PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 
183 
blood, and stated his opinion tliat the red corpuscles of the blood 
originated from the white ones. 
Mr. Sydney Gibbons gave an interesting description of a number of 
marine Crustacea that had been obtained from the hull of the ' Cerberus ' 
when she was in dock. 
Mr. Bosisto read an interesting paper " On the Hirudo Australis" 
or Australian leech, pointing out that the true medicinal leech of 
Australia ranks equally in its capabilities for drawing blood without 
causing inflammatory wounds with that of the " Sanguisuga," or 
medicinal leech of northern Europe. Two varieties exist here, the 
" bright olive yellow " and the " dark olive green." The former 
represents in character and value the " spotted," and the latter the 
" green," varieties of Europe. 
Mr. Ellery delivered some very interesting remarks on the 
relations of light to colour. He pointed out that in the white light 
all colours were mixed, and unless this necessary mixture took place 
there could be no colour. He instanced this by showing a fine bouquet 
of roses with a sodium light. The whole of the colours at once 
vanished, and everything appeared of a ghastly grey. 
Dr. Wigg read a paper " On some Points in the Microscopical 
Examination of Handwriting," in which he referred at some length to 
evidence he had been recently called upon to give in a court of law. 
The last paper read was one by Dr. Sturt " On a Medusa found in 
the Sandridge Lagoon." 
Memphis Microscopical Society. 
[There is considerable carelessness exhibited in making out these reports for 
the ' M. M. J.' The present one reaches us without any date whatsoever ; we 
fancy that it should be dated December, 1874.] 
The Society met at the usual hour. Dr. J. A. Thacker, of 
Cincinnati ; Prof. Chas. E. West, of Brooklyn, New York ; C. Leo 
Mees, of Columbus, Ohio ; Edward Moulton, of Wooster, Massachu- 
setts, and B. F. Quimby, of Philadelphia, were elected corresponding 
members. The Secretary announced the receipt of one dozen beautiful 
slides of entire insect preparations, donated by T. W. Starr, of 
Philadelphia : also one half-dozen slides of crystals, for polariscope, 
from Dr. A. F. Holt, of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Two slides of 
diatoms were also received from Charles Stoddard, of Boston ; and Mr. 
A. F. Dod, of Memphis, contributed two elegantly prepared slides — 
one of microscopic shells from Barbadoes, and the other scales from 
the common fern. The preparations of Mr. Starr were much admired 
for their perfection of finish and artistic style of mounting. The 
slides were accompanied by a paper, giving in detail the donor's 
method of working in this species of mounting. It was read by the 
Secretary, to the great delight of the members, most of whom 
acknowledged that it was far superior to their own modus operandi. 
A resolution of thanks to the donors of the various preparations 
was passed, after which the Secretary read a number of letters 
addressed to the Society. Among these we may mention one from 
