inconspicaella, were known, and hence none but females 
being bred, and these all apterous, and hardly distinguishable 
from each other, it was almost impossible to determine the 
number of British species. One, however, S. pomonse, dis- 
covered in abundance at Stapleton, by the author, was easily 
recognisable both in the larval and perfect state. The 
jlarvse of other species occurring in this neighbourhood used 
to produce both male and female specimens, but for the last 
few years only females had been bred. Mr. Eddleston, of 
•Manchester, Mr. Doubleday, and Professor Von Siebold, of 
Berlin, also confirmed the observations of Mr. Harding, who 
concluded his paper with a minute description of the larva, 
larva cases, and imago of the various species. 
The president exhibited a fine series of Cassida taken by 
the late Mr. A. Melly, on the Alps. 
Chemical and Photographic Section.— Dr. Herapath, 
president, in the chair. Mr. Noble, the honorary secretary, 
stated that he had been unable to get any gentleman to 
furnish a photographic paper for the evening, and he had, 
jtberefore, brought for the inspection of members several 
jphotographs of guns, shot, shell, targets, &c., which were now 
[being taken in the War Department, Woolwich Arsenal, and 
j preserved for future reference. One in particular, illustrating 
[the effects of shot and shell upon a massive iron target, was 
exceedinglv good. Mr. W. W. Stoddart then read a paper 
[Hpon the Microscopical examination of iron. After remark- 
ing how valuable an auxiliary the microscope was to the 
[qualitative analyst, the author stated that his attention had 
ibeen drawn to this special use of the microscope in examin- 
ing iron, from having been requested to give an opinion an 
very short notice upon the comparative value of several 
samples of bar iron. He described somewhat in detail the 
various operations in the manufacture of iron, the first roasting 
of the ore, and production from it of cast iron by fusion with 
coal and limestone, and the subsequent reduction of this cast 
iron in the puddling furnace, after which it was, he said, 
hammered or rolled into bars, from which the samples re- 
ferred to were taken. The fractured ends of these bars, under 
an inch lens,presentedu very crystalline structure,intercalated 
'with particles of graphite and glass-like slag, the larger 
crystals being found in the softest and least compact iron, and 
ihesurfaces of these crystals were covered with beautiful lines, 
always present, and distinct from the fibrous structure of the 
iron, and most clearly shown in the purest iron. These two 
I characteristics were found to be a very certain guide, and 
|the microscopic indications of the relative amount of 
Impurity in the samples were confirmed by chemical 
analysis afterwards, the comparative amounts of impurity 
not, however, corresponding with their relative homogeneity 
of structure. 
Mr. W. L. Carpenter then explained some of the principles 
of a new svstem of Chemical Nomenclature, proposed by 
■Professor Williamson, the greatest novelty in which was the 
restriction of the term acid to those substances usually 
termed anbvdrides, or anhydrous acids, sulphuric and 
phosphoric for example, while what were commonly con- 
sidered acids were to be called the hydric salts of these, the 
only true acids, common oil of vitriol, for instance, being 
termed hydric sulphate. Hydrochloric acid and its 
congeners were to be regarded, not as acids, but as salts with 
acid properties like the salts of gold, platinum, and other 
neutral metals. 
