those written elsewhere. Letters 

 produced as specimens of a person's handwriting are very 

 apt to prove deceptive. Sometimes it »s impossible from 

 expert testimony to determine the character of the suspected 

 writing. As an instance, the speaker related that he had 

 in his possession a genuine promissory note in which a 

 man had misspelled his own name in the signature. Had 

 he died and there been a contest as to the signature it 

 could hardly have been decided as anything else than a 

 forgery. Unfortunately, however, the man lived to pay the 

 note, thus spoiling a very good chance for a nice case of 

 expert evidence. 



Ex-President Ward discussed this paper at some length, 

 his remarks particularly relating to the individual peculiar- 

 ities of writers being noticed more or less in their hand- 

 writing. He considered it a very important factor in the 

 detection of forgeries, etc. 



The next paper was on "Mounting Materials," by Dr. 

 Carl Seiler, of Philadelphia. He said the microscopists of 

 both Europe and America were divided into two classes on 

 this important question. Many believed that balsam should 

 be the only material used in most cases and others as de- 

 cidedly glycerine. He was of the opinion that all tissues 

 which can be hardened and cut into sections are best 

 mounted in balsam, and such specimens as membranes, 

 hairs, cilia, etc., are best mounted in glycerine. If one 

 wished to show delicate, fine lines he should use glycerine. 

 The advantages of balsam are that it does not destroy 

 colors, makes a specimen clear and does not deteriorate. 

 The disadvantages are that the specimen is apt to shrink, and 

 the process of drying is very slow. The advantages of gly- 



cerine are that delicate membranes may be preserved, while 

 its disadvantages are that it always interferes with the color- 

 ing. The specimen also tends to deteriorate. Specimens 

 mounted in glycerine are very apt to suffer from leakage. 

 There are substances which in some cases combine the 

 advantages of both, without the disadvantages of either. 

 Among these the speaker mentioned Farrant's medium and 

 Damar's cement. 



This topic was discussed by Treasurer Fell ; Dr. Young- 

 husband, of Detroit ; Dr. Seiler, of Philadelphia ; Mr. J. 

 H. Fisher, of Rochester, N. Y. ; Mr. C. M. Vorce ; W. H. 

 Walmsley, of Philadelphia ; Secretary Tuttle ; President 

 Smith and others. 



The Society adjourned until the afternoon. 



Afternoon Session. 



At this session President Smith announced the Committee 

 on the Griffith Award as follows, viz. : W. H. Walmsley, 

 Prof. D. S. Kellicott and Mr. J. H. Fisher. 



A work on "Angular Aperture of Microscope Objectives," 

 by Dr. Geo. E. Blackham, F. R. M. S., was presented to the 

 Society by the President on behalf of the author, to whom 

 the thanks of the Society were extended. 



The discussion of the paper read by Dr. Seiler at the 

 morning session was continued, after which Mr. J. H. 

 Fisher, of Rochester, N. Y., read a very interesting paper 

 entitled " Notes on the Structure, Development, and Posi- 

 tion, of a (supposed) Undescribed Flagellate Infusiorium." 

 He referred at first to the but little explored domain of the 

 lowest forms of animal life, which so nearly approach the veg- 

 etable.The Infusoriumwhich he described he found in a small 

 pond of stagnant water near Mount Hope. The body of the 

 little animal was shaped like a cylindrical flask, green in 

 color, the mouth resembling the neck of a bottle, and pro- 

 vided with a flagellum presumably for both prehensive and 

 sustentatory purposes. The animalcule was minutely de- 

 scribed, with its habits. It had no red eye-speck. Spines 

 were equally distributed over it. It could not be identified, 

 he thought, with any known species. Mr. Fisher provision- 

 ally named it Lagunculapisratoiis. i 



This paper was discussed by Mr. Lapham, of Northville, 

 Mich., who said he had seen an organism almost identical 

 with it, except that its outer shell was composed of a series 

 of successive plates. 



The next paper was by Mr. William H. Walmsley, of 

 Philadelphia, on "The Use of Wax Cells in connection 

 with White Zinc Cement for Fluid Mounts." The methods 

 employed by Mr. Walmsley, which he stated had given him 

 great satisfaction, both as to the durability of the cell and 

 the neatness of the mounts, was essentially the coating of tbe 

 ordinary wax cell with white zinc cement. He gave his 

 most approved formulae for the preparation of the cement 

 which he discovered quite a number of years ago, and ex- 

 plained his manner of using it. He exhibited slides with 

 cells from four to six years old, which had resisted the action 

 of the fluid contained within them, without any apparent 

 change. The paper was discussed by Mr. Fell, Mr. Fisher, 

 and several other gentlemen. Mr. Walmsley, in reply to a 

 question, said the cement would sometimes turn yellow. 



Discussion was here discontinued, and the Society ad- 

 journed. 



The address of President H. L. Smith was delivered in 

 Whitney's Opera House in the evening. Prof. Smith said 

 he thought they had very great reason to congratulate 

 themselves upon the results attained at the two previous 

 annual meetings. He might also speak of the wonderful 

 improvements which had been made in the microscpe ; 

 but these would be less desirable than a discussion 

 of some special question. He announced his subject to 

 be " Deep sea soundings, and the relation of microscopic 

 Algse to deep sea animal life, with a few remarks upon evo- 

 lution." He began with a glowing description of the won- 

 ders and beauties of the ocean. He then related the various 

 stages by which it became known that it was possible for 

 life to exist at great depths in the sea, and recounted the 

 voyages of the United States vessel Tttscarora, and the En- 

 glish vessels Challenger and Lightning in their efforts to 

 add to human knowledge concerning deep sea life. 



Prof. Smith has in his possession material obtained from 

 the soundings made by the Tuscarora, 



