7 
out of which it was resolved to give £2 2s. to the general funds of the 
Society. 
The election of Sectional officers then took place, Mr. Worsley being 
re-elected President, and Mr. A. Noble, Hon. Secretary. A vote of thanks 
to these gentlemen for their past services was passed, which they each 
acknowledged the secretary commenting upon the small number of active 
and working members. 
Mr. John Beattie then made a verbal communication upon points of 
great interest to photographers. After a short review of the latest 
improvements in photographic printing and lenses, he exhibited some fine 
specimens of large photographs printed on, and fused into glass, by M. 
Joubert, and explained the mode of their production. He also showed 
some specimens which he had prepared of subjects printed upon a new 
enamelled paper, which was supplied in a sensitised condition, but the 
preparation of which was kept secret. Photographs on this paper were 
believed to be more permanent than, and to possess other advantages over, 
ordinary photographic prints. 
Mr. Beattie then described somewhat fully the construction of a new 
patent portrait lens, just introduced by Mr. Dallmeyer. The great 
difficulty with portraits had always been to get definition of a distinct yet soft 
character, free from hardness of texture on the one hand, and from a certain 
*' fuzziness ' on the other ; or, as it was technically termed, to obtain 
proper diffusion of focus. While Landscape lenses, both in this country 
and in America had undergone many improvements, such as wide angular 
aperture, equal diffusion of light, freedom from distortion, &c, the 
Portrait lens, since Petzval's marvellous invention, had not undergone any 
change in principle until this discovery of Mr. Dallmeyer's. In the new 
lens, the flint element of the back combination was made to unscrew, and 
thus to be separated from the crown lens, thereby introducing any desired 
amount of positive spherical aberration, without disturbing the other 
necessary corrections of the objective as a whole. In this way any desired 
amount of softness could be obtained at the will of the artist, who was 
enabled to secure an equalized diffusion of focus over his whole subject, 
besides gaining greater penetration. Mr. Beattie considered that this lens 
would greatly elevate the art of photographic portraiture. 
ZOOLOGICAL ■ SECTION. 
Thursday, January 10th, 1867. — As only the officers of the Section 
were present, Dr. H. Fripp, President, and Mr. S. H. Swayne, Hon. 
Secretary, the meeting was adjourned for a month. An examination of 
the accounts showed a slight balance in hand. 
