MEETINGS OF SOCIETIES. 533 
by mounting some slides of diatoms at the meeting in piperine and picric 
acid. These were examined afterwards under microscopes by the 
members present, who were unanimous as to the advantages claimed 
by the doctor for the new media. 
Oct. 15th.—Mr. Pedley exhibited several slides, mounted in various 
media, as recommended by Dr. Morris in his valuable paper on these 
highly refractive media, read before the last meeting, and the resolution 
of the test diatom A. Pellucida was highly approved of, as well as the 
finish of the slides. 
OTAGO INSTITUTE. 
ANNUAL MEETING. 
Dunedin, Nov. 10th, 1885.—Prof. Scott, President, in the chair. 
Paper.—(1) ‘Critical List of the Crustacea Malacostraca,” by Geo, | 
M. Thomson, F.L.S., and Chas. Chilton, M.A. In Mr. Mier’s catalogue 
the orders Amphipoda and Isopoda alone are represented by 45 species. 
The present paper arranges the synonyms and bibliography of 138 species, 
a large proportion of which have been described by the authors. The 
other orders have not been materially added to since the publication of 
Mr. Mier’s catalogue. 
Professor Parker exhibited a collection of New Zealand fishes which 
he intended to send home to the Colonial Exhibition to be held in 
London next year, He drew particular attention to the collection, as 
they were the best specimens of stuffed fish that he had seen. They 
had been very carefully prepared by the carbolized glycerine process by 
the Museum taxidermist, Mr. Jennings. In addition to those exhibited 
a very large collection of fishes and marine Invertebrates in alcohol was 
also in course of preparation, and it was thought that by this means an 
exhibit representative of the Colony would be obtained. 
The Secretary then read the following report :—During the session 
eleven general meetings have been held, including the present annual 
meeting. 
- Four of these have been set apart for the reading of original papers, 
of which eight altogether have been communicated, four zoological, two 
botanical, one sociological (Dr. De Zouche on Inebriety), and one meta- 
physical (Rev. Dr. Macgregor on Evolution). 
At three of the remaining meetings popular lectures were delivered, 
two by Professor Black on “Explosives,” and one by Dr. Hocken on 
“The Early History of New Zealand” (fourth lecture). 
The first meeting of the session took the form of a conversazione. 
At the beginning of the session it was arranged to give three 
demonstrations on the best methods of preparing objects for the micros- 
cope, the council being of opinion that such meetings might be made 
very useful to amateurs possessing microscopes but having little or no 
knowledge of methods. ‘'wo of these meetings were held, but owing to 
the almost total absence from them of the class of persons for whom 
they were intended, it was decided to abandon the third demonstration. 
