april — sept. 1859.] Proceedings. 187 



Mr. Quekett, and Mr. W. W. Saunders, r. r. s. the following 

 prizes were offered. 



" For a school Microscope to be sold to the Public at a price 

 not exceeding 10s. 6d. The Society's Medal. 



" For a teacher's or student's Microscope to be sold to the Public 

 at a price not exceeding 3£ 3s. The Society's Medal. 



" The Council undertook to purchase 100 of the smaller and 50 of 

 the larger for which the Medals should be awarded. 



" The members will be glad to learn that for these prizes there 

 have been numerous competitors. After much caieful examina- 

 tion of a]l the instruments by the Committee, they unanimously re- 

 ported to the Council that the instruments sent in by Messrs. Field? 

 & Co., of Birmingham fulfilled all the conditions required, and the 

 Council have therefore awarded to that firm the Medals offered on 

 Messrs. Field and Co., entering into the necessary undertakings to 

 comply with the requirements of the prize list. The Council con- 

 gratulate the members on this result." 



I have examined one of the large instruments referred to in this 

 report, it is an Achromatic compound Microscope, with two object 

 glasses, and two eye pieces with some necessary apparatus. Its 

 performance is unquestionably much superior to the best of the old 

 form of Microscopes, and it has that great convenience a joint to 

 incline the body to any angle, a point in which most of the cheap 

 Foreign Microscopes are deficient, and it is undoubtedly cheap 

 for the money, still I would not recommend any one who could 

 spare more money to buy one of these. 



In India people are compelled to look very much to in-door em- 

 ployment during their hours of relaxation, and this is especially the 

 case with Ladies, now I think the Microscope is eminently suited 

 to a Lady's use. The labour is light, and the employment one of 

 surpassing interest. The Microscope makes us acquainted with a 

 world unknown, and if it were possible to fix a limit to creative 

 skill, I should say it had been reached in numerous Microscopic 

 animals and plants. 



The Committee recommended a special medal for this most in- 

 teresting and valuable contribution, probably the first photographs 

 of the kind exhibited in India. They are well printed, and among 



