173 
MICROSCOPICAL SECTION 
March 20th, 1865. 
J. Sidebotham, Esq., President of the Section, in the 
Chair. 
Mr. Dancer read a Paper, “ On the Microscopical 
Appearances of Cotton Hair during dissolution in the 
Ammoniacal Solution of Copper.” 
Mr. Heys, in proposing a vote of thanks, said that he 
was gratified to find that the important subject of the 
structure of cotton, in which he had himself for some time 
felt an interest, was now being taken up in a manner likely 
to clear away all doubts. 
Mr. Heys said he had been asked by Mr. Dale to 
introduce to the notice of members a preparation of Canada 
Balsam for mounting, which has the property of hardening 
in a very short time. It consisted of Balsam first made 
perfectly solid by evaporation, and then dissolved in Bisul- 
phide of Carbon. He found the smell a strong objection to 
its use, but the results were very satisfactory, the balsam on 
a slide becoming perfectly hard in a few hours. He thought 
however the dry balsam might prove to be the more important 
element in the preparation, and that its solution in Chlo- 
roform would probably be found to answer all practical pur- 
poses. 
Mr. Dancer exhibited many beautiful photographs of 
microscopic objects by Dr. Maddox. 
